Creating Capacity for Innovation Across Education Systems

We convene stakeholders and catalyze educators to implement and scale the most effective approaches to education. Tomorrow’s learners deserve innovative*, collaborative and agile schools. To ensure that all learners succeed in a rapidly changing world, the Friday Institute creates capacity for innovation and adaptation across educational systems through dynamic resources, a community of partnerships and our corpus of research.  

*We define innovation as the application of novel and scalable ideas, tools and practices that advance education.

Three icons depicting that over 80,000 participants from all 50 states and 160+ countries have taken Friday Institute's free online courses for educators Three icons depicting that over 80,000 participants from all 50 states and 160+ countries have taken Friday Institute's free online courses for educators

Online Professional Learning for Educators

Friday Institute online courses are built on research-based models of effective professional development and learning communities that focus on job-embedded, peer-supported and self-directed learning. Since its start in 2013, over 80,000 people from all 50 states and more than 160 countries have registered for these courses. With the onset of COVID-19, the project saw a tenfold increase in participants in the spring of 2020—serving more than 25,000 participants and making 2020 the project’s most successful year of courses.

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LASER Institute Scholars Gather for First In-Person Workshop for Learning, Community and Collaboration

The LASER Institute, a professional development program for early and mid-career researchers, held its first in-person weeklong summer workshop July 11-15 at the Friday Institute to support its scholars in their professional development throughout the year.

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Two scholars have a conversation while looking at a laptop. One woman stands and the other sits in front of the computer. Two scholars have a conversation while looking at a laptop. One woman stands and the other sits in front of the computer.
Two educators talk in a room of people. The man wears a navy blue polo and the women wears a bright blue polo and a white mask. The woman holds a silver laptop. Two educators talk in a room of people. The man wears a navy blue polo and the women wears a bright blue polo and a white mask. The woman holds a silver laptop.

North Carolina’s Virtual Schools Network Takes Flight

Virtual Schools Network (VSN), a partnership between the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVirtual) supports and connects traditional virtual public schools. During this year’s Summer Institute, virtual school educator teams had time to connect, collaborate, reflect, learn and plan for the future of their schools.

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