Local CEO of Urban Discovery Schools to Participate in Global TED-Ed Educator Alumni Innovation Project
SAN DIEGO, March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shawn Loescher, Ed.D., a 2019-2020 TED-Ed Innovative Educator (TIE) and CEO of San Diego's Urban Discovery Schools, is a participant in the recently announced TED-Ed Educator Alumni Innovation Project.
The Alumni Innovation Project brings together a diverse group of 104 TED-Ed Innovative Educators representing 20+ countries. Hailing from rural, urban and suburban communities, the educators span roles including classroom teachers, adjunct professors, superintendents, college advisors and more.
Launched in response to the seismic shifts in worldwide education during 2020, members will examine the opportunities that emerged in response to the pandemic, racial tensions and political upheaval.
Four shared problems in global education were identified by participants as areas of opportunity:
- Redesigning instruction to comprehensively meet the needs of all students.
- Reimagining response to inequities to address issues of race, equity, inclusion and justice.
- Assessing innovations resulting from pandemic learning models at all levels.
- Reinvesting in the well-being and support of teachers and administrators personally and professionally.
Participants choose one area of focus for their year-long project. TED-Ed will follow their journey as they collaborate, design and test new approaches, reporting back through the project development.
Loescher, who recently participated in a TED-Ed Chat focused on Reimagining & Designing Schools for Equity, will focus on educational innovations that have emerged during the pandemic.
"Nearly 1.5 billion children worldwide have experienced disruptions to their educational environment as a result of the pandemic. Through this we have learned that there are multiple modalities and ways of learning," Loescher says.
"To me, the challenge we face as we emerge from the pandemic is determining which of the many successful lessons we've learned should be carried forward. We have an opportunity to redesign our schools in sustainable ways that advance academic performance, address inequities and ultimately create a more human-centered experience."
Urban Discovery's efforts throughout the pandemic have not gone unnoticed. Recently the Canopy Project, a collaborative initiative led by the Christensen Institute and the educational nonprofit Transcend, named UDS among the 144 most innovative school systems in the world.
Shawn T. Loescher brings over 25 years of experience to his role as Chief Executive Officer of Urban Discovery Schools. Urban Discovery Schools serves T/K-12th grade students at two campuses located in downtown San Diego. The school offers a project-based approach to design thinking for students of all ages and backgrounds that has garnered recent recognition.
Design thinking, also known as human-centered design, is an in-demand skill set seen as critical to the high-growth innovation economy. At its core, design thinking is fundamentally about creative problem solving that elevates the needs of stakeholders through contextual empathy building and evidence-based research.
URBAN DISCOVERY SCHOOLS (UDS) are internationally award-winning free public schools serving grades T/K-5th, 6th-8th and 9th-12th grades in the heart of San Diego's I.D.E.A. District and Education Corridor. With two locations, UDS is a thought leader in educational innovations that are being implemented throughout the world. Learn more and apply online at UrbanSD.com.
SOURCE Urban Discovery Schools
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