Punch line: If corporations really want to make a difference in the American education system they need to rethink their philanthropic giving. By reallocating monies to initiatives such as gamification they can facilitate the foundational transformation that the education system truly needs.
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Excerpted from Fast Company Co.Exist: Big Corporations Can Disrupt Our Antiquated Education Model
AT&T recently announced that it had made one of its single largest grants ever to the small nonprofit GameDesk, a pioneer in game-based digital learning for at-risk kids.
The signal to educators, consumers, and legislators alike is that the company has a transformative role in the education arena.
Without question, this is a departure from the “tried and true,” philanthropic grant which … is not the disruptive or innovative approach that the education system needs. Unfortunately, most private investors–and educators–tend to be risk averse when it comes to investing significant dollars or time in disruptive approaches to teaching.
The kind of partner strategy we see from the AT&T/GameDesk partnership is exactly how senior leaders from Fortune 500 companies and their foundations need to be thinking …
Why? Because when it comes to the future of our children and country, taking a risk and investing in “game changing” technologies … sends a clear message to parents, consumers, students, and educators that the status quo must change.
Edited by JDC
The Homa Files 