Congrats to Our Pente Pitch Challenge Top Funded Action Team: Data-Driven Learning Futures!
Stephanie Jeanine King
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During the first-ever Pente Pitch Challenge in February 2022, five Action Teams competed for their share of $25,000. After hearing all of the pitches on Day 2, Action Team #4: Data-Driven Learning Futures led by ShapingEDU Groundbreaker Tanya Joosten, locked in the most funding with $12,000!
Their project, the Student Global Impact (SGI) Hub, plans to use data sources, such as Sociocultural Impact, Environmental Consciousness, Technical Innovation, Civics & Politics, and Employment Outcomes, to improve the decision-making process when learners are choosing an institution. Watch their pitch!
We connected with Joosten after the winning glow was still burning bright to hear what happens next!
ShapingEDU: How does it feel to win the most funding for your project?
Tanya Joosten (TJ): We all were completely surprised. I think we are still in shock but already moving forward exchanging ideas. We owe a big debt of gratitude for each judge seeing the potential in the Student Global Impact (SGI) Hub.
The pitch preparation is a short amount of time, and we could have spent weeks developing the concept alone much less preparing to pitch. We are just a group of self-professed “data nerds” looking for more meaningful measures to improve student outcomes and help the world.
We expected a small nugget to keep us moving. However, we share in the enthusiasm with the judges. The SGI Hub is a stellar concept. Cinna, a graduate student from Boston University said it best, "it is inspirational and practical." At the end of the day, it can help every student and improve our conditions across the globe.
ShapingEDU: Your project relates to ShapingEDU Call to Action #4: Enable data-driven & evidence-based learning futures. Why do you believe this Call to Action is important for lifelong learners?
TJ: Yes, our team is the "data set" and focuses on data, yet the SGI Hub encompasses the values of multiple ShapingEDU Calls to Action. While data can inform learning futures, we need solutions that center students and their needs, bring creativity to gathering more meaningful data and solving relevant problems, and respond to the ever-changing systems of the world. There are a lot of hyped data-driven solutions out there that missed the mark. This is not one of them, but the big picture may be hard for folks to grasp. We hope the framework brings some tangible information to create a shared understanding and illustrate the potential moving forward.
Find out more about ShapingEDU’s 5 Calls to Action.
ShapingEDU: What are you looking forward to as you move your project forward?
TJ: The team is already establishing how we will work and what tools we will use to manage the project in order to develop the framework within the time frame. We are also harnessing our networks, focusing on engaging students in the process, planning for the environmental scan, and identifying additional funding opportunities. But, what we are really excited about is digging into the data – finding out what's out there, what we need to gather, and what new and meaningful measures we need to create! Fun stuff!
We can’t wait to see the SGI Hub come to fruition!
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