Giving Compass' Take:

• Jimmy Kam, writing for EdSurge Independent, discusses the role philanthropists can play in education innovation and offers suggestions on how to be effective.

• The author says "education innovation" is a buzzword. Have you given thought to what this term means for your giving?

• Read why education philanthropy needs more accountability. 

“Education innovation has been a big buzzword in the sector, but it is also such an “umbrella” concepts that make it mind-boggling to comprehend,” said Freda. It is true, but the consultant in me also believe that there are ways that can help us frame some of these floating ideas, and gain a more structural view of this topic. I ended up spending around one week to learn about what education innovation means to a philanthropic organization like the Trust:

  • Implication #1: Education innovation do not have to always come with disruptive changes, it can also spur from stepwise improvements in all aspects within the world of education.
  • Implication #2: Education technology can enhance learning experiences through multiple ways.
  • Implication #3: Education innovation can come in three main ways — technology is just one of the means.

As I take a step back and reflect upon these implications, I see that a philanthropist playing important roles in a field like education innovation where there is still a lot of unknown:

  • Encourage public dialogues to raise awareness so that parents and educators are more open to experimentation, especially the use of education technology.
  • Build innovation capacity to enable teachers to become actual driving forces of innovation
  • Pilot alternative philosophies to gather evidence that support implementation of new education delivery methodologies.
  • Develop advanced curriculum that complement, or even replace the core, by tapping into the vast connections with academia and innovators in the sector.
  • Accommodate social inclusion especially for underserved students by investing in extra resources that cater to diverse learning needs.

A philanthropist is uniquely positioned with its high level of impartiality and influence on societal issues. It also has abundance resources to mobilize and can be relatively more risk-taking as compared to governmental institutions.

Read the full article about education innovation by Jimmy Kam at EdSurge Independent