Dear education system stakeholder, 

I am signing this Letter of Support for the EIC Learning Ecosystems Advancement Program (LEAP) and I encourage you to do the same.  This work is essential to the wellbeing of all our young people, educators, leaders, and beneficiaries of our education system - including employers and community organizations. This last year of pandemic stress on students, families, school systems, and businesses has amplified the need to address fundamental and structural weaknesses in our systems. 

The LEAP initiative mission is simple, bold, and necessary;         

To empower all individuals, organizations, and communities to develop their optimal capacities to grow, develop, adapt, and THRIVE. 

The visionary outcomes of this work include supporting all communities to create their Learning Lab Ecosystem (LLE) that enables 

• universal development of self-directed, self-developing learners, leaders, and coaches as Selfpreneurs; co-creators of their best life and role to serve society.
• learning to develop mastery of one’s chosen role and contribution to society (e.g., occupation, career, avocation, and ways to express social consciousness) 
• accredited lifelong learning to happen anywhere, anytime, and with anyone;
• connected learning with other LLEs across the state and region 

I am encouraged that these goals are possible through the ground-breaking, multi-state LEAP Collaborative that is forming with leaders in this work;

• Education Innovation Collaborative (EIC) as the visionary leader for transformative education and social system change with strengths in human and organization development, optimal performance, and transformation; 
• Desert Research Institute (DRI) as a national leader of advanced STEAM education and applied research to solve global challenges of ecosystems, energy, health, and education, and; 
• Arizona State University (ASU) as a leader in education innovation - ranked #1 in the country by World News & Report for multiple years - with unique strengths in integrating new practices, technologies, and leadership for systemic change. 

This powerhouse regional collaborative will be conducting high quality participatory action research, design, and development of innovative and transformative community learning labs in a dynamic network across states and regions. Their strategy is to facilitate rapid prototyping and dissemination of innovative programs that support high quality, cost-effective, and scalable learning experiences for all learners to acquire the credentials they need to achieve their life and career goals. 

Core programs being envisioned to support learning centers include;

• Capacity Development System - Selfpreneur learning plans, competency credentialing aligned to career pathways, lifelong learning portfolio
• Coach Team Member Hub - certified coaches support students doing projects
• Real Projects Hub - inquiry-based learning experiences to earn recognized credentials toward learning goals.

I am encouraged that the first phase of the Learning Lab Ecosystems initiative is now underway in Churchill County. This project aims to empower students to design and build their own life learning plans, engage in career exploration projects, and envision their community learning centers - all of which brings together diverse education stakeholders to solve real problems of employers and communities. 

In summary, I support EIC and the LEAP Collaborative to pursue their ambitious mission and vision to reimagine education to empower all learners to thrive. I share their belief in the tight link between education and social change - that our organizations and communities are only as strong as the individuals who comprise and lead them. It’s time to unleash people, young and old, to THRIVE to their potential so they can co-create a healthier world in which EVERYONE flourishes to their potential. I call upon stakeholders, leaders, and public and private funders of education transformation to join me in signing this letter, completing the survey that follows, and giving your generous support to EIC and the LEAP Collaborative so these ambitious, essential goals can be achieved as quickly as possible.