The Siegel Family Endowment and the Walton Family Foundation aim to transform learning through the integration of social, digital, and physical infrastructures. They seek to bridge current educational methods with future needs, leveraging increased federal infrastructure investment to address foundational problems in learning access and quality. They support innovative approaches that foster cross-sector partnerships and scalable solutions to meet K-12 students' evolving educational requirements.
The Learning Landscapes Challenge is designed to support innovators in developing infrastructure solutions that integrate physical, digital, and social elements to enhance K-12 education. The challenge unfolds in three phases: concept development, acceleration, and incubation.
Phase 1: Participants submit initial concepts focusing on innovative infrastructure solutions, evidential basis, and partnership strategies. Up to 40 winners receive $5,000 each and progress to Phase 2.
Phase 2: A 14-week virtual accelerator refines these concepts through mentorship and technical support. This phase emphasizes validating assumptions, refining solutions, and establishing partnerships, with up to five winners each receiving $200,000 to move to Phase 3.
Phase 3: An incubator phase provides tailored support to help finalists implement and sustain their concepts. This includes developing sustainable funding plans and culminates in a Demo Day, where up to two grand-prize winners are awarded $500,000 each for solution implementation.
The challenge offers a structured, supportive pathway from conceptualization to implementation, emphasizing cross-sector partnership and scalability potential to address the dynamic needs of K-12 education.