The Learning Landscapes Challenge is a $2.2 million competition to design and build future-ready K-12 education environments. Siegel Family Endowment and the Walton Family Foundation invite changemakers to propose infrastructure solutions that deliver and connect digital, in-school, and community-based learning experiences.
About the challenge
Why it matters
Delivering and connecting learning experiences across contexts
From teachers and community organizations to students and families, forward-thinking educational changemakers across the United States are experimenting with highly effective models of personalized and experiential learning. With the right structures and tools to expand their reach, these learning experiences can reduce achievement gaps and drive long-term success for even more students. Multidimensional solutions that incorporate physical, digital, and social infrastructure can cohesively integrate and expand the scope of educational experiences across digital, in-school, and community contexts, meeting students where and how they learn — at scale.
Now is the time
Bridging the learning of today with the learning of tomorrow
Increased federal investment in infrastructure has created a unique window of opportunity. Without cross-cutting approaches, community and educational infrastructure investments could miss the chance to address the root problems that affect learning access and quality. The Learning Landscapes Challenge is connecting these dots, incentivizing partnerships to integrate the physical, digital, and social infrastructure required to meet K-12 students’ learning needs now and in the future. The challenge provides funding, cross-sector partnership opportunities, and tailored technical support to help changemakers develop and scale new infrastructure solutions.
How the challenge will unfold
The Learning Landscapes Challenge will unfold across three phases designed to identify and support infrastructural concepts and entrants with the potential to achieve tangible, transformative impact — while laying the foundation to scale innovative learning beyond a single community. The challenge will support entrants to refine their solutions throughout the challenge. Successful delivery solutions will incorporate multiple dimensions of infrastructure or use infrastructure in a novel way. To learn more, explore challenge resources, including examples of relevant infrastructure opportunity areas. To prepare your Phase 1 submission, review the evaluation criteria and submission form.
Phase 1 is open to all eligible entrants; however, Phases 2 and 3 require lead entrants to be nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. During Phase 2, any Phase 1 winners that do not meet this requirement will be encouraged to partner with a relevant eligible entity and will receive technical support to do so. For full eligibility information, review the rules, terms, and conditions.
Phase 2 and Phase 3 details are subject to change based on the results of Phase 1 (and at the discretion of Siegel Family Endowment and the Walton Family Foundation) and will be updated prior to the phase launch.
Phase 1: Concept development
Phase 1 of the Learning Landscapes Challenge invites all eligible entrants to submit concepts for innovative infrastructure solutions.
- Submissions should articulate the proposed infrastructure solution, the intended learning experience, evidence base, partnership plans, and multidimensional needs to scale impact.
- Entrants will have access to a virtual information session and a collection of curated resources as they develop their concepts.
- Judges will evaluate submissions according to official Phase 1 evaluation criteria. Based on their evaluation, the judges will recommend up to 40 Phase 1 winners. Each Phase 1 winner will receive $5,000 and an exclusive invitation to participate in Phase 2.
Phase 2: Accelerator
Phase 1 winners will be exclusively invited to participate in Phase 2, a 14-week virtual accelerator, to further refine concepts and build the partnerships needed for implementation. At the end of Phase 2, accelerator teams will submit detailed proposals for their solutions.
- As a part of the virtual accelerator, Phase 2 teams will be expected to validate the core elements or assumptions underpinning their concepts, refine their proposed solutions, and make tangible progress in establishing additional partnerships.
- Phase 2 teams will receive mentorship and technical support for developing solution concepts into detailed proposals, developing action plans, and cultivating multisector partnerships.
- As a reminder, while Phase 1 is open to all eligible entrants, lead entrants in Phase 2 and Phase 3 are required to be nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. Phase 1 winners that do not meet this requirement will be encouraged to partner with a relevant eligible entity and will receive technical support to do so. For full eligibility information, review the rules, terms, and conditions.
- Judges will evaluate submissions according to Phase 2 evaluation criteria. Based on their evaluation, the judges will recommend up to 15 entrants to advance to a live Q&A, which will inform judges’ recommendations for up to five Phase 2 winners that will receive $200,000 each and advance to Phase 3.
Phase 3: Incubator
Phase 2 winners will be exclusively invited to enter the Phase 3 incubator to receive tailored support and mentorship focusing on concept implementation and sustainability. At the end of Phase 3, incubator teams will submit prototypes and implementation plans.
- Phase 3 teams will receive tailored technical support as they refine and scale their funding and delivery plans.
- The incubator, which will kick off with an in-person boot camp, will focus on developing sustainable funding plans through private and public streams.
- Phase 3 will conclude with a Demo Day featuring in-person Q&A and final presentations in front of a live audience and judges. Judges will evaluate submissions according to Phase 3 evaluation criteria. Up to two grand-prize winners will receive $500,000 each to support implementation of their delivery solutions.