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Illinois Innovation Talent Pilot Project

April 23, 2008

A public-private partnership between the State of Illinois’ leading education and economic development agencies and business and industry associations is pleased to announce that it is requesting applications from Illinois high schools for a pilot project designed to promote innovation-centered education in Illinois.

Overview

Leaders across Illinois recognize the need for more students to become globally competitive and collaborative innovators. Students must be prepared to critically examine and solve complex problems as members of diverse, interdisciplinary teams utilizing leading-edge information technology tools and platforms. In order to meet these challenges, a unique team of business and industry associations, government agencies and educational institutions has coalesced to work with high schools and business, government and community partners to explore how schools and their partners can produce the next generation of innovation talent in Illinois. For the purposes of this project, innovation is defined as the development and application of new ideas to create solutions to complex real-world problems.
This project will demonstrate how implementing the updated National Education Technology Standards (NETS) using Problem Based Learning can focus Illinois high schools on developing innovation talent. This project will provide a model for how the NETS standards in conjunction with Problem Based Learning can provide a new framework for making connections to Illinois Learning Standards and applications of learning. In addition, this project will connect with other innovation-related initiatives including STEM, ITEA-TIDE, and PLTW initiatives and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This project also will explore how innovation-centered education can increase student achievement in all core subject areas by deepening student engagement in learning through real world, interdisciplinary problem-solving within collaborative networks.

Eligibility and Project Requirements

All Illinois high schools and high school districts are eligible to apply to participate in the Illinois Innovation Talent Pilot Project. Up to ten high schools will be selected to participate. Priority will be given to those applicants who are fully committed to innovation-centered education and have the capacity to develop and complete interdisciplinary innovation projects with business, government and/or community partners (See Selection Criteria). Priority also will be given to high schools that involve teachers across multiple disciplines including career and technical education. High schools also will be selected to ensure a wide diversity of schools from throughout Illinois.

Participating schools are required to work in partnership with a business, government or community partner and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) to develop a project using Problem Based Learning to solve a real-world problem. Schools that have a preexisting relationship with a business, government or community partner are preferred, but this is not required. Each school will be required to assign a project director to work with a business, government or community partner and a team of students supported by an interdisciplinary team of teachers on a project for a period of two to four weeks. The project director must be a certified teacher. Student teams will be required to collaborate with outside experts including the business, government or community partner to formulate and present a solution to a real world problem.

Funding Support

Participating schools will be provided with training and project development support from IMSA at no cost to the school. Up to $5,000 can be provided to participating schools to cover project related costs. Allowable costs include project director stipends for attending project meetings and training, the costs associated with travel to and from training sessions and project events for project directors and teachers, transportation costs for students for project-related meetings and events, project-related materials and supplies, and other project-related costs.

Timeline

Application and Selection Criteria

If interested in participating in the Innovation Talent Pilot Project, please submit a letter of intent and application to the email address below by May 16, 2008 requesting that your school be selected as a participant. The letter should be signed by the school’s superintendent and should clearly indicate your school’s ability and intent to assemble a team of students and a team of teachers to develop and implement a yet to be determined project with a business, government and/or community partner within the timeline described above. Your letter should also indicate that the project director can attend the June orientation meeting and that the project director and teachers can attend the August two-day training.

If a school has a specific business, government or community partner that it would like to collaborate with on this project, please have the partner organization submit an accompanying letter supporting and committing to the project. Schools without an identified partner will be connected with a business, government and/or community partner over the summer.

In addition to the letter of intent, please submit a 3 – 5 page application that addresses the following selection criteria:

1. SCHOOL COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION-CENTERED EDUCATION: Describe how the school or district’s mission, vision, and overall approach to education is consistent with the goals of the pilot project to promote innovation-centered education.
2. SCHOOL CAPACITY TO WORK WITH BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Describe the school or district’s current or recent partnerships and how they have been used to support student engagement and learning.
3. SCHOOL CAPACITY TO MANAGE AND SUPPORT INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDENT PROJECTS: Provide an overview of any innovative, collaborative student projects that the school has developed and managed involving teachers from multiple disciplines including career and technical education.
4. PROJECT DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE. Provide an overview of the qualifications and experience of the project director in developing and managing innovation projects with business, government, and/or community partners and interdisciplinary teacher teams.
5. INTERDISCIPLINARY TEACHER TEAM. Provide an overview of the teacher team that will be assembled for assisting students in developing and completing the innovation project. Please describe the disciplines that will be represented on the team. Applicants do not have to name specific teachers, but must identify the disciplines that will be involved. Priority will be given to schools that involve multiple disciplines including career and technical education.

Please submit your letter and application to Jason A. Tyszko, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity at Jason.Tyszko@illinois.gov. Any questions related to this project should be directed to Jason A. Tyszko at the above email address or (312) 814-6954.

Budgets and additional project related details will be negotiated following the selection of participating high schools.

For more information:
Call (312) 814-6954
Visit http://www.illinoisbiz.biz/dceo
E-mail Jason.Tyszko@illinois.gov