Educurious

SUMMARY

Educurious is a Seattle-based non-profit founded in August 2010 by former Microsoft executive, Michael Golden. It aims to support and inspire 21st century learning skills. It puts students and teachers in touch with a network of experts, encouraging students to act like experts as they work on authentic projects and problems. Educurious’ resources include biology and English language arts curriculum, professional development support for teachers and a network of experts and mentors to help both teachers and students experience “meaningful learning experiences” and improve their learning and communications skills.

GOALS

Educurious aims to make school a meaningful and engaging experience, particularly for high school students by positioning them as “developing experts.” By fostering learning through projects and putting students in touch with real-world mentors who can comment on their work, Educurious hopes to foster the analysis and communications skills that will help students succeed in college, careers and their life.

APPROACH

Educurious spent three years developing digital, project-based curriculum units in Language Arts and Biology, designed to be compliant with the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards that will fill an academic year. Each unit was tested in high school classrooms three times.

Educurious positions students as “developing experts” and engaging them in project- or problem-based learning experiences. Through the Educurious Expert Network, professionals virtually engage with and give feedback to students as they solve contemporary challenges in their project work. The program leverages a variety of digital and traditional tools and encourages students to express what they’ve learned in multiple ways. Here are the 10 research-based practices that Educurious has built its work around. It also provides significant support through online mentor programs for both students and teachers as they work through projects.

IMPLEMENTATION

Educurious’ materials are available via a web browser. The organization has also created native iOS and Android-based apps. Its material can be adapted to run on a variety of Learning Management Sytems. Here’s a link to the iPhone based app and here’s a link to the Google Play (Android) app

PRICING

Educurious offers a sampling of its curriculum online here for free. A full academic year’s worth of its English Language Arts or Biology courses (which includes 5 unites in a sequence) are available for $55 per student per year. Single units that can be used within an existing course are also available. Professional development involves additional fees. For instance, a package that includes 3-day face-to-face institute, fortnightly online collaboration opportunities and virtual coaching runs between $1,500 and $2,000 per teacher.

WHO IS USING IT

Since Educurious began in 2012, thousand students in dozens of schools have used its materials. Leading users include the school districts of Philadelphia and metropolitan Cleveland. Educurious reports strong gains in proficiency, reading and writing and academic gains in biology among students using its materials.