"The School of the Future"

The collaboration project between RISE and Innovitaskolan aims to explore and develop a way of working in preschool and elementary school that contributes to increasing the ability for innovation and renewal, as well as strengthening the work with future competencies for all students.

Background

In the spring of 2021, a collaboration was initiated between RISE and about thirty schools within the Academedia group, now Innovitaskolan. In light of current societal trends, such as rapid technological development, the need for transition, and the growing need for lifelong learning, it was identified that the schools' ability for renewal would be an important success factor. To ensure that all employees and students have access to relevant methods and tools to be able to tackle a constantly changing reality, Innovitaskolan entered into a collaboration agreement with RISE, with the goal of shaping a school "for every future."

The different phases of the project

In the first phases, the collaboration was about mapping the needs and exploring how RISE could best support the operations. Frameworks were set for how the work to increase the ability for innovation should permeate the entire operation, from children in preschool and students in elementary school to employees in each unit. The concepts that are now part of Innovitaskolan's brand were then designed: Explore and Innovate (see Innovitaskolan's presentation of the concepts in the links to the right)

A major focus (and challenge) is the design of the extensive competence development that RISE regularly provides for the nearly 1500 employees, spread across 30 units throughout Sweden. Competence development needs to be designed in such a way that it disturbs the regular operations as little as possible. The training modules lay the foundation for employees' understanding of the year's future theme, current and relevant technology, and the innovation process.

During the spring of 2023, the focus is mainly on consolidating and refining the concepts, as well as ensuring that all employees have the right support and knowledge to implement the concepts in their operations. We are also facing an evaluation of the work done during the first two years to ensure that we focus on the right things before the third and final year of the agreement.

Why RISE? 

Innovitaskolan has chosen RISE as a partner, among other things, for our understanding of the school's operations and mission, as well as for our broad expertise in a multitude of research areas. This has come in handy as each school year's work starts from a "future theme" that the students themselves decide on. Future themes so far have focused on "Well-being in a Digital Time" and "The Future of Helping Work." Based on the theme, the students then work exploratively and problem-solving using models of design thinking - to develop their ability to understand and solve problems in new innovative ways.

This is how the schools work with the concepts

Development of Future Theme
Each spring, an advisory board works on a number of current and relevant themes. After the steering group, together with RISE, has processed these, a presentation film is created which the children and students can view. Then a vote takes place among all 15,000 students.

Competence development
Based on the theme, RISE develops 4-5 professional development modules that provide a foundation for understanding the theme, technology, and innovation process. Implementation in schools

Explore Lab and Innovate Challenge
At the preschool and primary school level, employees are then tasked with working with their concept leaders to plan and implement the Explore Lab, where students will experience the theme and design thinking methods. Based on the understanding and interest created during the Lab, children and students work in the spring to find solutions to problems related to the theme. The solutions compete in the Innovate Challenge, and winning solutions in each age group are given the opportunity to realize their prototype with the help of experts at RISE, for example.