The two-day Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conclave for School Leaders 2022-2023 hosted by the Inventure Academy, in collaboration with University of Pennsylvania GSE saw the participation of educators from across the country, discussing curriculum, pedagogies, innovation and more.

Educators participated in activities while also sharing from their experience some success stories for others to learn from. Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan, the President of Educorp Consultants Corporation and Senior Innovation Advisor, Graduate School of Education, Education Entrepreneurship, University of Pennsylvania, and a former education industry entrepreneur facilitated the workshop, indulging educators in activity-based upskilling. The session on Innovation and entrepreneurship by the UPenn facilitators in an attempt to inculcate an ‘Entrepreneurial Mindset’ in a school setup was the key.

Among the activities were the learner agency, where a team reviewed ways to promote learner agency keeping in mind the myriad constraints we work with in our classrooms – time, curriculum, parent expectations, learning motivation, mindset and attitudes (focus on marks/exams). They also discussed through a session on Digital citizenship how students could be helped to structure and leverage the world of opportunities that has emerged with increased access to information, while safely navigating through an information overload and mindful of cyber security.

“At Inventure Academy we believe that Crisis = Opportunity. Thanks to CV19 we have an opportunity to hit the rest button and redefine the role of schools in enabling every human to be the best that they can be and contribute to making the world a better place. What students need to learn are life skills such as asking questions, not just knowing the right answers, identifying and working in collaboration to solve the problems that we as a society are facing.  Learning to learn, to be happy, to be compassionate, to be change makers and being entrepreneurial about life, are critical. 

We as schools and school leaders, teachers need to model that In collaboration with U Penn GSE one of the world’s leading schools we aim to build an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian and Education Sector”, said Nooraine Fazal, Co-founder  Managing Trustee, Inventure Academy.

Meanwhile, Rekha Chari, Head – Advocacy and Outreach, Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru said “The program blends expertise, research, and practice from the University of Pennsylvania’s Schools of Education, Design, Engineering, and Wharton. Resources and stories from industry leaders, investors, and EdTech entrepreneurs will also be shared and examined. This certificate program provides the critical knowledge, skills, and tools needed to develop, accelerate, and scale entrepreneurial practice in education.”

Also read: Eduleader Speaks: Nooraine Fazal, Co-founder, Inventure Academy