Next Generation Learning Challenges Announces $12 Million in New Funding

Signaling the need for a fundamental change in the way education is designed and delivered across secondary and postsecondary institutions, Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) today announced the availability of $12 million in grants for comprehensive models that apply technology to personalize students’ learning experiences, thereby improving the speed and depth by which they develop and master critical knowledge and skills.

Led by EDUCAUSE, NGLC is a collaborative, multi-year initiative created to address the barriers to educational innovation and tap the potential of technology to dramatically improve college readiness and completion in the United States, especially among low-income and minority students.

NGLC’s Wave III focuses on breakthrough models for both college readiness and completion and includes two separate Requests for Proposals: one addressing grades 6-12 and one targeting postsecondary education (including two-year and four-year degree programs).

NGLC’s Wave IIIa, Breakthrough School Models for College Readiness, will seek new, technology-enabled, whole school solutions that aim to radically improve student performance across grades 6-12. Applicants would be eligible for $150,000 pre-launch planning grants and up to $300,000 in one-to-one matching funds. NGLC expects to make up to twenty $150,000 awards and has a pool of $3 million for the one-to-one matching funds. NGLC will be seeking both district and charter school applicants who seek to launch new blended school models.

NGLC’s Wave IIIb, Breakthrough Models for College Completion, will identify innovations that stimulate the development of new, next generation online and blended programs that lead to the highest quality associate or bachelor degrees. Wave IIIb additionally poses the question:  Have learning, policy, and organizational processes advanced far enough to enable associate and bachelor degree programs to be delivered for $5,000 or less per student per year without sacrificing quality, accessibility, or scalability? NGLC believes such potential exists and seeks to answer the question and provide findings to the field. Applicants, including accredited public, private or for-profit institutions of higher education, are eligible for awards up to $1 million.

More information can be found at www.nextgenlearning.org, including a full list of upcoming webinars and resources for applicants.