Navigating changing education landscape can be hard. Some parts move much faster than others, and sometimes sudden events impact everyone and everything, changing the course of action. So we created IMPACT: Learning Edition to help education stakeholders – or anyone – engage in education systems and education futures.
Meet the avatars in IMPACT: Learning Edition, the characters you play as you navigate and fight for the futures you want in the changing education landscape.
Ayren Batiste, High School Junior
Aspiring for a career in STEM, Ayren is sure to make choices that value science and technology. They are always thinking about their next move in achieving goals in their vision of success. In doing so, they place a high priority on ensuring that learning environments are effective and supportive of learners’ goals.
Karissa Williams, Governor
An ambitious, community-minded leader, Governor Williams wants civic life to thrive, with people from all walks of life feeling free to participate in and influence society, while asserting a well-functioning, accountable governance. Governor Williams also works to ensure that the state has the resources needed to support its citizens, particularly those who, like her, need assistive devices to walk.
Jayden Harris, Youth Justice Advocate
Placing civic life high on his list of priorities for the future, Jayden supports Black youth in developing critical consciousness and in advocating for themselves and broader social change. He supports youth-led initiatives and works with schools to elevate issues affecting youths’ ability to thrive. Realizing, though, how important fun and joy are to daily life, Jayden also values recreation, leisure and play.
Pat Li, Learning Journey Mentor
Pat wants to make sure that future learning environment serve each student well, connecting learners with supportive people and activities to help them meet their competency goals. Pat also seeks to ensure that education systems receive the supportive infrastructures they need to fulfill their mission of serving every learner well.
Vania Pérez, Early Childcare Facilitator
Vania wants all young children to flourish. At her childcare center, she emphasizes play and community through culturally relevant early learning. Owning a home-based center means that she must balance the work of childcare with the work of running a business. A first-generation immigrant parent, Vania wants her middle school children to do well in school and find good jobs.
When we are working within and outside the education landscape, we are operating in systems, the concept the game is built upon. Learn more about education systems and how to take action for you and your learning communities in Looking Beneath the Surface: The Education Changemaker’s Guidebook to Systems Thinking.
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Cruz Gómez, Student
Cruz is an easygoing high school sophomore who is eager to be done with school, wanting to create digital content rather than study. He also wants community and culture to be strong as people move forward, together. Cruz is also really concerned about climate and environment and hopes to see a future where people have brought our interactions with the planet into better balance.
Suri Devi, Ed Tech Chief Experience Officer
Suri is a chief experience officer for an ed tech company, valuing technology and wanting to see it, along with science, be valued in the future so that people achieve more of what we want for ourselves. She also wants to see strong policy and governance that hold people accountable while keeping up with the times. Suri is also mom to two elementary-aged learners.
Alex Weber, Community Intelligence Specialist
Alex curates data about learning and helps his learning community make sense of it all. Alex also helps educators use technology for evidence-based, formative assessment and feedback. And he ensures alignment with state accountability systems while keeping an eye on privacy and security.
Sequoia Yazzie, Well-Being Coordinator
Sequoia helps learners and colleagues attend to their well-being and helps them with wayfinding, developing the habits and skills to explore what comes next. Sequoia wants to make sure that future learning environments support learners’ health and well-being, and that broader society does so too.
Ying Cho, Director of Community and Environmental Initiatives
In his role at a local corporation, Ying leads the integration of the three “P’s” – people, planet and profit – into everyday business operations. He knows how much policy and governance can influence large-scale problems and individuals’ lives.
The avatars help guide your path and navigate the tensions and disruptions during the game. The headlines you create and discussions you take away are certainly not by their design. They’re by yours.
Learn more about IMPACT: Learning Edition’s gameplay and how it can help your learning communities think about the futures you all envision.
