Birmingham Nonprofit’s Partnership Mannequin Unites Three Mayors with Nationwide Superintendent of the Yr, Creating Scalable Blueprint for America’s Digital Expertise Disaster
Nationwide — Ed Farm efficiently concluded its extremely anticipated Way forward for Studying Summit 2025 (FOLS2025), a transformative two-day occasion that introduced collectively greater than 300 schooling leaders, know-how innovators, municipal officers, and enterprise executives to handle America’s increasing digital expertise hole. With 90% of all jobs requiring digital fluency by 2030 (supply), the summit demonstrated how Ed Farm’s collaborative innovation mannequin creates sustainable academic transformation by uniting various stakeholders round shared workforce growth objectives to assist shut America’s $5.5 trillion digital expertise hole (supply).
Ed Farm, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a technology-focused nonprofit group designed to shut the rising digital expertise hole and empower educators, college students, and grownup learners by means of groundbreaking programming and modern instruments. The group’s mission facilities on getting ready people for as we speak’s tech-driven world whereas constructing capability for future technological developments by means of strategic neighborhood partnerships. Since its founding, with funding from Apple and Alabama Energy Basis, Ed Farm has expanded to incorporate strategic collaborations with world know-how leaders like Shipt, creating applications that straight tackle workforce growth wants.
The unprecedented gathering highlighted Ed Farm’s distinctive capability to assist cities and college districts spearhead academic innovation by means of strategic partnerships that straight deal with important technical expertise shortages. The June 4-5 occasion on the Alabama Faculty of Fantastic Arts DJD Theater, together with periods on the Birmingham Museum of Artwork and Boutwell Auditorium, showcased how collaborative innovation ecosystems are revolutionizing academic entry and scholar outcomes in Southeast communities. These collaborations are replicable fashions for the nation.
“We’ve discovered that innovation isn’t in regards to the know-how itself—it’s about creating the circumstances the place know-how can serve genuine academic objectives,” stated Waymond Jackson, President of Ed Farm. “Our success comes from constructing true partnerships the place communities, educators, and know-how leaders work collectively, creating studying environments that put together college students for futures we will’t but think about, whereas honoring the values and strengths they convey from their communities.”
The summit featured Ed Farm’s signature hands-on “digital playground,” spanning a number of flooring, providing attendees immersive experiences with cutting-edge studying applied sciences, interactive vendor demonstrations, and wellness areas that exemplify the group’s holistic method to academic innovation.
The FOLS 2025 marquee mayors panel “Group Companions: Transformation by means of Digital Schooling” featured Birmingham (AL) Mayor Randall Woodfin, Montgomery (AL) Mayor Steven Reed, and Warner Robins (GA) Mayor LaRhonda Patrick. The Ed Farm Areas partnerships with these three visionary leaders display how collaborative innovation can basically redefine the connection between municipalities and academic programs. These partnerships exemplify Ed Farm’s method to creating sustainable change by means of strategic stakeholder alignment and community-driven program design that addresses particular native workforce growth wants.
Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham emphasised the important significance of municipal involvement in academic innovation, stating, “It’s extraordinarily, extraordinarily necessary for mayors to be concerned in digital schooling initiatives.” His enthusiasm for the collaborative efforts of Mayor Patrick and Mayor Reed underscored how Ed Farm facilitates information sharing and greatest follow growth throughout various municipal contexts, making a community of innovation that advantages all taking part communities.
The brand new Ed Farm Area known as InnoLab, launched below Mayor LaRhonda Patrick of Warner Robins, GA, the primary elected Black lady mayor in her metropolis’s historical past, exemplified Ed Farm’s community-first partnership method by changing into the group’s inaugural community-based facility. Her administration’s strategic funding in city-funded multigenerational digital studying areas demonstrates how Ed Farm’s collaborative mannequin allows municipalities to handle particular workforce challenges whereas constructing long-term academic capability.
“We’d like people in our neighborhood who can carry out the roles that the trade requires,” Mayor Patrick said, highlighting the direct connection between Ed Farm’s programming and financial growth targets.
The FOLS2025 Superintendents Panel: “District Innovation in Motion” supplied compelling proof of Ed Farm’s measurable affect on scholar achievement, educator effectiveness, and district-wide academic transformation. That includes distinguished leaders from Birmingham Metropolis Colleges, Perry County Colleges, and Jefferson County Colleges, the panel demonstrated how Ed Farm’s collaborative method delivers sustainable outcomes throughout various academic contexts whereas sustaining respect for area people values and academic priorities.
Walter B. Gonsoulin Jr., Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Colleges in Alabama and the 2025 Nationwide Superintendent of the Yr, described how college students developed apps throughout summer season programming, demonstrating creativity and problem-solving expertise. The panel of superintendents emphasised how Ed Farm’s collaborative methodology allows their districts to handle important instructor shortages in under-resourced areas whereas concurrently elevating scholar achievement by means of modern programming and strategic neighborhood partnerships.
Summit attendees skilled firsthand Ed Farm’s “related classroom” initiative, which epitomizes the group’s collaborative method to fixing complicated STEM entry challenges which have traditionally restricted rural and underserved communities. This cutting-edge program leverages superior know-how to attach rural school rooms with skilled educators and complete academic sources, making certain that geographic isolation not determines academic high quality or limits a scholar’s potential for future success.
FOLS2025 efficiently established a robust blueprint for sustainable transformation in ed tech that honors area people values whereas connecting to broader innovation networks and financial alternatives. The gathering positioned Alabama and the Southeast as nationwide leaders in collaborative academic innovation, whereas demonstrating Ed Farm’s mannequin is well-positioned to handle America’s important digital expertise disaster.
About Ed FarmLaunched in partnership with Apple and Alabama Energy Basis in 2020, Ed Farm is a 501(c)(3) group that empowers educators, college students, and grownup learners to not solely thrive in as we speak’s digital age but additionally put together for the developments of tomorrow. By way of tech-focused programming, modern studying environments, and modern instruments, Ed Farm is on a mission to shut the rising digital expertise hole in communities throughout the Southeast and past. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Ed Farm is a part of Propel Schooling alongside Propel Heart. Study extra at edfarm.org
In regards to the Way forward for Studying SummitFOLS is an expert growth expertise in Birmingham that brings Ed Farm’s passionate neighborhood of educators collectively to reimagine studying by means of know-how and future-focused curriculum. Study extra at https://fols.edfarm.org
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(Picture/Interview Alternatives Out there: Excessive-resolution photographs and unique interviews with Ed Farm management and associate officers can be found upon request.)
