ORI
Where We’re Going

The Practical Education of Society & New Forms of Credentialing

Description

From K-12 systems to the university, educational systems in America are under massive structural stress. COVID-19 has created considerable learning gaps, we have a shortage of qualified and engaged teachers, and the traditional credentials for students, especially outside of elite higher education, seem to cost more and mean less. Employers can no longer rely on the completion of a degree at many institutions to signal notable proficiency, let alone character; nor can students expect that a degree will lead to a good job.

Amidst all this, exploitative entrepreneurs have entered the fray to profit from what is effectively subprime educational lending: expensive tuition covered by student debt from people who struggle to complete their degree or find careers. Americans owe $1.75T in student loans.

Among many possibilities in this sector, we’re interested in ventures building alternative services for learning and degree completion, as well as new “stamps” that certify skill development, character, reliability, and attitude—not just selectivity. Such new offerings could help create pathways to social opportunity, alleviate debt and social pressure, and reward responsibility and creativity. These approaches could become widely accessible and reshape the landscape of education, formation, and career opportunity.

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Praxis Ventures

Ventures within the Praxis community working on this ORI.

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PelotonU

provides post-traditional college students a pathway and support to earn their college degree on time and with little to no debt (Hudson Baird & Sarah Saxton-Frump, Nonprofit 2018).

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Reach University

(which incubated Oxford Teachers Academy) offers adults employed in schools and other workplaces the opportunity to earn a unique bachelor’s degree that includes their teaching experience as part of the credentialing process (Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Nonprofit 2018).

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Matchbook Learning

recovers dreams and hopes of both parents and children in the unseen bottom 5% of schools through blended learning and a new model for school culture (Sajan George, Nonprofit 2012).

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