Social Innovations Journal

10/30/2025

🌟 Nominations Are Now Open! 🌟

We are happy to announce that nominations are open for the 2026 Greater Philadelphia Innovation Awards!

This year’s awards celebrate the individuals and organizations transforming our region through creativity, collaboration, and social impact.

Do you know a changemaker leading innovative solutions that improve lives?
👉 Explore the categories and nominate today: https://www.philadelphiainnovationawards.com/award-categories-2026

🗓 Nomination Deadline: November 23, 2025

10/21/2025

📣 Calling all mission-driven nonprofits!

The time is now to level up your strategy and impact with PennPAC’s Spring 2026 consulting cohort. If your 501(c)(3) organisation has ≥ 3 full-time staff, a budget of $350K+, and is ready to tackle a strategic challenge, PennPAC wants you.

🗓️ Deadline to apply: November 7, 2025
🎯 Project types: Full projects (8-10 weeks, 4-7 person team) or Mini-projects (6-8 weeks, 2-3 person team)

💡 Typical focus areas: Financial analysis • Funding strategy • Growth planning • Marketing strategy • Operations strategy • Organizational structure • Program analysis

✅ Need a boost in capacity? Want fresh external perspectives? Got a strategic issue you’re ready to fix? Let PennPAC’s volunteer-consultants help you get there.

👉 Apply here: https://pennpac.org/nonprofit-form-application

PennPAC's nonprofit application for NYC based clients. Please reach out to PennPAC with any questions. PennPAC looks forward to reviewing your application.

07/23/2025

📚 Meet the Authors: Unseen Powerhouses: The Rise of Indigenous Enterprise
Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating the rise of Indigenous enterprise! 🌱✨

Hear directly from the authors of Unseen Powerhouses: The Rise of Indigenous Enterprise.

🎟️ Register Now:

Meet the Authors: Vol 31. Unseen Powerhouses: The Rise of Indigenous Enterprise

06/26/2025

📏 Tired of spending hours building rubrics?

The new Rubric Generation feature from Colleague AI uses artificial intelligence to automatically create standards-based, course-aligned rubrics—freeing up educators to focus on what matters most: teaching and learning.

This article explores how AI can transform assessment design, increase clarity for students, and support both formative and summative evaluations—plus what challenges and opportunities lie ahead.

🧠 Read more in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Rubric Generation in Colleague AI: Transforming Assessment in Education Authors Zewei (Victor) Tian University of Washington https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8263-0753 Lief Esbenshade University of Washington https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1549-9337 Alex Liu University of Washington https://orcid.org/0000-0...

06/24/2025

🌍 Scaling innovation in education takes more than just tech—it takes culture, pedagogy, and capacity.

This article explores how Yourway Learning uses AI to support—not drive—systemic transformation in K-12 education. Through real case studies, it shows how AI can help cultivate student-centered learning, empower educators, and build the cultural and strategic foundation needed for sustained impact.

📖 Read the full article in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Leveraging AI to Help School Systems Innovate for Scale and Sustained Impact: Case Studies of Pedagogy, Culture, and Capacity-Building Authors Jason Green Yourway Learning Keywords: K-12 education, AI in education, pedagogy, scale, school culture, capacity building, instructional innovation, AI and....

06/19/2025

🏫 How can school districts responsibly adopt AI in education?

This article spotlights the School District of Philadelphia’s thoughtful approach to integrating AI tools. With a focus on data privacy, tool efficacy, and stakeholder training, the district is building a roadmap that centers teacher involvement and avoids the missteps of past tech rollouts.

📚 Discover how they’re preparing students—and systems—for a future shaped by AI.

Read more in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Navigating AI and a Vision for the Future in the School District of Philadelphia Authors Fran Newberg School District of Philadelphia Keywords: AI, Generative AI, edtech, K12 education, School District of Philadelphia, Data Privacy, Network Security, Digital Learning, Online Tools, Teacher Training,...

06/17/2025

📊 Can AI improve how we evaluate and support teachers?

Explore how a new AI-powered platform is transforming teacher evaluations—providing personalized feedback, tracking professional growth, and helping school leaders identify targeted development needs.

By saving time and boosting consistency, this tool empowers educators and enhances student outcomes.

🔍 Read the full article in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Leveraging AI to Streamline Teacher Evaluations and Empower Educators Authors Matt Kelley Independence Charter School Will Krasnow Swiftscore Keywords: AI in Education, Teacher Evaluation, Danielson Framework, EdTech, Professional Development Abstract This article describes the development of an AI-...

06/11/2025

🧠 How can we prepare students for an AI-powered future?

This article introduces a shared framework for AI Readiness—helping schools equip students not only with technical knowledge but also with critical thinking, ethical awareness, and career readiness.

Learn how fostering AI literacy can ensure young people thrive in a rapidly changing world while using technology responsibly.

📘 Read the full article in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Building a Shared Framework for AI Readiness Authors Alex Kotran aiEDU: The AI Education Project Keywords: AI, education, workforce transformation, AI literacy, AI readiness, technology, career preparedness, critical thinking, schools, K12 education Abstract AI is transforming education, skills, job...

06/10/2025

🚀 How can AI make career development more accessible for everyone?

This article explores how organizations can use AI tools—like those in Google Workspace—to personalize learning at scale, turning traditional workshops into self-directed, dynamic experiences that drive real career growth.

Learn how one approach is empowering global employees, building a culture of continuous learning, and creating a common language around professional development.

🔍 Dive into this forward-thinking model in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Democratizing Career Development: Leveraging AI for Personalized Learning Authors Raymond Lader People Operations, Google Keywords: AI-driven learning, personalized development, hybrid learning model, career progression Abstract In today's fast-paced business world, providing personalized career dev...

06/09/2025

✍️ How should educators rethink writing assignments in the age of Generative AI?

This practical guide from the Digital Discourse Project introduces a five-part framework for using GenAI in writing instruction—covering resistance, support, expression, understanding, and critique.

With real classroom examples and pedagogical insights, this article helps educators align AI tools with their goals while making ethical, equitable, and intentional decisions about AI in education.

📚 Read the full article in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Reimagining Writing Assignments in the Age of GenAI: A Practical Guide for Educators Authors Amy Stornaiuolo University of Pennsylvania Robert Jean LeBlanc University of Lethbridge Keywords: artificial intelligence, generative AI, writing, literacy, education, teaching Abstract Generative AI (GenAI)...

06/06/2025

🧮 How can math teachers use Generative AI to spark deeper learning?

This article explores how educators are using GenAI to design active learning tasks—what researchers call generative learning—that help students engage more meaningfully with math content.

From enhanced creativity to usability concerns, the piece unpacks the benefits and limitations of GenAI in real classrooms, along with five key takeaways for policy and practice.

📖 Read the full article in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Mathematics Teachers’ Use of Generative AI to Create Active Learning Experiences Authors Candace Walkington Southern Methodist University Katie Bainbridge OpenStax, Rice University Keywords: generative AI, large language models, mathematics education, generative learning Abstract Generative AI too...

06/05/2025

🎓 Can generative AI revolutionize how we teach science?

EngageAI is harnessing interactive storytelling to create immersive, AI-powered science lessons where students solve real-world problems—like rescuing a failing fish farm ecosystem 🌊🐟. Learn how tools like SceneCraft empower teachers to craft custom, curriculum-aligned stories with just a prompt.

Explore how this innovation could boost engagement, understanding, and inclusivity in STEM education.

Read the full article in the Social Innovations Journal:
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Generative AI Unlocks the Power of Interactive Storytelling for Science Teachers and Learners Authors Jeremy Roschelle Digital Promise Mohit Bansal UNC Chapel Hill Gautam Biswas Vanderbilt University Cindy Hmelo-Silver Indiana University Bloomington James Lester North Carolina State University Keywo...