In the spirit of growth and gratitude, we want to express our sincere appreciation to all the builders who inspired us in 2023.
This year was a whirlwind of both stabilization and growth at LEF, and it's your influence and expertise that have been the driving force of our success. Your dedication to our shared mission has not only shaped LEF's path, but has also inspired a sense of community that makes our work truly rewarding.
In the spirit of the season, we wanted to take a moment to share a few highlights from the past year:
- We brought agency and mobility to thousands of new users by expanding and deploying LearnCard within a variety of new ecosystems, including Tennessee and Motlow Community College (Metaversity) and the World Scout Movement (ScoutPass). ScoutPass rolled out with more than 70k badges issued in the first week!
- LEF and LearnCloud were selected to support 3 of the 6 SkillsFWD projects, a Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors initiative which will bring interoperable LER infrastructure to learners and earners in CO, MT, and CT in 2024.
- With funding from the Walton Family Foundation, and in partnership with BrightHive and DXtera Institute, we co-launched LearnCloud. Powered by more than 250 data streams, LearnCloud makes deploying and scaling verifiable learning and employment infrastructure simple and radically accessible. Curious to learn more? Please reach out and let us know!
- As a core scaling component of LearnCloud, we extended our partnership with MIT's DCC by co-designing an open source, enterprise-grade Administrative Dashboard for managing, issuing and batch editing verifiable credentials and learning and employment records for universities.
- We continued our exploration of play-to-learn models with SuperSkills!, built in partnership with LEGO Foundation. Thanks to the generous support of the Walton Family Foundation, we also activated new research into K-12 learning, assessment, and data via LearnCloud, which will kick off summer of 2024. If you’d like to learn more or participate, please reach out and let us know!
- As many are aware, John Goodwin joined LEF last year as our Executive Chairman by way of his role as CEO of LEGO Foundation. His selfless leadership (and friendship), along with our amazing group of passionate and talented directors, will surely continue to pay dividends through 2024.
- In partnership with the T3 Innovation Network, NationSwell, and MIT's DCC, we helped to launch the LER Ecosystem Map as a community resource to help drive opportunity and equity through LERs.
- We continued our facilitation of the Open Skills Network (OSN) Community of Practice and actively participated in the Interoperability Plugfest, W3C VC-Edu Taskforce, and IEEE LER Workgroup in order to reinforce our advocacy of open, credibly neutral software, standards, and protocols.
- We expanded LearnCard with key partnerships and integrations like Campus API, Credential Engine, Brighthive, SmartResume, Web3Auth, Keycloak, Banner Ethos, Open Badges (OBv3), and many others. We also continue to expand our developer documentation and champion open source so everyone can Leapfrog with LearnCard. If you need help with development and/or deployment reach out.
- We deepened our understanding of the global learning and employment ecosystem by supporting the World Economic Forum’s Reimagining Digital ID, spearheading exploration into new governance models for the Internet of Education and Employment, and convening at SXSW, ASU+GSV, UNGA, Davos, Global Scouts Congress, ePIC, The Badge Summit, The Transformative Impact Summit, and more.
- In partnership with the World Bank, LEF and the Web3 Education Alliance held a series of seminars focused on AI in Education in order to broaden and strengthen our outreach efforts globally. The alliance has grown to nearly 500 world class individuals and organizations.
- And much more...
Looking ahead to 2024, we're filled with anticipation for the possibilities that lie before us.
Your insights and collaboration have been instrumental in shaping our trajectory, and we’re confident that together we will embark on new ventures that bring us closer to our vision of agency and opportunity for all. If you’ve benefited or been inspired by any of our work to date, we invite you to show thanks through action.
5 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
1. SHARE THIS UPDATE WITH A COLLEAGUE (Thank You) 🙏✨
2. Strategic Partnerships: Do you know any change-makers or funders looking to invest in systemic change at scale? Please Reach out, make an introduction, organize a knowledge-sharing forum, or initiate a strategic planning session to identify areas where leading-edge technologies can lead to positive social impact.
3. Thought Leadership & Research: Do you have an exciting idea for an article, whitepaper, or case study that can help to humanize our work and show real-world impact? Reach out and let us know how we can collaborate or offer support.
4. Input & Feedback: Do you have specific ideas about how LEF can further our mission and provide value to you or your community? Your input is invaluable, and we are here to ensure your success as much as our own. Feel free to reach out with any and all insights!
5. Stories & Support: We were so busy building in 2023 that we hardly took time to promote and highlight our impact. We hope to improve in 2024, but we could use your help. Do you have a passion for storytelling? We welcome editorials and podcasts about our work and impact. We're also looking for someone to join our team who can manage our blog and social media. If interested, please reach out or help us spread the word.
As we approach the holiday season, we want to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones on behalf of all of us at LEF. May this festive season bring you joy, peace, and moments of reflection on the accomplishments we've achieved together. Thank you for being an integral part of the LEF vision and family. Wishing you a joyful holiday season filled with laughter, love, and unexpected moments of inspiration.
Warm regards,
—Taylor & The LEF Family
