The Future is Ready: A Look Back at 2024
Battelle for Kids
We empower educators so that every student has hope, resilience, and the knowledge and skills to be future-ready.
As we reflect on 2024 at Battelle for Kids, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible progress made toward empowering every student with hope, resilience, and the essential skills to be future-ready. This year was marked by transformative partnerships, groundbreaking initiatives, and thought leadership that has propelled our mission forward. Here are some highlights of what has been an impactful year.?
A Vision for the Future?
In 2024, we redefined our brand identity with a new brand story: "The Future is Ready." This phrase encapsulates our commitment to preparing students not only for success in school but also for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Alongside this, our mission—"Empowering every student with hope, resilience, and essential skills to be future ready"—has guided our work and shaped our engagements with educators and communities.?
More:?
Transforming Education Through the Portrait of a Graduate?
The Portrait of a Graduate is transforming education and more and more states, school districts, and communities are embracing this framework. More than a decade ago, our EdLeader21 Network, through the 4C’s, began to define what would become the Portrait, and in 2017 Battelle for Kids started to lead the nation in this work. Today, the movement has led to thousands of learning organizations co-creating these North Stars with their communities. Earlier this year, we released our special report, “The Future of the Portrait of a Graduate,” which has accelerated and amplified the conversation around moving the Portrait into practice and ultimately impact. ?
One of the year's highlights was our partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Together, after developing the statewide Portrait of a Graduate in 2022, we partnered with them by creating rubrics, "I Can Statements," and teacher-created performance tasks to ensure these competencies are actionable in classrooms. This collaborative effort demonstrates how the Portrait of a Graduate framework can align entire systems to support students' development of durable skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. The work has even proven to have an impact on critical workforce needs, according to a study completed by the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.?
Additionally, our work for Maine's Measure What Matters initiative brought communities together throughout the state to discuss what success looks like for students beyond only traditional metrics, setting the stage for a special report that will elevate the expanding view of educational excellence, offering a blueprint for focusing on a holistic approach to student learning.?
More:?
Thought Leadership on a National Stage?
Our commitment to innovation in education was showcased at our EdLeader21 Network Annual Event, as well as at events like AASA’s National Conference on Education, the Ohio School Boards Association Capital Conference, and many more.?
领英推荐
In 2025, we will be on hand at SXSW EDU, where we submitted a panel titled "Future Ready Impact: Redefining How Schools Measure Success." Moderated by our president and CEO, Mike Duncan, Ed.D., the panel includes esteemed leaders such as North Carolina’s Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction and representatives from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and ETS. This discussion underscores the importance of redefining success in education and providing new frameworks for measuring the durable skills that matter most for students' futures.?
More:?
Expanding Our Influence?
2024 was a year of significant partnerships. We are collaborating with the Carnegie Foundation and ETS, as well as five states (North Carolina, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Indiana, Nevada) on a grant initiative to advance the measurement of durable skills. We also partnered with AASA on the first-ever Portrait of a Graduate Academy in the spring, and launched a strategic partnership with Imagine Learning. Our work with school districts across the country demonstrated how systemic alignment—from vision to practice to impact—can drive meaningful change.?
More:?
Advancing a Culture of Hope and Resilience?
Across learning organizations today, administrators and educators are increasingly confronted by students who are disengaged, unmotivated, and struggling to find relevance in their learning. This trend is not new, but its intensification over the last few years has highlighted an urgent need for change.????
The question remains: How do we motivate students when the future is increasingly uncertain, and traditional approaches to education seem disconnected from their daily lives????
Research shows that hope and resilience are key to sustaining motivation, helping students navigate adversity and improve their overall well-being. At Battelle for Kids, we recognize that these skills are not only vital for students’ personal growth but are also foundational for deeper learning, which we define as ensuring students are prepared for the future by integrating academic mastery, Portrait of a Graduate durable skills, and a future-ready mindset. We co-create an approach connecting essential durable skills to daily practice while fostering a culture of hope and resilience in schools. This year, to advance this work, we launched the Well-Being Lab by Battelle for Kids, an?innovation hub dedicated to developing resources, workshops, and practices?to support?the comprehensive well-being of students and staff.? ?
More:?
Looking Ahead?
As 2024 comes to a close, we remain steadfast in our mission. We are excited about the opportunities 2025 will bring, including continued collaboration with educators, policymakers, and communities to ensure every student is future-ready. ?