Horn Entrepreneurship is proud to announce the selection of a dynamic new cohort of fellows for its highly anticipated Accelerating Innovation in Education program. The fellowship, led by Dan Freeman, Founding Director, and Felicia Harrington, Assistant Director of Youth Programs, is designed to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within K-12 education. The announcement comes following the fellows' successful completion of an intensive two-day summer session focused on establishing the foundational building blocks of an innovative school culture. The fellows will continue to meet as a community of practice throughout the upcoming school year.
The fellowship program brings together a diverse group of passionate leaders from comprehensive public, charter, and independent schools, who possess the vision and influence to drive significant change within their secondary school communities. Among the selected fellows are:
Anthony Gray-Bolden – Cab Calloway School of the Arts
Avi Dachs – James Madison High School
Carol Dougherty – Perkiomen School
Deborah Panchisin – ASPIRA Charter High School
Eric Anderson – Sussex Academy
Jeffrey Danilak – Ursuline Academy
Jose Inoa – James Madison High School
Philip Vinogradov – Mercy Merion Academy
Robert Hiller – New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math & Science
In light of the rapidly evolving world, embracing innovation in K-12 education becomes crucial. Just like any other institution, schools encounter an innovation imperative, necessitating an internal rate of innovation that matches or surpasses the external rate. Success in preparing students for the future hinges on meeting this challenge head-on.
"The value of advancing innovation in education is really predicated on the idea that the smartest person in the room, is the room. So the smartest person in your school is the entire school. Your school is full of just hundreds, if not thousands of brains, bubbling over with creative ideas,” shared Philip Vinogradov of Mercy Merion Academy. “If you create systems, processes, and policies that are really low friction and allow those ideas to emerge, germinate, take root and get legs, your school can do amazing things. But you have to create a space to tap into that talent and excitement so that any member, whether it's a student, faculty member, or administrator, can take the seed of that inspiration and know that they have allies, they have resources, they have space, and they have time to really bring it to fruition."
The Accelerating Innovation in Education Fellowship program aims to foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment where educators can exchange ideas, best practices, and insights. By bringing together educational leaders and professionals from different backgrounds to form a dynamic group with a shared goal of enhancing education through innovation, the cohort encourages the exploration of new strategies, fosters creativity, and creates a network through which participants can leverage each other’s expertise.
Addressing the significance of the cohort, Carol Dougherty from Perkiomen School expressed, “This fellowship enables folks to work in a small, diverse group from different schools and share ideas at a different level than if you were just with colleagues from the same types of schools.”
Building upon the success of the inaugural cohort last year, the continuation of the Accelerating Innovation in Education program underscores Horn Entrepreneurship and the University of Delaware's commitment to driving positive change in education. By nurturing forward-thinking leaders, the program seeks to help schools foster a culture of innovation that permeates across faculty, students, and the wider community to increase outcomes of students and their future success.
For more information about the Accelerating Innovation in Education fellowship, please contact Felicia Harrington (feliciah@udel.edu).
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the US, Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
