Publication
The Lab is an Innovation Engine
By centering our learn+work solutions on the New Majority Learner, we discover new solutions, design them right, and validate that they work before scaling them broadly. And when we scale them within an institution or across an ecosystem, (l)earner centricity equitably aligns the silos and breaks down the barriers that are the root cause of the skills crisis.
Since 2013, the Lab has worked on the ground with over 1,200 colleges + organizations, 1,000 employers, and thousands of learners, who need education programs and pathways that better serve their futures.
Our Areas of Work
Design Shorter and Stackable Pathways
- Micro-pathways that transform lives and institutions
- Accelerated dual enrollment pathways
- Making transfer pathways seamless
Catalyze the Transition to Skills-based Hiring
- Credentialing the durable skills employers seek
- Data infrastructure for noncredit programs
- Learning and Employment Records (LERs) and digital wallets
- Helping employers move to skills-based hiring
Train for Human-centered Design + Change Management
- Immersive workshops for learning institutions
- User-centered research
- Rapid prototyping tools + training
- Innovation capacity diagnostic + training
Scale Solutions with Equity at the Center
- Transforming the rural ecosystem
- Putting single moms at the center of design
- Communities of practice
Explore key publications
- Publication
Skills Visibility: Why and How a Skills-Based Economy can be More Equitable
How might we reinvent the talent ecosystem to include the (l)earner perspective? This March 2022 thought paper offers a vision and urgent call to action. 
PublicationRural Revival: BRIDGES Rural College Transformation Insights
This November 2023 Design Insights Brief spotlights the transformation that five rural community colleges experienced as they listened deeply and designed for learners in the…- Publication
Design Insights: Single Moms Success Design Challenge
Education Design Lab shares six design insights after developing four pilot programs through the Single Moms Success Design Challenge (2021).
Latest news from the Lab
Five community colleges launch ambitious redesign plans to meet the needs of a new economy
First-of-its-kind transformation project led by Education Design Lab will help forward-thinking institutions better align with the demands of both employers and learners in a fast-changing, skills-driven labor market Read this on PR Newswire WASHINGTON, D.C.…View Story
Education Design Lab offering paid internships in these 3 states
Please share with your networks! Education Design Lab and our partners in three states — Maine, Montana, and Washington — are seeking 10 young people per state, ages 13 to 20, to join us as…View Story
Four community colleges launch Google-supported initiative to build the next generation of AI-ready workers
Education Design Lab partners with Riipen to build students' AI fluency through work-based learning experiences Read this on PR Newswire WASHINGTON, D.C., July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new initiative launched today by Education Design…View Story
Higher Ed Dive: Why community colleges should embrace depth over breadth
Community colleges are under pressure to do more with less, and a new op-ed from our partners in Colorado shows what it looks like to go deeper instead of broader as a strategy for boosting economic…View Story
What employers actually need in the age of AI
Technical skills aren’t enough anymore. Here’s how Lone Star College-Tomball and Education Design Lab are making durable skills visible to employers. In 2021, the software company I co-founded took on its first round of venture…View Story
WATCH RECORDING: How to Bridge Stackable, Noncredit + Credit Pathways
Education Design Lab's Community College Growth Engine (Growth Engine) brings community colleges, employers, and learners together to design micro-pathways — high-quality, stackable credentials that can be completed in under a year and lead to employment…View Story
