Thought Leaders: Village Tech Schools

VILLAGE TECH SCHOOLS IS A SPONSOR OF DALLAS INNOVATES 2018, AN ANNUAL SPECIAL EDITION

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Through great teachers working together, we are forging students who are character driven, challenge ready and community focused. Village Tech Schools is a tuition-free, public charter school serving grades PK4-12th. Learn more in our Q+A below.

In its simplest form, what is innovation to you?

Innovation is the ability to create, inspire, invent, cause, or see the potential for positive improvement or change.

How does your school differentiate itself from others in the region?

Village Tech works for and with students through design, making, and leadership. We are a response to the demands of the community we serve for education that is reimagined to prepare students for a hyper-connected world. In addition to traditional academic outcomes, we equip students with technical, professional and social-emotional skills. For our students to be viable in the world of work, they need human skills: the ability to be creative, build team-based relationships, and deal with ambiguity and complexity. Our teachers are designers of meaningful work that connects students to the world beyond school.

The Village Tech team.

How does your team stretch the boundaries of what’s been done within education?

It’s about the ability for students to approach a problem from multiple angles and use a variety of integrated disciplines to solve complex challenges. It’s not just about subject silos learning in isolation from one another. It’s about taking the hands, minds, and skills gained in the education setting to create innovation which impacts the community. As a result, we operate like a village where each individual has their own voice, talents and passions and is a part of something bigger than themselves.

Students working on rockets at Village Tech School.

Innovation comes in many forms. How would you define your school’s innovations?

We carry an abundance mindset and are never short on ideas. We are not afraid of big ideas or crazy ones. These stretch our boundaries and keep us from being stagnant. We have merged the design process with the learning process to create learning experiences that are compelling for students and teach them to apply empathy and feedback into their work.

What type of opportunities exist for innovative thinkers looking to join your school?

Innovators welcome. At VT, we look to do good work with good people. This might look like partnering with us for Junior Student Internship experiences, approaching our students with a problem as a Design Challenge Partner, or serving in advisory capacities to help change the future of education.

A student presentation at Village Tech School.

Learn more about Village Tech School here.

A version of this story first appeared in Dallas Innovates 2018, an annual magazine that showcases Dallas-Fort Worth as a hub of innovation. Read more about the region’s game changers, disruptors, creatives, and our new frontiers in the digital edition.