It usually takes two years of planning and $2 million to launch a new school.
Imagine if, instead, a founder identified a problem; proposed a solution; rallied support from parents, students, and community members; tested and refined minimalist versions of the idea; and launched a small-scale version quicker and for a fraction of the cost.
That’s the idea of “tiny schools,” an idea championed by 4.0 Schools Founder Matt Candler. If it sounds familiar, it should. It is based on the Lean Startup methodology, an approach to innovation prevalent in the technology space.
“Over the last 20 years, new types of schools have become a strategic national imperative. The world is changing far faster than our schools, and we need to start developing leaders who can design and lead schools that prepare them to lead in a flatter, more connected world. The educational leaders we meet are hungry for new ways to test new ideas cost-effectively at a small, intimately human scale.” Candler said.
Candler, who is based in New Orleans, and Katie Beck, the organization’s chief operating officer, who is based in New York City, apply “design thinking” to both the design and development of new schools and the design and development of other education innovations — from mobile apps to new pedagogical approaches.
The organization fuels innovation through two major programs:
- Essentials: a multi-day intensive that helps entrepreneurs identify customers and refine and prototype ideas.
- Launch: a two-month accelerator program, which helps entrepreneurs create new organizations and field-test new school models.
Since it was founded in 2010, the organization has supported more than 650 aspiring entrepreneurs.
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