About
Accelerating and Amplifying Innovations in Learning
We explore and highlight innovations in learning to empower all people to build capacity to thrive and steward in a complex and uncertain future.
Who We Are
Getting Smart shapes the future of learning by designing, accelerating and amplifying innovations that help learners thrive in a complex world. As a catalyst for transformative change, we connect leaders across sectors to break down barriers and create bold, student-centered solutions. With decades of experience working with K-12, post-secondary and lifelong learning organizations, we lead the conversation and co-create the future of education through strategic design, advocacy and storytelling.
Our Values
Equity
We commit to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and stewardship of our planet.
Possibility
We respond optimistically, effectively and quickly to changing needs and events. We spot opportunities and possibilities and often start a question with “How might we..”
Relationships
We maintain transparency in our learning, beliefs and partnerships – and build connections to bring joy and trust to our collective work.
Empathy
We give grace, show compassion and listen deeply to understand different perspectives.
Growth
We celebrate growth and vulnerability; commit time, space, and resources to learn together; and provide honest and authentic feedback.
Quality and Excellence
We are proactive and focused on follow-through to do quality work in a mindful way.
Equity Statement
Getting Smart is committed to holding anti-racism, equity and inclusion at the center of all of the work we do. We believe the best ideas happen when diverse thinking leads to truly powerful and regenerative learning.
We acknowledge the long and continued history of systemic racism and colonialism in our country and education system. We also acknowledge the work that still needs to be done to create truly equitable communities where every individual has the same opportunity to succeed in and contribute to the world.
Our team strives to support organizations in creating student-centered learning environments that are equitable for all regardless of zip code, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation and learning differences. We persist in our work to support school systems and learning organizations that elevate and amplify historically marginalized voices and identities. We advocate for policies that reduce barriers to access.
We will honor our commitment by growing and fostering a diverse staff, partnering with organizations also committed to racial equity, embedding equity in all strands of work, providing relevant programming where all participants feel welcome and engaging diverse perspectives and voices for our blog and community.
Justice and stewardship of our planet are a core piece of our DEI work. Respecting, protecting and ensuring the planet’s immense biodiversity remains an essential part of the work that we do. This manifests through partnerships, inspiring changemaking and encouraging engagement with place.
We pledge to keep learning, advocating and taking action.
Our Team
Our team of lifelong learners brings a diverse set of expertise that enables us to be agile and effective. We are a team of past school administrators, educators, business executives, nonprofit leaders and marketing strategists. We approach problems with varied and valuable expertise in order to help education leaders identify, plan and implement the best next step toward serving all learners and serving our planet.
We’re insatiably curious and grow in community, so we tour innovative schools, track innovations in learning and love meeting fellow passionate education disruptors. Inspiring conversations, relationships and experiences fuel the work we do.
Our Process
We are practitioners of design thinking. We start with listening and lead with empathy to identify the core challenge. Together, with your team, we develop a series of services and solutions, specially tailored to your organization and are not a one-size-fits-all firm. In collaboration with our vast network of resources and partners, we design customized, informed, strategic solutions that last.