Ian Egan 
Six elective courses on innovation and entrepreneurship are now A-G approved for high schools in California to implement during the 2018-19 school year
May 01, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO, California ― EdgeMakers, the organization that helps students become highly skillful innovators and entrepreneurs who can make a difference in the world, has announced that its six high school elective courses on innovation are now A-to-G approved according to California college-readiness requirements. Practice-based and purpose-driven, these courses teach the how-to of innovation while addressing some of the fundamental gaps in education today. California schools can begin to offer these courses during the 2018-19 school year and implementation will be supported through professional development opportunities for teachers this summer at locations throughout the state.
“Innate creativity is inside every student, waiting to be unleashed,” said John Kao, founder of EdgeMakers. “But without intentional programs in our schools, creativity is underdeveloped, and students’ passion, talent, and energy remain some of our most underutilized resources. We cannot allow this continue, as our society is faced with a number of wicked problems that appear unsolvable unless we innovate to find solutions. Our goal with these high school courses is to combine students’ natural creativity with purpose, helping them develop as innovators whose work is truly meaningful and makes a difference on issues that matter.”
A leading authority on innovation, business creativity and emerging technologies, Kao has spent the better part of 30 years creating compelling learning experiences for emerging innovators and entrepreneurs. A former Harvard Business School professor, Kao was Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Advisory Council on Innovation 
and has consulted government and business leaders all over the world. The foundation of the EdgeMakers Innovative Thinking framework is derived from Kao’s work and designed to harness the passion of young people, while empowering them to innovate and change the world.
The six courses are each A-G certified by the University of California and California State University systems as college prep “g” electives. By participating in this curriculum, students will build a deep understanding of key skills such as creativity, storytelling, design thinking, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. The individual courses are each designed to be covered over a single semester and students will receive three credits upon completion. The six courses are:
- EM101: Innovative Thinking
- EM1: Creativity & Innovation
- EM2: Storytelling & ChangeMaking
- EM3: Design Edge
- EM4: Character & Collaboration
- EM5: Entrepreneurs & Startups
EdgeMakers programs ignite the 4Cs of 21st-century education — creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking — and take them a step further by helping students refine their ideas into true innovations that are real world-relevant and designed to make a difference. The programs are designed to prepare learners to take on society’s “wicked” problems: problems that are so complex as to appear unsolvable, but which can be resolved through truly innovative solutions.
Importantly, the courses address the three primary gaps existing in most formal education programs:
1) What the new world of work demands versus what is currently available to students;
2) A growing wish for more innovators and entrepreneurs versus the lack of ways to learn the “how-to” of innovation; and
3) The complex problems facing global civil society versus resources available to address these challenges.
These courses not only present students with new elective opportunities, but provide them with the chance to build foundational skills that will positively affect their overall academic achievement and readiness for post-secondary education.
“Through our high school curriculum, along with professional development for educators, we aim to provide the tools and support to teach innovative thinking to every student,” said EdgeMakers CEO Chris Besse. “These courses will help educators plant, grow, and harvest the seeds of innovation in each learner so they turn their ideas into real solutions to change the world.”
For schools interested in providing these courses for their students in the 2018-19 academic year, EdgeMakers will be providing educators with professional development opportunities this summer in multiple regional locations. Schools can contact EdgeMakers to learn more about these courses and the summer professional development opportunities.
About EdgeMakers
Founded by John Kao, EdgeMakers is an organization that empowers students to think more creatively and work on problems more effectively, so they become highly skillful innovators and entrepreneurs who can make a difference in the world. Our education programs are designed to supply the “missing ingredients” in formal education and close the gaps between current curriculum and future readiness. We believe every student can learn to be an innovator by combining their inherent creativity with a purpose that takes idea to innovation and drives meaningful change.
For more, watch the EdgeMakers in Action video.
Media Contact
Andrea Sherman
MindRocket Media Group
203-536-7564
[email protected]
Further Reading
- SummerMatters – Design thinking and curriculum perfect for expanded learning
- Nibletz – Empowering Young Innovators To Change The World
- PR Web – John Kao to Speak in Nashville on May 10
