We envision education ecosystems where all learners know who they are, thrive in community and actively engage in the world as their best selves.
“Learner-Centered Collaborative has created a learning environment for site leaders and their teams to plan with intent, focus keenly on how improvement efforts align and support instructional areas of focus, and find common points of interest with other sites to ensure quality collaboration.”
“Having a clear and aligned Framework for the Future has been so positive for our district—and the true payoff is walking through classes and seeing our learning model in action with students and teachers as we reimagine learning.”
“I used to think I had to design all of the instruction, but if it’s learner centered, there’s no reason why students cannot be part of that process as well.”
“Learner-Centered Collaborative has been instrumental in the transformative journey that we are on in Santa Ana Unified School District….We’ve taken a multi-pronged approach to the work, with Learner-Centered Collaborative serving as thought partners for district leadership, supporting and facilitating principals meetings as well as instructional learning walks at school sites across the district.”
“Materials provided were very engaging and relevant, and there were plenty of opportunities given to engage in meaningful ways, both alone and in small groups, to brainstorm and explore how they can be used in our own classroom environments.”
“I am really enjoying our sessions! You do a nice job of breaking things up so it moves quickly enough to keep everyone’s attention. You seem to be genuinely excited about the work, which is infectious.”
District teams will be admitted on a rolling basis. Join this unique opportunity.
Learner-centered is taking hold across the country. See who’s leading the way and how they’re doing it.
From whole-learner outcomes to the learning experiences that support them to the enabling conditions for success.
Our 5-minute diagnostic will help you choose the next chapter that’s right for your education journey.
📣 Educators: we`re talking to you.
You can implement the Learning Experience Design Cycle into your classroom to support deep, meaningful learning. Whether designing a mini-lesson, a multi-day unit, or a months-long project, the six phases offer a shared language and a clear, purposeful path forward.
Kelly Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships and former high school English teacher, explains how she used it to keep her learners engaged and curious. Access the blog at the link in our bio.
Dr. Elizabeth Brenner of @compasscs on her experience working with LCC: “Having that person who I know has walked down that path who is able to provide those insights, truly in a coaching fashion, has just been critical for me.”
Need a coach to help with your districts’ evolution? We’re here to help. Reach out at collaborate@learnercentered.org.
🎉We just launched 4 brand-new courses for educators designed to bring learner-centered education to life.
These courses give you practical strategies, tools, and ready-to-use tasks to:
✅ Personalize learning
✅ Foster collaboration & belonging
✅ Design real-world, meaningful assessments
✅ Build learner agency
Take one or bundle them all for a complete learner-centered experience.
👉 Explore the courses today and start designing learning that empowers every learner at the link in our bio.
📖 Literacy is more than decoding words on a page. It’s the foundation for voice, agency, and future-ready skills.
At Lamont Elementary School District, Superintendent Lori Gonzales has championed a vision for literacy that is both rigorous and learner-centered. By investing in educator growth and grounding instruction in the district’s PACE framework (Personalized, Authentic, Competency-Based, and Equitable & Inclusive), Lamont is building classrooms where learners see themselves as creators, thinkers, and change-makers.
Professors Stephanie Buelow and Charlotte Frambaugh Kritzer, in partnership with Learner-Centered Collaborative, worked alongside Lamont’s PreK–8 educators to bring this vision to life. From Writer’s Workshop models to heart maps to interdisciplinary collaboration, their work highlights how centering literacy can unlock whole-learner outcomes.
This story reminds us that when we prioritize the writer over the writing and the learner over the lesson, we create schools where every child can thrive.
Read the full blog to explore Lamont’s journey and discover strategies that can inspire your community at the link in our bio.
☀️ What if THE conversation at #SXSWEDU2026, one of the country`s biggest education conferences, was all about centering learners by design? It can be... with your help!
SXSW uses a community voting process called PanelPicker to help determine which sessions and speakers will be invited to present during the four-day conference.
Voting is an easy, two-step process:
1️⃣ Click the link in our bio and sign in or sign up for PanelPicker
2️⃣ Vote for Learner-Centered Collaborative`s four sessions by clicking the heart next to the session titles
Once logged in, voting takes seconds! Thanks for your support, and we hope to see you there in March!
For the past three years, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with @bonsallunified School District to bring their learner-centered vision to life.
Heather Golly, Ed.D., shared thoughtful reflections on how working with the LCC team has helped evolve her district—and we’re grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside Bonsall educators on this journey.
💡 The most powerful AI tools aren’t the ones doing the work for learners. They’re the ones helping them think, create, and grow.
We have three powerful new resources to help you design engaging, relevant, and future-ready learning experiences this school year.
1️⃣ AI Case Studies: Real-world examples of how educators are using AI to create learner-centered classrooms. See what’s possible and spark your own ideas.
2️⃣ Durable Skills Learning Experience Accelerator App: Plan lessons and projects that intentionally develop the skills learners need to thrive—like problem solving, collaboration, and adaptability.
3️⃣ AI as My Teaching Assistant: A firsthand account from an educator who’s embraced AI to personalize learning and give timely, meaningful feedback.
Access them at the link in our bio!
🧮 There`s a better way to teach math that creates space for every learner and recognizes that all students bring valuable perspectives to mathematical conversations.
Allie Wong, LCC Director of Strategic Partnerships & former math teacher writes:
"There’s a common myth that learner-centered practices don’t fit in math classrooms—that math is about speed, memorization, and getting the `right answer` at all costs. When we shift our mindset, we realize that math is about empowering students to explore mathematical concepts, build their own strategies, and understand the `why` behind the numbers."
Read the full blog at the link in our bio.
Research that brings about collaboration in trust to benefit learners is a key component of our work at LCC. This work is especially critical now, as we are living at the “edge of chaos:" a phrase coined by chaos theory physicist Norman Packar.
So what can we do to mitigate the negative effects of a time of such rapid change?
We can choose to evolve. Devin Vodicka offers some suggestions on how to do so:
1️⃣ Identify short-term metrics of progress.
2️⃣ Use feedback loops.
3️⃣ Run small tests of change.
4️⃣ Celebrate visible wins.
His newest Catalyst blog goes much more in depth on these strategies for success. Read it at the link in our bio.
💡 Let’s talk Durable Skills. These are the essential skills that are high in demand in our ever evolving job market that build character, grit, and people skills. Some examples:
Leadership | Character | Collaboration | Communication | Creativity | Critical Thinking
We want to help you incorporate these skills into your classroom the prepare your learners for the world beyond the classroom. So, we partnered with America Succeeds to launch the Durable Skills Learning Accelerator App.
This free and easy to use tool will help you:
⭐️ Identify the right durable skills to pair with units and projects you are already planning
⭐️ Define success criteria for the durable skills at your grade level
⭐️ Plan ways to teach the skill, have learners practice the skill and demonstrate the skill with ideas for how to provide feedback
⭐️ Embed learner-centered strategies into your daily practice to support learners in developing durable skills
Get some practice using it so you’re ready when the school year starts up at the link in our bio.
Our research partnerships aren’t just strategic. They’re based in the our belief in that relationships are fundamental to building what’s possible for learners.
We collaborated with our friends at AERDF on this blog that explore how collaborative innovation hubs are bringing together school systems, nonprofits, researchers, and community leaders to build something bigger than any one district can do alone. These hubs, rooted in relationships, shared values, and learner-centered purpose, are emerging as powerful engines of sustainable change.
🧭 Read it at the link in our bio.
🚀 Real Classrooms. Real AI. Real Shifts.
In this new tool, we explore how Escondido Union School District and Lamont Elementary School District are using AI programs including Playlab AI and Inkwire to:
✔️ Personalize learning
✔️ Expand access and belonging
✔️ Support educators` daily practice
🔍 Access the case studies at the link in our bio!
️⚡️ New Free Tool for Educators! ⚡️
Looking to bring durable skills like collaboration, communication, and problem-solving into your classroom?
The Durable Skills Learning Experience Accelerator (LEA) App was built for you. Developed by Learner-Centered Collaborative and America Succeeds, this AI-powered tool helps you integrate durable skills into your lessons, units, and projects with ease.
With just a few prompts, the tool helps you:
⭐ Identify the most relevant durable skills for what you’re already teaching
⭐ Define clear success criteria by grade level
⭐ Plan opportunities for learners to practice, demonstrate, and reflect
⭐ Embed learner-centered strategies to support real-world skill development
Get started at the link in our bio!
Three years ago, High School Teacher and Instructional Coach Shannon Roos faced an overwhelming challenge presented to her by her school`s administration: make sense of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and put together a lunch and learn session that we would present to our teachers.
That initial AI teacher training was very simple. Their goal was to ease teachers’ fears and help them identify when students use AI to "cheat."
Three years later, her understanding of AI has grown exponentially, and she has grown to embrace the use of AI in her classroom to support personalized learning and immediate, formative feedback for my students.
"I strongly believe that learning should be individualized and meaningful for learners, and when used purposefully, AI can help meet that goal," she says.
Here are Shannon`s top tips for teachers getting started with AI:
⚡️ Practice Rapid Iteration: Treat AI prompting like human-centered design—small tweaks can significantly improve results. Let learners interact with AI drafts, test limitations, and refine prompts in real time for better outcomes.
⚡️ Think of AI as a Teaching Assistant: Use AI not only to create materials, but also to support planning, differentiation, feedback, and small-group instruction. Tools like ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Diffit can help personalize learning in and out of the classroom.
⚡️ Teach Students About AI: Equip learners with AI literacy and decision-making skills to prepare them for a technologically advanced world. Classroom-ready resources from Common Sense Media, http://Code.org, and MIT can support teaching responsible and meaningful AI use.
⚡️ Check Your District Policy: Always ensure the ones you use are FERPA and COPPA compliant and aligned with local policies. Even trusted tools should be vetted for privacy and compliance.
Read her full blog for more about her experience and tons of tips at the link in bio.
Feeling unsure about AI in the classroom?
So was Shannon Roos, until curiosity, collaboration, and a few key tools transformed uncertainty into purpose. What began as a simple teacher training evolved into a deeper shift toward personalized, inquiry-driven learning.
If you`re wondering where to begin or how AI can support (not replace) meaningful learning, this blog offers an honest, helpful entry point.
📖 Read how one educator made AI approachable, intentional, and learner-centered at the link in our bio.
📖 What happens when local communities lead the way in reimagining education together?
We’re seeing real promise in regional innovation hubs: place-based partnerships where school systems, universities, nonprofits, and communities come together to co-create meaningful learning experiences for every learner.
This blog, co-authored by five education organizations, explores why these hubs are powerful incubators for change—big enough to influence systems, yet grounded enough to build trust, adapt to context, and align around shared values.
👉See link in bio.
