Fellows from research, journalism, entertainment, entrepreneurship, and education are brought together to learn from each other and collaborate on key issues in the learning sciences and how to communicate with the public.

Breakthroughs and insights emerge regularly from the learning sciences. However, these insights are slow to be accepted and integrated into schools, family support systems, and the social consciousness. Too often, new findings are either left to wilt in inaccessible academic journals, contorted by splashy headlines, or are too complicated to lead to real policy changes.

This is why the Jacobs Foundation, together with the think tank New America, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek of Temple University, Roberta Golinkoff of the University of Delaware created a new fellowship: the Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX). The LSX aims to create a conversation between scientists, education leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists, and entertainment producers. The programme responds to the needs of sectors which are usually operating in isolation from each other.

The fellows hail from Africa, Europe, South and North America. Each participant enjoys time for cross-disciplinary thinking and has the opportunity to write about ways to bring ideas in learning sciences to fruition and how to communicate them with the greatest influence. The 15 fellows discuss key issues by forming three teams – each composed of five people (one person from each sector). A team approach provides opportunities for individuals to explore each other’s thinking from the perspective of the sector in which each is an expert. 

The teams develop cross-sector projects that activate change in schools and other learning settings. This project will be showcased as the culmination of the fellowship at the third LSX summit in June 2024. Fellows will also attend workshops and conferences on new directions in the science of learning.