Extension Engine
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Last summer we made a commitment to hold a mirror up to ourselves. Using our values as a guide, we aim to Be Honest with ourselves about the state of inclusion, equity, and diversity (IED) at Extension Engine. To Be Humble, identifying and owning the areas in which we needed to do better. To Be Excellent, by holding ourselves accountable to doing better. To do the work needed to create a more inclusive and equitable work environment, where team members from diverse backgrounds can be their whole selves, do their best work, and thrive.

Like many avid exercisers, when it became clear in May 2020 that COVID-19 would keep me out of the gym for months to come, I explored getting a Peloton bike. Well, my excitement was short-lived: At 4′11″, I simply could not comfortably reach the handlebars. If they had been adjustable, if I could have pulled them closer by one inch — just one inch — the bike would have worked perfectly for me. 

Summary

In this piece, I make a case for why schools should lean into the hybrid and online course infrastructure that they have built during the pandemic. Hybrid and online courses and programs provide schools several advantages:

1. Increased flexibility, for both long-term and short-term student circumstances
2. Enhanced residential learning, by incorporating personalized course data, ongoing assessments, and richer media types
3. Better returns on investments already made, through continued emergency preparedness and differentiated education offerings for price-conscious audiences

Our values aren’t emblazoned across our walls, etched on mugs, or stitched into T-shirts, but we are working to embed them into our day-to-day interactions. They are purposely phrased as verbs, as actions, so that we can do just that: put them into action. 

You’re a nonprofit leader ready to grow your organization’s impact. The potential to extend your reach is great. With scaling as an imperative, your digital transformation initiative begins. But how do you ensure your program and your organization are ready? You may not see evidence-based digital learning design as a core component of the answer to that question. But we do.