how to support success of EIC Thrive Labs in 2022!?

As 2021 comes to a close, and the holiday season of giving is upon us, the Education Innovation Collaborative (EIC) team is feeling gratitude for all the time, talent, and funds that have been given by a small but passionate group of students, families, and donors who have stepped up to launch EIC’s inaugural project - Thrive Lab Tahoe at Incline Village!  

Will you join them and us on this ADVENTURE to the FUTURE?  

The Thrive Design Club is a large component of our success. The first meeting of students, parents, teachers, and community members was October 15, 2021. By November 1st, Thrive Lab Tahoe team had moved into a 4,050 square foot two story building in the heart of Incline Village - along with Tahoe Tutoring! The Design Club team has been hard at work since then setting up eight career studios and throwing a Holiday Showcase launch party on December 12. An enthusiastic group of about 70 people attended and were excited to support mission. Now we need to turn this excitement into student and family memberships, studio sponsorships, grants and donations, and project coach volunteers from the community.   

Whether you live in Incline Village or across the country, the EIC team is asking you to consider supporting the success of this first Thrive Lab. Once it is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and coaches to support students doing career projects, we can serve more students - regardless of ability to pay. As we engage more students in personal development projects in 2022, EIC will prove the value of our mission: 

EMPOWERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL LEARNERS AND COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE TOGETHER. 

Once we have measurable outcomes from student experiences, we will apply for state and federal grant funds to expand Thrive Lab programs and locations - including potential sites in Reno/Sparks, Carson City, and Churchill (in discussion).

Our goal is to raise $125,000 by the end of December to seed this work - and achieve ambitious growth goals next year. Several lead families and prior donors have stepped up their contributions this year, yet we are looking for support from you, with gifts small, large, and in-kind, to realize this goal. 

WHY DO WE NEED THRIVE LABS?

The data is clear from the last two years of COVID disruptions to education: most students have fallen behind academically, have become disengaged in their learning, and suffered social-emotional stress and trauma. Teenagers have been hit especially hard - just when they should be forming their unique identity, self-confidence, building healthy relationships, and THRIVING to adulthood. The members of Incline Village Thrive Design Club - teenagers, parents, teachers, and community members - shared these challenges in our first meetings in October. 

Luckily, the science and art of human development for thriving is very clear: give people agency, empowerment, and resources to pursue their personal goals. Design Club members have been designing and building Thrive Lab Tahoe to embody these principles. They co-created the logo to represent the mission and goals - the colorful symbol is a flower, a star, and a human figure that evokes a sense of reaching for the stars. The group quickly reached consensus on the vision statement motto:  “empowering passion, unleashing potential”.  

At Thrive Labs, young people will be empowered to design and manage collaborative projects focused on developing their interests and talents through career studios:

As learners manage their own collaborative action research and design projects, they develop their skills for success in high-demand 21st century occupations - bridging academic learning with real-world knowledge and skills to ensure they can grow and adapt for life-long success. 

EIC Thrive Labs “secret sauce” formula for success is to support universal student thriving through supplemental project experiences with community for personal and career development aligned to their unique passions and potentials.  

To achieve this, EIC has developed a unique, research-based development framework and process called Self-Preneur Playbook to develop capacities for thriving:   

*Self-Preneur: designer, creator, and collaborative self-developer of one’s best life in service to community.

EIC invites all employers and community members to support student projects and coach Self-Preneurs-in-training - sharing your expertise to guide and inspire young people to create their brightest future. Through career studios, teens will explore, experiment, and stretch their boundaries, as they flourish to their full potential as strong contributors to the vitality and well-being of their community. 

Many people are surprised to learn that in Incline Village, Nevada (one of the wealthiest communities in the state), public schools have over 50% of families qualifying for economic assistance - which is similar to regional and state demographics. Unfortunately, this statistic also correlates with gaps in academic achievement and the chance of future success. The EIC and Thrive Lab Tahoe teams are committed to closing these gaps by providing access to personal and career development projects for ALL students and families in our community. 

By investing in ALL of our students, we are investing in our communities. You can support Thrive Labs development by donating your time, talent and/or resources to enable all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, to THRIVE.  Our visionary goal is to establish a NETWORK of community-based Thrive Labs that share programs, resources, and coaches - including hybrid and distance project teams - across regions, the state, and beyond! 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Families: As a parent in the North Lake Tahoe area, your purchase of a Thrive Lab Tahoe Club Member Passcard for your children 10 to 18 years old will allow them nearly unlimited use of the studio space, equipment, and coaches after school, weekends, breaks, summer, and snowdays. Home school and distance learning students can access studio spaces during the day:

         $100 - Monthly,  $275 quarterly,  $1000 annually,  $1800 for two siblings 

            TAKE STUDENT MEMBER INTEREST SURVEY & SIGN-UP HERE 

Community Members: There are several ways to contribute to the success of Thrive Labs:
1 - Join the Groundbreakers Club: funds support operations, studio equipment, special program offerings, and scholarships for underserved youth. You’ll be recognized in EIC and Thrive Lab publications, websites, social media, on the donor wall, and have use of lab equipment:
     $1,000   -  Entry Level - a scholarship student membership (need-based)
     $2,500   -  Learner Level
     $5,000   -  Mentor Level
     $10,000  -  Leader Level
     $25,000 -  Master Level - includes named studio sponsorship

2 - Become a Coach or Mentor: Lend your expertise and advice to students.

3 - Join the EIC Board - help EIC and Thrive Labs empower universal thriving. 

4 - Join the Advisory Team for Thrive Lab Tahoe - or your local community Lab -   
      to empower the universal thriving of young people.  

                TAKE SUPPORTER INTEREST SURVEY & DONATE NOW

To learn more and contribute to EIC Thrive Labs success, please visit EIC’s website - and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or suggestions. 
We deeply value your input!
 
As 2021 comes to an end, the EIC team is eager to welcome you to JOIN THE ADVENTURE and support our bold mission to develop Thrive Lab Tahoe and Thrive Lab Network across Northern Nevada in 2022. 

Warm wishes and blessings for a joyful holiday season!
 
Mary Alber, Founding Director, Education Innovation Collaborative (EIC)
And the EIC Team     
[email protected]
WWW.EIC-NV.ORG