Implementation of BerkStudios will be informed by lessons learned from the successful Studios concept launched in the rural Northern Cass School District in North Dakota. All Points North Foundation’s support of Transcend in 2024 was instrumental in deepening the impact of the Studios program that applies academic skills to real-world challenges.

With new funding, Transcend will expand the innovative concept to a new rural context among middle school students but remain centered on the personalized, project-based learning experience. With more than a decade of partnering with school communities on their design journeys, Transcend developed a three-pronged strategy for ensuring success: direct partnership with communities at the school and district levels to include their voice and build a relationship-rich environment that makes students feel valued and supported; democratizing design supports to share with the field that enhances community capacity building and sustainability; and catalyzing systemic change across the education ecosystem for broader support of community-based design

Underscoring the powerful impact of Studios in Northern Cass, Transcend is confident that BerkStudios will create learning experiences that reflect the goals and needs of its students, build stronger teachers and educator capacity, foster community engagement, and provide insights for future scaling.

For more information:www.transcendeducation.org