Florida Conference Launches Institute for Innovation

The Florida Conference Office of Education (FLCOE) recently launched the Florida Conference Institute for Innovation. The institute will serve as an organizational research and development unit of the Florida Conference Office of Education (FLCOE).

The mission of the institute will be to develop initiatives, policies and best practices that will build capacity and create a culture of innovation in the FLC. The institute will expand on the work of the FC Innovation Initiative, which was launched in the fall of 2017 to reimagine education in the FLC, and will continue to explore, study, research, prototype and systematically implement the future of Adventist Education.

The institute will utilize the latest in learning science and deeper learner pedagogies, such as project-based learning, problem-based learning and personalized competency-based learning, to develop learning environments that will cultivate leaders for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This summer the institute in partnership with Loma Linda University provided six students attending Adventist Universities and Colleges with a summer research internship. Each student conducted research in an area of interest.  During the pre-week session, the students participated in a Design Thinking and Innovation training. Research topics included: AI/Machine Learning, Biomechatronics, and medical device development.  Each participant is an alumnus the Florida Conference Innovation Lab Program and received a certificate in Design Thinking and Innovation from the institute. 

The implementation of the Florida Conference Institute for Innovation, which functions at the intersection of K-12 Education, Higher Education and Industry, represents a sea-change in the role and function of the local conference office of education. It will position the FLCOE as a vital source for thought leadership in Innovation and Learning in the North American Division.