Who We Are
We are pioneers, educators, technologists, researchers, and policy makers with a commitment to global education.
Why do I have to learn this?
How many times have we heard young people ask this question?
At UrbanX, we know that inspiring youth and improving engagement is vital to their ability to (re)define a path to success.
Studies show that when students understand the “why,” they engage in learning and find purpose in their education. When learning extends beyond school and classes are engaging, students remain motivated to work hard towards a goal.
Experience Learning
The Idea
In 2010, GCE Lab School started with a dream of cultivating global citizens across Chicago’s diverse communities. How could this global education change our students, their families, our city, and potentially our world?
GCE’s model is creating transformational student outcomes. The model is grounded in inquiry and project-based learning that encourages students to experience academics through real-world connections with their community.
UrbanX Institute is now scaling GCE Lab School’s breakthrough innovations and helping eliminate the achievement gap.
Vision
A world where all students are college-prepared, career-ready and community-minded. Together, we can build a future where all students have equitable access to an education that prepares them for successful careers and lives in our increasingly interconnected world.
Real-World, Whole World
We show educators how to situate learning within a real-world context and help students find purpose in their education
Courseware
Designed by teachers for teachers, we offer supplemental, mini-courses that help educators inspire student engagement. Students learn to ask questions and explore the answers through a project-based learning model, grounded in real-world application of their academics.
Student Immersions
Educators are trained to deliver engaging programs in underserved high school communities across Chicago during summers, weekends and school-breaks. These programs promote 21st century skills by having students explore globally relevant challenges through guest workshops and field experiences.
Teacher and School Leader Institutes
Starting in 2018, we plan to offer opportunities for educators to engage in peer-to-peer collaboration and professional development in project-based learning.
Hear from our students
“Excellent professional development. I think this is the wave of the future…what education should look like, tackling real world problems.”
—2015 Summer Immersion Teacher
Hear about our Field Experience partners
Since we can’t predict exactly what today’s young people will need to know in ten or twenty years, what we teach them is less important than how they learn to teach themselves.”
—Sal Kahn
Education doesn’t just happen in classrooms and university buildings, it can happen everywhere everyday to every person.
—Sir Richard Branson
You can't be what you can't see.
“MORE MORE MORE”
—2015 Summer Immersion Student