Introducing Relevant Classroom and Stating Our Commitment to Science Education

Background: Our Unique Perspective

Relevant Classroom is a division of Vivayic, a full-service learning solutions firm established in 2006. Vivayic has always worked with a variety of clients – public agencies, NGOs, industry associations, and companies – developing curriculum, designing training programs, and supporting learning technology platforms. From the beginning, Vivayic has had teams that work on projects to improve education and other teams that help clients train and develop talent already in the workforce. For more than a decade, one sector of our clients has noted great concern about the future of available talent and their ability to meet the needs of the future – our clients in agriculture and food production. 

The U.S. agriculture and food industry has more than 10,000 unfilled jobs each year for college graduates with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degrees. At the same time, changing climates and political instability around the world   poses increasing risks to food security for billions of people worldwide. To address this global challenge, tens of thousands more young, talented scientists, researchers, and engineers are needed  to drive innovation and ensure a sustainable and resilient future.

The National Research Council of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recognized the need – not just for our global food supply, but for the myriad of challenges across society – and released “A Framework for K-12 Science Education” that cast a vision for a more robust and focused system of STEM education in America.

Since that release, Vivayic has been working with education institutions and industry partners to find opportunities to leverage opportunities to bring real-world scientific and engineering challenges into formal K-12 science education for mutual benefit: 1) help more young people see the relevance of science and 2) cultivate a larger pipeline of talent interested in STEM careers. 

For the past decade, our team has learned from leading-edge innovators in STEM education, piloted programs, and established a network of connections across STEM education, the scientific community, and industry.  We’ve done this so that we could play a meaningful and credible role in realizing the vision expressed in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and, as result, contribute to a more secure and sustainable future for our food systems. 

Our Experience and Expertise

The first program we helped a client pilot was an immersive, field-based professional learning experience for 30 STEM educators. That was ten years ago, just months after the Next Generation Science Standards were released. We worked with science specialists at state education agencies to inform our understanding so that the program we helped designed was supporting the goals of the new science standards. Since then, we’ve co-created and delivered a variety of professional development programs, consistently refining our methods to better serve science educators.

Feedback from that   early professional learning experience was clear: to fully realize three-dimensional learning as envisioned in the Framework, educators needed access to instructional materials specifically designed for teachers, schools, and systems to achieve this vision. Working through a funding partner, we embarked on our first unit writing effort in the fall of 2016. We engaged leading experts from Northwestern University, Achieve, and state science specialists to help shape and inform our efforts. This formative experience taught our team the intricacies of creating comprehensive units that meet the EQuIP rubric’s rigorous standards for high-quality instruction.

Today, our team has earned two NGSS Design Badges, making us one of only six organizations to receive this recognition on multiple units. These units, notably the only badged units funded and offered by industry-affiliated partners, demonstrate our commitment to producing high-quality, unbiased educational materials. By adhering strictly to peer-reviewed, publicly funded research, we’ve shown that industry-aligned collaborations can yield educational resources that meet the highest standards.   

Our success has attracted interest from additional partners in the science education field. We regularly share our insights and experiences at forums such as the NSTA conferences and actively expand our network of collaborators with a shared commitment to high-quality science education.  

Collaborators and clients in this space include:

• Boston University, Center for STEM Professional Learning at Scale
• Washington University
• Northwestern University
• Georgia Tech University, Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing
• University of California, Davis
• SCALE Science at WestEd
• NextGenScience at WestEd
• Contextus
• Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education
• Children Learning through Outdoor Experiences (ChLOE)
• Seed Your Future
• Nebraska Department of Education
• Missouri Department of Education
• Oregon State Extension
• Washington State Extension
• Field of Hope
• Asia Society

Working with Our Team

If you share the vision outlined in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and are committed to relevant and authentic science education, we’re here to help. Our team is ready to support you with:

• Navigating the K-12 science education landscape
• Strategic planning for new initiatives
• Connecting with key stakeholders and partners
• Defining program activities and desired outcomes
• Developing high-quality instructional materials
• Designing and delivering high-impact professional learning experiences
• Building the capacity of your existing team

We believe that improving science education is central to preparing young people for the problem-solving and innovation required to drive society forward.  We are excited to make this commitment visible through the Relevant Classroom division.