The Future of Education

Education stands at a critical crossroads, where maintaining status quo risks widening the gap between schools and the communities they serve. To build a more connected and equitable system, future educators must be prepared not only as classroom instructors but as ecosystem builders who leverage partnerships and technology to strengthen student support and learning outcomes. This project introduces an innovative teacher preparation model that embeds a Community Connector, a preservice teacher dedicated to bridging schools and their surrounding communities. Developed through a cross-national collaboration between Point Park University and Arizona State University and originating from a Moonshot Grant Project through Remake Learning. This model has demonstrated measurable benefits: preservice teachers coordinate resources, enhance family engagement, and foster relationships that uplift the entire learning community. Key outcomes include stronger school-community ties, increased access to local resources, deeper family-school trust, holistic support for students and families, and authentic preservice learning in collaboration, leadership, and systems thinking. The next phase reimagines teacher preparation by embedding the Community Connector within educator training programs and enhancing it through artificial intelligence (AI), which can map community assets, identify partnerships, and sustain data-informed networks of support. This fusion of human-centered connection and intelligent technology amplifies the Community Connector’s impact, enabling schools to link needs with opportunities. By co-designing scalable models through higher education and K-12 partnerships, this project demonstrates how preservice teachers can be prepared as both connectors and innovators, ensuring every school has the tools to build thriving, connected learning ecosystems powered by community and AI.

Keywords: AI integration; community partnerships; ecosystem building; preservice innovation; teacher preparation

REFERENCES

Ishimaru, A. M. (2019). When families lead: Toward equitable collaboration for school improvement. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55(4), 672–706.

Holmes, W., Bialik, M., & Fadel, C. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education: Promises and implications for teaching and learning. Center for Curriculum Redesign.