Futurelab was set up in 2002 by the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA). Futurelab is a not-for-profit organisation largely funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), but also gains additional funding from private companies such as Microsoft, with some additional funding coming from the National Lottery.
Futurelab gained independence from NESTA in 2006, four years after its formation. Futurelab’s main objectives largely inherited from its parent, NESTA, is to transform the UK’s capacity for innovative education through working with teachers, schools, key stake holders, organisations and companies to develop and showcase new innovative practices and prototypes with the aim of informing key policy makers in UK education.
ThirdForce has a strong tradition of research and innovation believing it to be key to understand and experiment with the technologies of tomorrow. Part of our approach is to stay current and right up to date with highly funded industry innovators like Futurelab.
Futurelab has many ongoing projects. One of personal favorites to highlight which will be of interest to a general audience is “Beyond Current Horizons”.
The project in its own words “aims to ensure that the UK education system has identified and prepared for a wide range of potential social, technological and cultural futures.”
Beyond Current Horizons has a solid approach incorporating industry stakeholders and the public in the initial research. The most interesting aspect of the site is the variety of perspectives put out by different sectors of the learning community. This is most visible in the Beyond Current Horizons Blog. The final outputs will be a set of tools to support decision making in a fast changing educational technology sector.
Why not contribute to the Powerleague or contribute your thoughts by throwing a paper plane in the sky at Million Futures. You may just have some fun!
