On January 29, at a Foundry Chat session in the Innovation Foundry, Darren Wilson, coordinator of the ACU Maker Lab, shared his experiences from developing and directing HOPE School of Leadership, a free online post-secondary school serving students in several countries across Africa. Darren’s involvement in building a curriculum, developing an online community and growing a thriving school through a design thinking model posed some challenges. “When we began HOPE School in 2013, online learning in Kenya wasn’t a thing yet. We spent a lot of time talking to potential students and getting their input,” Darren commented. “Five years later, we’ve interated our curriculum several cycles and continue to improve as we go. Mobile technologies across Africa have now caught up and our reach continues to expand.” Darren also shared how he uses data to serve students better, creates opportunities for face-to-face service learning, and organizes hiring and managing a staff in Kenya, all from his home in Abilene, Texas. To learn more about HOPE School of Leadership, visit http://www.hopeschoolofleadership.org
