You might be wondering how, or why, we’re partnering with the likes of Stanford’s d.school.

Ei is a brand new type of school exploring the next frontier within higher education. We’re dreamers, architects, builders...we are students.

The d.school, on the other hand, is established. Their tie to the globally-recognized Stanford name lends them a weighty credibility, creating a swagger in their design steps. They are prestigious; an incubator for the world’s greatest minds.

So, why have they asked us to ideate beneath the vast canopy of their Redwood branches.

Well, for one, we are both incredibly committed to innovation in education. And two, we kinda like each other.

Earlier this year, Victor connected with Stanford professors and staff members to share learnings and collaborate on a workshop called, “Designing the Future of Higher Education” -- putting his lessons from The Leap Year Project to the test. In nearly every conversation with Stanford students, professors, and even David Kelley himself, there was a confirmation that experiential education is necessary, but still uncharted territory.

So, in the following weeks, Victor will be partnering with a newfound friend and accomplished design strategist from IDEO, Colleen Cotter. They’ll travel to Stanford’s d.school to collaborate on the @Stanford project, a project working to frame how students might benefit from immersive learning experiences in new contexts. The @Stanford project will use Ei as a launching point to experiment with ideas that could impact the future of higher education.

By implementing the design thinking process, they will seek answers for some of the following questions:

• What ways can we communicate accreditation, recognition, diplomas, and majors?
• How can undergraduates be more connected to the working world?
• How can we rethink the resume to include more of our experiences? How should student’s experiences be established, documented, and shared?

At Ei, we believe that human connection is one of the greatest catalysts for change. And so, we’re thrilled to connect with this amazing crew and are looking forward to the friendships that will be formed. What we learn from our time together will hopefully not only shape the future of Ei, but also prove to serve the on-campus experience for Stanford and other higher education institutions in the years ahead.

These days are sure to be quite the adventure, (albeit a nerdy one).

Stay tuned...