First-of-Its-Kind Virtual Tool for Teachers and Teens to Develop Social Good Solutions Now Patent Pending, Developed by USD Educators

First-of-Its-Kind Virtual Tool for Teachers and Teens to Develop Social Good Solutions Now Patent Pending, Developed by USD Educators

As many students begin the upcoming school year remotely, educators at the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) have developed a free, patent-pending curriculum and virtual tool called Pactful®, that helps teachers guide teen-aged students to think big, develop solutions to real world problems, and feel empowered in the process. 

“The overall goal of Pactful® is to provide access to innovation tools and culture for underrepresented populations and to improve the rate of innovation. We believe we can do this by helping teenagers learn important innovation skills such as, how to apply design thinking in the context of solving a problem and creating a solution that students can be proud of and pitch to others for support,” said Monte Kalisch, Director of Technology and Co-Inventor of Pactful® at The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education. 

Recently named a Cool Tool finalist in the 2020 EdTech Awards,  Pactful® is a free, virtual platform for teachers and teens around the world that uses design thinking to create solutions for local and global societal problems. Students begin by understanding a problem in their community, based on the United Nations’ 17 Global Goals, and create a solution to that problem by developing their own project prototype. Along the way, teachers leave feedback for students and guide students to the final pitching stage.

Pactful® was created to serve as a resource for educators that provides an inclusive space for young innovative thinkers of all backgrounds. 

“We believe all learners can build a better world in their own communities and beyond when provided the right context, support, and tools. Pactful was designed to recapture the ‘Lost Einsteins,’ and empower learners, educators, and communities to innovate from within to build their better world,” said Dr. Lisa Dawley, Executive Director of the Jacobs Institute, and co-inventor of Pactful®.

Earlier this year, students who used Pactful® had the opportunity to share their projects and compete against other students in the first-ever Jacobs Institute Changemaker Challenge. The first-place winner was a ninth grade team from Mount Everest Academy from San Diego, CA who developed a hand-made, reusable, 100% eco-friendly reusable food bag. 

This fall, the Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge will launch a worldwide opportunity for educators to help student teams work on social good innovation solutions in spring 2021.

Pactful®is currently being used across 24 U.S states and 10 countries, generating nearly 240 innovative, social good projects. 


About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.

Contact:

Elena Gomez
elenagomez@sandiego.edu
(619) 260-2739