Try to imagine a student from the year 2025. No, really, try to imagine her. What kind of technology does she use? What does she want to be when she grows up? How does she participate in the struggles facing her family, her community, and her world?

These sorts of questions are a powerful tool for breaking down the assumptions and institutional barriers that have stood in the way of true education reform. This year at South by Southwest, Erika Gregory of Collective Invention and Dr. Jillian Darwish of Knowledgeworks will lead a workshop combining user-centered design, systems thinking and scenario planning to identify the needs of these learners. Armed with these personas, workshop participants will discuss how to build an education system which meets their needs in the context of an uncertain future.

The workshop is based on Collective Invention’s recent collaboration with KnowledgeWorks and Grantmakers for Education Learning 2025: Forging Pathways to the Future. The full report is here.