Competitive Economies Idea Lab pursues three sets of activities: (1) building an elder care economy innovations hub, (2) producing research reports for consulting clients, and (3) facilitating leadership/strategy development for its clients. Key to the Center’s work is helping North Carolina nurture and grow an innovation economy, conscious of and with concerted efforts to be more inclusive of people of color and women, that will likely yield big socioeconomic dividends.
Business of Aging Idea Lab focuses on new ideas and innovations, including assistive technologies and digital literacy training required to use them, to support older adults as they strive to age successfully in their homes and their communities. Current research focuses on slowing the growth of health care spending; financing retirement income; financing long-term services and supports; securing the safety net for seniors; reducing elderly fraud and exploitation; and affordable, age friendly housing for low income seniors.
K-12 Education Idea Reform Lab devises innovative programs that are designed to improve education outcomes for our nation’s most vulnerable youth. We employ a life course approach in our work, striving to develop and evaluate successful early childhood, middle childhood, early adolescent, and late adolescent/early adulthood interventions. We also create innovative leadership and professional development programs for K-12 administrators and teachers.
The Global Scholars Academy is a joint venture between Union Baptist Church and the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Global Scholars Academy was designed to connect Durham area youth who are most at risk of failure to a wide array of both “high touch” and virtual intellectual and social capital resources. In so doing, our goals are to identify their needs and attributes, broaden and deepen their educational experiences, diversify their personal networks, and expand their access to potentially life changing domestic and globe-spanning international experiences. Global Scholars Academy launched as an independent school on August 19, 2009, with 75 youth in grades.