The Blackboard K-20 Connection is a new initiative designed to foster collaboration and expand learning opportunities between high education and K-12 institutions worldwide. As an education company, we are committed to providing the strategic resources and tools to foster successful K-20 collaboration and to power greater learning productivity and achievement. With over 10 years of pioneering experience in transforming education through technology, our innovative e-learning solutions support and enhance teaching and learning throughout the entire K-20 education pathway.

At Blackboard, we aim to:

• Leverage our relationships with thousands of K-12 and higher education partners to develop learning communities bridging the education gap worldwide;
• Provide strategic leadership to help define models for global educational collaboration, including state-wide initiatives;
• Increase the use of technology solutions that foster engagement, collaboration and assessment at all levels.

Learn more about common K-20 collaboration initiatives:

Dual enrollment provides high school students with the rigor of a college curriculum while they achieve high school credit, easing the transition from high school to college. In dual enrollment, higher education institutions partner with K-12 school districts to offer college level course work for dual credit, accelerating completion to a degree for motivated students and engaging learners who have lost interest in high school courses.

College readiness programs prepare students for the rigors of higher education, reducing the need for remedial courses while in college. Many non-traditional high school students--such as ESL, special education, and gifted and talented students--participate in college readiness programs, which may include tutoring, college mentoring and test preparation services.

Workforce readiness initiatives enable high school and college graduates to cultivate the skills they need to meet the workforce demands of the 21st century and compete successfully in the global economy. From public-private partnerships that connect K-12 schools with institutions of higher education to project-based learning models that incorporate real-life challenges to organize and focus students’ learning on interdisciplinary projects, these initiatives empower students to understand how learning connects to careers or to solving real-world problems.

We encourage you to read the "Building K-20 Connections" issues brief that examines the K-20 Vision, successful models of cooperation and opportunities for involvement.

For more information, please email K20connections@blackboard.com.