In a recent blog post on www.whitehouse.gov, Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director of Policy in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, writes about the government partnering with non-profits, philanthropists, foundations, and the private sector to “support additional high-impact prizes, and to harness the power and reach of “innovation marketplaces” to achieve important goals.”

 

 In addition to providing several examples of how this might work, Kalil also points out the benefits of prizes over traditional grants or contracts:

·  Only pay for results.

·  Establish a bold and important goal without having to choose the path or the team     that is most likely to succeed.

·  Attract new entrants such as small entrepreneurial firms.

·  Stimulate private sector investment that is larger than the size of the purse.

·  Capture the public imagination and change the public’s perception of what is possible.

 

 If the Government were going to offer such prizes for innovation in the education marketplace, what innovations would garner such prizes?  Would you offer a prize for a dropout reduction strategy in urban schools?  How about an award for using digitalmedia to involve more community members in education?  There are endless possibilities. 

  What prizes would you offer?  Give us your ideas in the comments section of this post.

 

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