R2 Innovates, an incubator, laboratory and hub for innovation, was created in 2013 to encourage Richland Two staff members to develop innovative practices which support the four district priorities: learning, character, community and joy. We believe that teachers and staff members have great ideas that can bring positive change in Richland Two with the right mentoring, resources and support. The R2 Innovates process identifies teams with great ideas and works with them to put their ideas into actions.
Incubator teams are identified through an application process in the late spring of each school year. Teams make initial pitches of their idea and are provided with a two day workshop to help them further develop their ideas through the human-centered design process. Teams that successfully complete a final pitch are provided with mentors, time to prototype their ideas, time to collaborate with other teams, and financial backing. They also have access to the R2 Innovates hub space at R2i2 for work sessions and team events.
R2 Innovates hosts a variety of workshops and events to facilitate the design and development of promising practices. We use an innovation management platform to crowdsource ideas and showcase promising practices. We also work with partner organizations to provide staff with additional mentoring and resources.
