For the fourth consecutive year, Axim Collaborative is supporting the Learning Engineering Tools Competition, an open funding initiative that accelerates innovation in education technology to address the most pressing challenges facing learners. The competition is an initiative of Renaissance Philanthropy, organized by The Learning Agency. The University of Minnesota - College of Education and Human Development serves as an academic partner to provide design and evaluation support and lead impact studies of winning teams.

This year, Axim is co-funding the Navigating Postsecondary Learning and Work track, which support tools that help learners build the skills, knowledge, relationships, and support needed to navigate learning and work transitions throughout their lives. This includes the transitions from postsecondary education and career entry to upskilling, reskilling, and career changes in an increasingly AI-enabled economy. The track spans three lanes across the postsecondary journey: Teaching, Learning & Skill Development, which strengthens durable, technical, and AI-related skills; Assessment & Skills Recognition, which helps learners demonstrate and communicate what they know and can do; and Learner Success & Pathways, which expands access to the advising, mentoring, and networks that connect learners to education and career opportunities.

New this cycle, select winning teams will have the opportunity to compete for a supplemental prize to deploy their tools in partnership with universities on the Open edX® platform, creating a direct pathway from competition to real-world testing and adoption. 

The Tools Competition not only supports development of innovative solutions that bridge learning and employment by leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, it also strengthens a growing community of innovators, researchers, and funders dedicated to improving outcomes for all learners. To date, the competition has awarded more than $24 million to 171 winners, impacting over 51 million learners and educators worldwide.