03/12/2026
Congratulations to FableVision producer Schuyler Fox, MDRC's Mervett Hefyan, Acelero Learning's Lydia Carlis, PhD, and Promise Venture Studio’s Karen Lien on an amazing presentation at SXSW EDU!
What happens when teachers and children help design early learning digital products — and states listen?
Yesterday at SXSW EDU, MDRC's Mervett Hefyan (left) was joined by Lydia Carlis of Acelero Learning, Karen Lien of Promise Venture Studio, and Schuyler Fox of FableVision to present "Tiny Tech, Big Impact: Rethinking Innovation in Early Childhood Classrooms."
This interactive panel shared how co-designing with children, families, and teachers is reshaping digital tools. The presenters offered lessons from real classrooms, explored the future of public-private innovation, and explained how community voice can drive big systems change.