April 2017

Yesterday was my last day at the face-to-face Google Innovation Academy. This is just one part of a whole year of programming designed to support my Innovation Project. What a fun way to start my journey.

Actually, the journey started on March 15th when I received an email stating I was accepted into the #LON17 cohort. What an exciting day! I could not believe I was actually accepted.

For one month, I interacted with the other 35 Google Innovators through the Cohort G-Chat. I am so fortunate to be part of this bright Google tribe!

The Google Academy sure knows how to get us all excited. One day I arrived home and found out I had a package waiting for me. Actually each of the 36 Google Innovators received a package! The BreakOut Edu challenge proved to me that I was going to work with a super smart group of educators.

The BreakOut Edu game kept my mind busy and by the time the others figured out the challenge and I completed the assigned project slides to start the Design Thinking process, it was time to get ready for my trip to London.

I left for London on Saturday, April 15th and arrived on Sunday. The actual dates of the Innovation Academy was Wednesday, April 19th to Friday, April 21st. I finally got to meet all the Innovators and coaches face-to-face. We had opportunities to learn more about each other’s projects. What a great way for the group to immerse themselves in the Googley culture.

I enjoyed spending time and listening to the feedback of the "D Team." Dean Stokes was the Innovator coach assigned to the six Google Innovators which made up the amazing D TEAM.

I plan to document my journey as a Google Innovator. It will not be an easy journey, but it will be worth the tears and sweat! I hope you will come back often to read about the progress of my Google Innovator project.