From over three thousand innovations collected, and after a rigorous selection process completed by education experts from around the world, X in a Box, with its flagship program: Story Xperiential, was selected as one of the top one-hundred innovations.
X in a Box will be featured in the Global Collection 2024 curated by hundrED, a global, mission-driven education organization based in Helsinki, that aims to identify impactful and scalable education innovations and help them expand and grow.
"We’re honored to be recognized by HundrED as a global innovator in education and to be part of this international cohort of extraordinary people and organizations who are disrupting the status quo in education,” said Elyse Klaidman, CEO and co-founder of X in a Box.
Klaidman attended the 2023 HundrED Innovation Summit from October 31 to November 2, where she met other innovators, experts, and educational change-makers from the HundrED community.
"It is deeply inspiring to meet innovators in education from around the world. We are able to share our ideas, concerns, successes and challenges and come together to support systemic change in global education,” said Klaidman, from Helsinki.
With their extensive experience in film and education, Elyse Klaidman, Tony DeRose and Brit Cruise, developed Pixar in a Box for Khan Academy, as well as Imagineering in a Box, and they were hooked. They decided to follow their passion and founded X in a Box to create their flagship program, Story Xperiential. Klaidman and DeRose each spent more than twenty years at Pixar, and Cruise developed award-winning content at Khan Academy.
The program leverages a unique combination of industry professional instructors from studios such as Pixar, Blue Sky Studios, DreamWorks, Netflix, Baobab Studios, and Locksmith Animation; peer feedback within their online platform; and self-paced, engaging content to guide participants in developing their story from concept ideation to a three to six minute storyreel. The program culminates in an awards ceremony and a public, online exhibition showcasing storyreels from their global community of participants.
Cruise, co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of X in a Box, explained, “With Story Xperiential, we now have a program that gives anyone, from anywhere, the opportunity to ‘walk through the door’ and learn from the best storytellers in the business. That accessibility is truly a game-changer for our participants, and that’s why we see our model as akin to a virtual apprenticeship.”
Story Xperiential, launched officially in March 2023 with its pilot, with Pixar lending their artists to participate in the livestream sessions, beginning in October 2021. Thousands of youth and adult learners from over fifty-one countries have completed the Story Xperiential program.
“Story Xperiential is the next evolution of online learning,” said DeRose, co-founder and CTO of X in a Box. “We’ve built a platform that teaches the art of storytelling – at scale – in a hands-on, collaborative way. By placing the cohort at the center of the experience and harnessing the power of peer feedback, participants reap the benefits of a vibrant and supportive community of learners. This is what sets Story Xperiential apart, and it’s led to our 85% completion rate over the past year.”
Story Xperiential invites youth (13-18 years old) and adult (18+ years old) participants to register now for its 2023-2024 cohorts. No application or previous experience is required, and the program can be completed as long as you have internet access. To join, please visit https://www.storyxperiential.com.