K–20+ Collaboration
A Collaborative Education, Innovation, and Career Pathway
AE4™—Adventist Education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution—is a collaborative K–20+ program connecting participating K–12 schools, Loma Linda University, Oakwood University, AdventHealth University, AdventHealth, and industry partners Minimally Invasive Solutions and LDSB. Together, these institutions contribute educational, scientific, clinical, and industry expertise to create connected learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computing (STEM+C), biomedical science, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
The Florida Conference Institute for Leadership and Innovation (FCILI), the research and development arm of the Florida Conference Office of Education, contributes curriculum development, teacher professional learning, program support, and learning environments through the Innovus Innovation Center. Participating educators, university faculty, researchers, healthcare professionals, and industry experts collaborate to shape curriculum, design authentic learning experiences, and support student projects. Each institution contributes its strengths to the shared work of preparing students for higher education, careers, and service.
Curiosity-Driven Exploration
AE4 introduces students to curiosity-driven exploration, empathy, creative problem-solving, and hands-on STEM+C activities. Students investigate their world, identify needs, and begin developing the confidence and skills to design solutions that benefit others.
Fundamentals of Innovation, Mechatronics & Entrepreneurship
Students build a foundation in Design Thinking, Scrum, engineering design, physical computing, computer-aided design, prototyping, and the Lean Startup Method—applying these competencies to authentic challenges while exploring connections among science, engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Personalized, Multi-Year Research & Innovation
Students extend this foundation into personalized, multi-year, competency-based experiences in STEM+C research, social innovation, and entrepreneurship—deepening disciplinary knowledge, refining prototypes, investigating research questions, and communicating their work through presentations, engineering notebooks, research reports, and innovation showcases.
University, healthcare, and industry participation connects student learning with professional practice. Loma Linda University, Oakwood University, and AdventHealth University contribute opportunities for mentorship, research engagement, and exploration of higher education. AdventHealth connects learning with healthcare challenges and career experiences, while Minimally Invasive Solutions and LDSB contribute industry perspectives that help students understand how ideas are developed, evaluated, and applied beyond the classroom.
From Early Discovery to Career Preparation
Together, these relationships create a pathway from early discovery to advanced learning, research, and career preparation. AE4 supports students in building the competencies, relationships, and sense of purpose needed to pursue further education and meaningful work. Progression into university programs, internships, and professional opportunities depends on the requirements of each participating institution, with the collaborative program helping students prepare for those next steps.
Explore the AE4 Framework