MINNEAPOLIS, MN, October 04, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In response to Minnesota's worst in the nation on-time graduation rates among Latinos and American Indians and among the worst rates for black and Asian students, Ed Jam Twin Cities participants will ask, what can we do in 48 hours to help close this academic achievement gap?

"Ed Jam Twin Cities is an Education Jam, a gathering of people who are interested in improving K-12 education. There will be teachers, non-profit leaders, school board members, parents, students, designers, developers in attendance. From October 18-20, we will bring our minds together to jam on what might be possible for the future of education in the Twin Cities," said Laura Andersen one of the organizers of the event.

Like a Hackathon or Service Jam, Ed Jam will be a fun and enriching 48-hour event where you will turn your ideas into action. By employing design thinking to develop working prototypes, we will start taking meaningful steps to close the achievement gap. Organizers stress that the Jam will be about doing, not talking.

Educational issues, and the achievement gap in particular, generate a lot of controversy. Ed Jam's tight time frame, design thinking mindset, and nonpartisan environment will empower participants to leave ideologies at the door and leverage their knowledge to develop specific action steps for closing the achievement gap.

"We are excited by the magic of what will happen when we assemble the experiences of all the people who work hard on these educational issues. We will end the weekend with concrete deliverables that have potential for meaningful impact on an issue that often seems intractable. We hope Ed Jam will help make strides toward improving educational equity for every kid in the Twin Cities," said Andersen.

EdJam is looking for judges, sponsors, partners, participants, and coaches to join us for Ed Jam. Current judges include Beth Hawkins of Minnpost, Crystal Brakke of Teach for America-Twin Cities, Dan Flies of Kidblog, Anna Love-Mickelson of stoke.d. Sponsors include Dev Jam, Azul 7, Girls in Tech, Joia Soda's, Reve Consulting, and Young Education Professionals-Twin Cities.

Ed Jam is an opportunity for representatives from varied backgrounds, all with an interest in improving educational outcomes for Minnesota students, to come together and develop new action-oriented ideas to address the academic achievement gap in the Twin Cities.

The event will be held at the Dev Jam Studios at 818 West 46th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55419. Individuals interested in participating can register at http://edjam.eventbrite.com or http://www.edjam.org