We are excited to share that our AIEP tool received an honorable mention in the Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) Network’s 2026 Eddies Awards for Most Actionable Tools & Research. This recognition celebrates more than the technology tool itself. It reflects the power of making education systems easier to understand, pairing innovation with trusted relationships, and giving families information they can use to organize and advocate for their children. The Eddies are annual, advocate-nominated awards recognizing work that advances meaningful change in public education. This category celebrates resources that help advocates understand widespread challenges and turn information into action. The PIE Network is a national coalition of education advocacy organizations working to improve K-12 public education.
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are meant to ensure that students with disabilities receive the services and support they need. These documents are often lengthy, technical, and filled with legal and educational terminology. Parents may struggle to determine whether their child’s goals are appropriate, which services are included, or what questions to ask during an IEP meeting. AIEP helps close this information gap by allowing families to upload their child’s IEP into a secure, privacy-protected platform and receive a clear, plain-language summary of its key sections. This allows parents to better understand their child’s assessments, goals, accommodations, services, and legal rights so they can participate in IEP meetings as informed and equal partners.
More than 200 families in San Francisco have already used the AIEP tool since Jan 2025, and eight SF-based parent navigators were trained to support families directly. AIEP parent navigators are parent leaders who receive stipends and in-depth training in order to follow a “promotora” or “peer-to-peer” model where they can support other families as they navigate their child’s IEP process by using the AIEP tool. Through trainings, demonstrations, webinars, and community events, more than 1,000 people have learned about the tool. As of August of 2026, AIEP has hundreds of users across California and beyond.
Innovate is now expanding this work through two new pilots, one in San Mateo County and one in Los Angeles.
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