Home
LEARN FROM YOUR COMMUNITY, LEARN WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
I am Bendable.
Introducing Bendable, a lifelong learning system powered by the community of South Bend, Indiana, and the St. Joseph County Public Library. After Bendable is launched in June 2020, it will be made available in other cities around the U.S.
The Drucker Institute created Bendable with the help of the design firm IDEO and lead funding from Google.org and Walmart.org.
DESIGNED FOR—AND WITH—THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH BEND
The ultimate destination for learning
Bendable gathers the city’s learning opportunities in one place and combines them with trusted online offerings to bring South Bend the ultimate collection of educational resources.
One-stop shop for learning
We’ve gathered the best learning resources from South Bend and online and made them easily accessible, all in one place.
South Bend approved
Get words of wisdom about life and careers from people (not computer programs) in your city who really know what’s up.
Make your own learning library
While browsing, save resources that interest you for later, thereby creating your own personal learning library.
CURATED COLLECTIONS
Local recommendations from real people, not computers
Career Collections
Employer-curated learning playlists that teach you the specific skills and training required to get the job you want.
Community Collections
Community-curated learning playlists that comfortably get you out of your comfort zone.
Why Bendable works
Cred That Counts
Display the credentials that employers are looking for with digital badges on Bendable.
Radically Accessible
Learn online and get help at libraries and community centers located throughout South Bend.
All for Nothing
Get access to thousands of courses and digital content for free.
About us
By 2020, 65% of jobs in the U.S. will require some post-secondary education. Yet only 48% of adults have a four-year degree, two-year degree or workforce-relevant certificate.
What’s more, even those already in “good jobs” must learn new skills. The McKinsey Global Institute projects that within the next decade, about a third of the tasks performed in 60% of all occupations will change as a result of automation and artificial intelligence.
As Peter Drucker told us: “If knowledge isn’t challenged to grow, it disappears fast. It’s infinitely more perishable than any other resource we have ever had.”
With all of this in mind, the City of South Bend and the St. Joseph County Public Library decided to do something about it. Enter Bendable—a lifelong learning system designed to make residents more resilient in the face of rapid economic change by making essential educational resources radically accessible.
Bendable is on track to launch in June 2020.
The Drucker Institute, a nonprofit social enterprise based at Claremont Graduate University, is overseeing the creation of Bendable. Part digital and part place-based, the system was designed by IDEO. Google.org and Walmart.org, along with other public and philanthropic entities, funded the initiative.
Contact us
If you would like more information about how Bendable works or where else it will be available, please submit your inquiry below or contact Lex Dennis of the Drucker Institute at lex@drucker.institute.
