Learning Unboxed

The traditional educational ecosystem is not built to reflect kids’ lived experiences and development. It has almost arbitrary divisions: School, after school, and summer; school districts and nonprofits; test scores and behavior. Byron Sanders and Big Thought want to change that ecosystem.Big Thought is a Dallas-based organization that creates youth programming, convenes other educational organizations, and consults on best practices. Through experiential learning, they provide kids from marginalized communities the opportunities they need to identify and pursue their passions, build 21st skills, and exercise their agency.Byron explains everything in terms of an ecosystem: How direct youth feedback of programs eventually impacts systems change, how creating more opportunities for youth changes the way they interact with the current system, etc. How he talks about our field might just change the way you look at everything.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How youth’s program feedback should inf

Lesley Slaughter’s job as VP of Soliant is to examine how to close the gap between the number of healthcare professionals and the increasing number of patients requiring care. Recently she has been focusing on school settings as the location of care and health professionals like speech pathologists, sign language interpreters, special ed teachers, etc.According to a survey conducted by Soliant, 50% of these school-based professionals were considering leaving their field altogether. At the same time, 90% of schools believe that the number of students with IEPs will continue to increase, and 26% of students will need some kind of mental or behavioral health counseling by 2028.So how do we retain these professionals in the education setting? Lesley’s research has led her to some suggestions. One is to allow professionals to remote work when appropriate. Another is to allow more professionals to be contract-based instead of district employees, allowing them more autonomy and flexibility.We dive into these solutio

Getting to see a live wild animal up close beats staring at a screen for just about anybody, big or small. Our guests today have witnessed that firsthand and are building out their family education program based on it. We are joined today by Seth Oglesby and Susan Zelinski from Arc of Appalachia’s Nature is Neat program. They are in the early growing stages of the South-Central Ohio program, bringing on more volunteer naturalists and a full-time education coordinator. Their passion is palpable.We dive into all the segments they include in their once-a-month programming: An activity, interactive learning, themed hikes, meeting a live animal, and a craft kids can take home to continue their learning. They emphasize that the program is for the whole family, creating meaningful moments of nature immersion and learning that will have a long term impact on everyone.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How nature lends itself to immersive learningThe power of volunteer naturalists in educationCreating a

Play is powerful. Not only is it critical to the individual development of children, but it can create schoolwide cultures of inclusion, celebration, and healthy conflict resolution. No one knows this better than our guest on the show today, Elizabeth Cushing, CEO of Playworks. For almost 30 years, Playworks has worked to give kids a safe, healthy, inclusive recess experience. They partner with schools, starting with a Great Recess Framework evaluation. Then they place Playworks staff at the schools for recess, implementing the basics: Rock, paper, scissors as a conflict resolution tool; high fives; and positive language coming from adults. Plus, they train near-peer mentors as Junior Coaches, allowing kids to shine as leaders at their school.Beyond discussing the importance of play, both for kids and adults, we also dive into Playworks’ approach to sharing its practices with other organizations. Often nonprofits hesitate to share their “secret sauce” with other nonprofits, not wanting to risk their piece of

Almost ten years ago, Tom Thorpe wanted to create a learning environment that was embedded in the community and shaped around individual students. Today, REDI Lab, a “school within a school,” is physically located in a Denver Housing Authority neighborhood and sees over 100 students create their own learning path every year.As our guest today, Tom tells us the origin story and evolution of the Research Entrepreneurship, Design, & Inquiry Lab at Colorado Academy. He walks us through the trimester-long program: Teaching self-empathy and self-discovery, letting students dwell in problem-solving stages, and putting process over product.We also talk about the importance of developing teacher agency alongside student agency, including what that may look like in terms of experimentation and assessment.Tom does an excellent job weaving together his real world experience and pedagogical theory. Enjoy!To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Teaching students self-empathy and self-discoveryREDI Lab’s emphas

If a student misses even a single building block in their math education, they will struggle in future lessons. In math, every concept builds on itself. That’s why developing an excellent math curriculum is so critical… and so difficult.Today our guests are Tammy and Marc Goldberg, education innovators with Mathnasium. They’ve helped the company revamp its curriculum to help both instructors and students. Every concept is broken down into sequential pieces. Instructors assess where the student needs to (re)start, and each student gets all the time and individualized attention they need until they master that building block. But that kind of individualization can be hard to come by in traditional education systems. We discuss the challenges of creating math curriculums in schools. But Tammy and Marc do have some suggestions for a path forward: Get rid of timed number fact tests. Treat math like we treat reading in the early grades. Use precise language when teaching concepts. Tune in for this tough, but import

Christian Martinez knows firsthand what it’s like to be a young immigrant in America: The language barrier, financial stress, feeling alone and hopeless. That’s why he does what he does today. Christian is the founder and community innovator for The Camino Program and he’s our guest on the show today.Christian tells us  about the Camino program, not just what it does, but how it makes its participants feel. The program offers support in professional development, mental health, peer support, and career navigation for teens transitioning into adulthood. While it’s only four months long, it’s just the jumpstart of creating a lifelong network.The most important impact of the program is one that’s hard to measure, but is foundational to success: Hope. The Camino is literally “a path forward” for youth who have finally found a place where they can connect.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How immigrant youth experience disconnectionThe critical importance of hopeMeeting youth where they are at– espec

In 2015, Norris School District came to Johnna Noll with a learner-centered educational consultant’s dream request. The tiny school district’s residential population consisted of a treatment center for kids, and it asked Johnna to help it transform into a learner-centered, trauma-invested, constantly evolving program. Of course, she said yes.  Johnna joins the show today to tell us about what the school district has built. It uses a very clear learning design process: Profile, Plan, Pathway, Progress, and Proof. Students create their own unique learning paths based on their hobbies, talents, and interests. Then it’s up to the learning specialists to make sure academic competencies are tied into it.The foundation of the entire learning environment is students and staff deeply learning about each other, building agency and confidence. From there students are connected to resources in the community to learn about what they are specifically interested in. We also talk about how truly empowering students and staff

How do you even begin to create systems change in education? Our guest today is Rob Collins. He manages the Innovative Learning Network in the Kentucky Department of Education. Rob gives us a peek into what systems change looks like right now for the state of Kentucky.  We dive into the teaching initiatives that the Kentucky Department of Education is undertaking in this area. Rob tells us about how the Innovative Learning Network provides institutional support and learning opportunities for school leaders and teachers. For example the network has brought in PBLWorks, a community organization, to successfully train a third of Kentocuky teachers on project-based learning.We also cover efforts to change assessment and accountability. For example, two districts in Kentucky now release accountability dashboards along with state test scores to show there’s more to education achievement than standardized exams. Also, at the state level, there’s now a Kentucky United We Learn Council that includes legislators in exp

It’s time to get free from oppression, both inside the classroom and out: internalized oppression, interpersonal oppression, ideological oppression, institutional oppression. That’s what Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger is here to talk with us about today.Michelle is the Founder of Living for Liberation and is also the Director of Liberation at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. Her specialty is liberatory project-based learning. That’s when young people experience a learning environment that’s culturally responsive and centered in knowing and improving the world around them. We talk about how to incorporate equity stances, identity, belonging, place, dialogue, and democratization in teaching practices— even if you have to stick to a standardized curriculum. And there’s absolutely no expectation of being perfect! So please enjoy this episode with Michelle and enjoy liberatory learning.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Michelle’s Notice, Name, Navigate frameworkThe importance of studen

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City is the nation's first and the city's largest youth mentoring organization. Chief Program and Innovation Officer Michael Coughlin joins us today to tell us about their newest iteration of mentoring: their workplace mentorship program.Starting sophomore year, students are paired with corporate professionals who act as their career mentors through high school graduation, and sometimes all the way through college. These one-on-one mentorships are closely supported by a program manager from Big Brothers Big Sisters to make sure they have the foundation needed for a successful mentoring relationship.Michael takes us through the research that led them to create this program, and lessons learned along the way. If you’re looking to start or grow a community-based mentorship program, don’t miss this episode!To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:The need for mentor relationships to be long-term and resource-orientedPaying attention to students’ and families’ p

Steve Heath calls himself a “professional confuser.” In a world where kids are defined by grades, test scores, attendance, and behavior, Steve’s organization asks them what they want to do and then helps them do it.Steve is executive director and co-founder of FabNewport. FabNewport provides underserved youth with the opportunity to learn how to code, sew, design, prototype, run CNC machines, and imagine new possibilities. In the 10 years, he’s served more than 20,000 middle and high school students, maintained long-term relationships with 3 school districts, and trained hundreds of educators to be better engaged.Join us as we discuss how to develop ecosystems of personalized learning by connecting home bases, learning hubs, and field sites.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How to scale up an organization while still providing an individualized approach for each learner.The concept of ecosystems of learning and the role of community in education.The importance of building a lasting mentorship t

Students often face the double burden of experiencing trauma then feeling isolated and powerless. Educators don’t always know when to step in and what tools to offer. Jenna Edwards’ new book, “Aggressive Optimism,” seeks to fix that.“Aggressive Optimism” is a novel based on Jenna’s own experience with a devastating accident and resulting PTSD. The coming-of-age book is written for high school students. Jenna describes it as an “emotional resonance of Girl Interrupted with the empowering essence of Legally Blonde.” The goal is for students to connect with the characters while learning mental health tools embedded in the story.In this episode we cover toxic positivity, resilience, solidarity, and healing. If you or your students have faced PTSD or other mental health issues, you have a friend in this book and in this podcast.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What aggressive optimism is and why it is the opposite of toxic positivityThe concept of proactive resilience and trying different toolsSome

Fred Rogers was an incredible learning scientist before the term even existed. That’s the basis of Ryan Rydzewski’s and Gregg Behr’s new book, “When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids.” Today they join the show to share what they learned while writing the book.Fred engineered every aspect of Mr. Rogers' neighborhood to help kids develop tools for learning. He combined familiarity with mystery to create a magical learning environment. He deeply listened to children through their letters to him, reflecting their stories back to them in his episodes. He taught kids to be curious about the world by starting with what they were familiar with in their own lives. Perhaps most importantly, he just kept showing up. Kids and adults knew that they could count on Mr. Rogers.Ryan and Gregg share the research that now backs up Fred Roger’s teaching style. They also spotlight his emphasis on “neighborhood” and inclusion. If you’ve ever watched

Today we’re joined by Quamid Francis, the former Executive Director of City Year New York. His program places and supports Student Success Coaches in 17 New York City public schools. The Student Success Coaches’ number one priority is to build trusting relationships with students. Based on these trusting relationships, student attendance increases, behavioral incidences decrease, and entire families get connected to services they need.Chances are you’ve heard of City Year and the way they help students, families, and schools. After all, they have locations all across the US. But what you may not know is how much they focus on the Student Success Coaches in addition to their students. Through “Life After City Year,” coaches are connected with resources they need for their post-City Year career. Join us as we discuss how City Year supports and engages the entire community, including their coach alum, knowing that a healthy, involved community is essential for student success.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we are thrilled to welcome Ellen Erlanger and Kathy Meyer, co-directors of professional learning at the Partnerships for Authentic Learning and Leadership. They bring a wealth of experience and insights into the transformative power of authentic learning—a pedagogical approach that bridges academic content with real-world applications, preparing students for success beyond the classroom.Ellen and Kathy delve into the essentials of authentic learning, emphasizing its role in making education irresistible and impactful. They share compelling examples from their work, showcasing how projects with real-world significance not only enhance student engagement but also address current challenges in education, such as student mental health. The conversation explores the importance of leadership support and systemic changes to sustain these practices, offering hope and practical advice for educators looking to make a difference.Join us to discover how authentic learning can transfor

The most important thing adults can provide young people in their learning journey is a caring relationship. That is the fundamental belief that drives Jim Bailey in his work as co-founder and executive director at Rock Tree Sky, a self-directed learning community. In this episode, Jim and Annalies discuss adults’ roles in making space for young people to tap their innate curiosity and problem-solving skills.At Rock Tree Sky, adults roll up their sleeves and get inspired along with students. They act as guides, not knowledge holders– after all, most young people hold the world’s knowledge on a phone in their pocket. Rock Tree Sky is a learning space free from constant evaluation and purposefully designed for building relationships.Jim also gets into some of the nuts-and-bolts of running this kind of organization. For example, Rock Tree Sky partnered with its local California school district to create an independent study model: Young people can get public funding to attend Rock Tree Sky twice a week. In retur

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we're thrilled to welcome Stephanie Lewis, the Director of Relationships at Remake Learning, a network that's spearheading the transformation of education in the Pittsburgh region. Remake Learning is not just about innovative education; it's about building a community that fosters engaging, relevant, and equitable learning experiences for all. Stephanie shares the journey of Remake Learning since its inception in 2007, highlighting how it has grown into a vibrant network of over 1,200 members who are educators, innovators, and researchers all working towards a common goal.We delve into the core strategies that drive Remake Learning: convening diverse stakeholders, coordinating efforts around emerging educational themes, catalyzing innovation through funding, celebrating the achievements of educators and learners, and communicating successes to inspire others. The discussion also explores the organization's focus on youth voices and the importance of creatin

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we have the pleasure of hosting Tiffany Nelson, the Director of Programs and Evaluation at Wings of Hope. Wings of Hope, a global humanitarian organization, has been utilizing aviation to impact vulnerable communities since 1962. Our main topic of discussion is their innovative SOAR into STEM program, which integrates aviation and STEM education to redefine educational and career pathways for students.Tiffany shares the intriguing journey of Wings of Hope and the development of the SOAR into STEM program, highlighting its unique approach to addressing the shortage of young talent in aviation. We dive into the program's structure, content, and its focus on providing hands-on, practical learning experiences. The conversation reveals how the program covers various facets of aviation, including aerodynamics, airplane maintenance, and drone education, aimed at making aviation careers more accessible to students.This episode also sheds light on the challenges and adaptations

In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we're exploring the inspiring world of educational innovation with Ian Shimizu, the navigator at Inspire High, a pioneering edtech program based in Japan. Inspire High is revolutionizing the way teenagers connect with the world, offering interactive sessions with creative minds from diverse fields. It's about bringing real-life stories and experiences into the classroom, and Ian is at the forefront of this educational transformation.Ian shares his journey with Inspire High, from its inception to its current state, discussing the challenges and triumphs of connecting students globally. We delve into the program's unique approach, which integrates interactive quizzes, guided conversations, and a platform for cross-school interaction. This episode is not just about what Inspire High does; it's about the broader vision of empowering students to realize their potential and make informed life choices.Join us to hear Ian's insights on the future of education,