Episode 14: It's About MY Learning

06/14/21 • 44 min

In the center of Denver, on the corner of Navajo Street and W 37th Avenue exists three entities: Pinwheel Coffee, Framework Cycles, and Embark Education. But the big story here is Embark Education, an alternative, learner-centered middle school where the focus is on supporting young adolescents' curiosity in learning, "supporting students to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self." The school focuses as much on typical academics as it does on their students' social development and interpersonal growth. Listen here to Miguel Gonzalez, Director of the School, and Megan Parry, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and four of their students – Elijah, Eireann, Hayes, and Jazmin – talk about the design of the school and how it has given students the opportunity to own their own learning. As Eireann says, "It's about MY learning." And as Hayes adds, "I'm a lot happier here." She and the others talk about how the community supports their learning by focusing on who they are and how they best learn. Pinwheel Coffee and Framework Cycles are businesses where they can apply and extend their learning, but the real power of Embark is in its design of learning and the focus on youth – empowering their learning. Give a listen!
About The Revolutionaries
Miguel Gonzalez
Megan Parry
Embark Students

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Episode 13: Creating a Learning Community "in the Sky"!

My friend Cath Fraise is ALWAYS creating, making, and dreaming of how to bringing learning to youth with a focus on their becoming agentic, self-directed agents of their own lives. Several years ago she created Workspace Education, which Chris went to see and then was blown away by. And since has been assisting and supporting others who want to create their own local version of workspace in their communities, through 100 Roads. Now she is building a Workspace in the Sky, a virtual co-learning community space for youth to be self-directed in their learning, find peers to work and learn with and from, offer multiple avenues for learning, support youth with ongoing advising and coaching, AND support parents in how THEY can best assist and support their children to be self-actualized. Amazing, amazing, amazing.
In this episode, Jim and Chris talked with Cath about why she does what she does (the 1st half of the podcast, recorded in late December 2020) and then Chris catches up with Cath in early June 2021 to see how her plans are taking shape to create her new learning space.
It all feels like "Alice in Wonderland" to Chris. In such a good, remarkable, and amazing way. Listen!
About The Revolutionaries
Cath Fraise

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Episode 15: Student-Centered Innovation

Join two of our HS student interns, Hunter Kuchenbaur and Xan Maddock-Mark at Barrington RI High School, talk with Sanjli Gidwaney, Director of Design for Change USA, and two amazing youth, Minnah from Raleigh NC and Daniel from NYC, about how Design for Change has created an opportunity for them to make a real difference in the world – and in doing so, come to feel empowered as change agents and learners in the world. Minnah, for example, shares how she and her fellow students obtained, cleaned, and furnished an apartment for a Syrian refugee family in her hometown of Raleigh, in addition to raising $2,500 for their purchase of a car. Later, they worked on the reconciliation of George Taylor, a prominent figure who was lynched in 1819, which eventually led to her meeting the Pope in Rome. (How about that?). And Daniel, who led a “hand washing” campaign at his school to combat the spread of germs which then also led them to Taiwan and eventually Rome to share and discuss their projects. In the end, Minnah says “This education system doesn’t teach you as much as it should about the real world.” Later, Minnah, Daniel, Hunter, Xan, and Sanjli share how THEY would design their K-12 school. All say MORE authentic, personal connections to and work in real-world so that they can “discover themselves,” "explore what they can do," and “find the things that they love.” Our two wonderful student interns share their thoughts on the need to transform education for student agency and possibility. And Chris, as usual, shares his. Doesn’t get much better than that, no? Take a listen now! And check out Design for Change!
About The Revolutionaries
Sanjli Gidwaney
Design for Change Students