Education Evolution

One of the challenges with traditional education settings is that you're bound to the same place for nine or more months every year. Slow travel, or really learning about a culture or community is difficult, if not impossible.

But the reality is that taking kids out of their comfort zones and letting them learn and live in other areas can teach them about kindness, purpose, building relationships, and so much more.

When this week's guest, Rekha Magon, tried to take her then kindergarten-age son overseas for a month, his teacher balked and expressed fear that he'd miss so much school. So Rekha pulled her son out of school and started building a learning platform that better suited her family's lifestyle.

Today that platform is Boundless Life, a turnkey solution for families to live, work, and learn while experiencing the world. They currently have three locations in Europe and are launching a fourth location in Bali this year. And families are embracing the idea so much that they're launching their own locations across the globe.

Rekha Magon is the co-founder and Head of Education of Boundless Life, a turnkey solution for families- to live, work and learn while experiencing the world. As an avid world traveler, ed-tech entrepreneur, & homeschool mama, Rekha is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences that inspire children to question, create & innovate according to their own personal interests. Among other awards, she won first place in Canada's 9th Edtech Innovation Summit. With an accounting scholarship from McGill, she worked as a Senior Auditor at KPMG for many years before starting her own education technology company. Boundless Life aligns deeply with her own personal and professional values, and she is now leading the charge at Boundless Education.

[1:50] - Where Rekha's story of school transformation started

[3:10] - Bringing mindfulness into school system

[5:32] - Living a Boundless Life

[7:17] - Locations - Portugal, Greece, Italy, Bali in July

[8:16] - Community service component

[9:30] - Making learning relevant and purposeful

[10:27] - The importance of passion and purpose projects

[11:33] - Interacting with local children

[13:07] - Parenting and kindness are universal

[13:58] - What is slow travel and the benefits of it

[17:17] - Being the pragmatist about living and learning abroad

[22:10] - Micro-schools are the future

[23:28] - How to get out of lockstep of traditional education

[26:49] - The choice on how children are educated should be on the parents

[29:29] - Turbo Time

[31:19] - What people need to know about student-driven learning

[32:33] - The passion Rekha brings to Boundless Life

[34:20] - How to be an activist to transform schools

[35:58] - Rekha's Magic Wand

[37:16] - Maureen's Takeaways

Boundless Life

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Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

The Education Evolution

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Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

Micro-school feature on Good Morning America

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LEADPrep

A question we don't ask enough is what we want from education. Of course we all want well-rounded young adults when they're done with school, people who can become productive members of our society and who also have a healthy worldview.

But our schools are not preparing our youth in this way. Students are graduating from high school with a narrow mindset because they haven't experienced anything other than what's in their community and the four walls of their classrooms.

When the recession happened in 2008, Lainie Liberti knew it was an opportunity to make a change for the benefit of her then 9-year-old son. So they hit the road to learn in the real world. They've since visited countless countries, started a business around world schooling, and both have come out changed in all the best ways.

This week on the podcast, Lainie is sharing her experience with parenting and teaching in the real world and how she and her son are supporting other families to do the same.

Lainie is a best-selling author, international speaker, community leader, teen mentor, and alternative education advocate who helped to spearhead the thriving world schooling movement.

As a result of the 2008 California economy crash, Liberti closed her Los Angeles-based branding agency. Liberti and her then 9-year-old Miro decided to "be the change" instead of victims and chose a life of adventure. After, selling all of their possessions, Lainie and her son hit the road for what was to be a one-year adventure in 2009. After thirteen years and almost 50 countries, the pair calls Guanajuato, Mexico their home.

Lainie chose to educate her son Miro through the world, facilitating rich experiential learning, cultural immersion, volunteering and leadership as his school. We call this world schooling.

Lainie co-foundered Project World School with her son in 2012. Liberti designs and co-facilitates the Project World School teen retreats as month-long immersive learning communities to support self-directed teens from around the world. Over the last 8 years, Lainie has facilitated 20+ international retreats for almost 100 teens, learning through cultural immersion, examining personal values and exploring world views.

In addition, Lainie founded Project World School Family Summits, where she's produced 10 in-person international conferences for hundreds of families across Europe, Asia and Mexico since 2016.

[1:26] - Where Lainie's passion for transforming our relationship with learning began

[3:34] - What do you want for education

[4:44] - What is world schooling

[6:06] - Learning was a radical part of what they were doing in their travels

[6:42] - We're wired to be natural learners

[7:29] - The world provided a lot of opportunities

[7:50] - Helping others in world schooling

[9:44] - The adventures of Lainie and her son

[10:25] - Project World School is born

[14:22] - Understanding the plight of others is impossible unless you're there

[15:16] - Tying in mental health to world learning

[18:00] - Taking teens out of their comfort zones

[19:55] - Getting outside comfort zone is part of who we are

[22:23] - How to participate in world school without the travel

[25:35] - What would it be if we took a moment to recognize situations from different perspectives

[26:40] - Turbo Time

[32:19] - Lainie's Magic Wand

[33:32] - Maureen's Takeaways

Project World School

Seen, Heard & Understood: Parenting & Partnering with Teens for Greater Mental Health by Lainie Liberti

Transformative Mentoring for Teens

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by

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Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

The Education Evolution

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EdActive Collective

Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

Micro-school feature on Good Morning America

The Micro-School Coalition

Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition

LEADPrep

If you've ever traveled to another country, you know how exciting it is to learn about other cultures. But as adults, many of us don't have the opportunity to spend an extended period of time overseas. What if we were able to do that traveling in high school, learning by being immersed in culture, rather than sitting in a classroom eight hours a day?

That's what this week's guest, Joann McPike, wanted for her son. So she built it for him and invited other students along, too!

THINK Global School was founded on the idea that students should learn the things that matter in the grand scheme of things, rather than what we've "always" learned. The structure is so interesting and immersive, and it's one that I hope gains some traction in the future.

Listen in!

Joann McPike is the founder of THINK Global School and the chair of its board of directors. Her vision has created a global learning environment built on the foundation of empathy, diversity, resilience and self-reflection.

Joann McPike has dedicated her life to pursuing her passion for world travel. Joann grew up in New Zealand and developed a desire to explore the world at a young age. To date, she has traveled to over 73 countries. Over the course of her world travels, Joann has achieved a rare perspective on the multicultural aspects of our global society. As a photographer, she works to capture the diverse layers of meaning inherent in a given snapshot of life. In that regard, Joann considers her photography to demonstrate a documentary style of artistic expression. Her first book of photography, entitled THINK, was published in 2008.

[1:40] - Where Joann's story of school transformation began

[3:55] - One of the best ways to learn is by doing and making it relevant

[4:25] - More about Think Global schools

[6:15] - Learning should be relevant to what the kids are interested in

[7:19] - Helping students recognize many different perspectives

[10:06] - The challenges of going to the school

[11:45] - Adaptability is one of the most underrated skills

[13:55] - Joann's favorite travel and learning experiences

[15:51] - It's not just intellectual, it's emotional, physical, spiritual too

[17:04] - Where students live during their travels

[17:35] - What happens after this amazing high school experience

[19:03] - People and planet before profit

[20:58] - Giving students the right tools

[22:16] - What parents and educators can do to foster a more global learning experience for their children

[24:01] - How about we push to create relevance in the curriculum that will be interesting, engaging, and fun for students

[25:18] - Turbo Time

[30:15] - Joann's Magic Wand

[31:42] - Maureen's Takeaways

THINK Global School

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World by David Robson

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Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

The Education Evolution

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LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution

EdActive Collective

Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

Micro-school feature on Good Morning America

The Micro-School Coalition

Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition

LEADPrep

Imagine the two most difficult things that you could possibly go through happening simultaneously. Parenting a child, and the grief of losing a child. Now imagine parenting a surviving child after they lose their sibling.

Surviving children need unique care to work through their grief, in the midst of the parent sitting in their own grief. And while there are many grief support groups out there, parents need help in working through the day-to-day trials and tribulations that happen as the surviving child hits milestones that their sibling never had a chance to experience.

This week's episode is for parents who have lost a child and caregivers of the surviving children. Because, like any aspect of child development, the more who can support the child the better.

Listen in to a sad but heartwarming story about why play matters to grieving children, why language and vocabulary is so important to grieving children, how to manage your own grief while parenting, and why grieving adults need to take care of themselves first.

Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to build resilience and cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families thrive after loss and live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.

Jump in the Conversation:

[1:27] - Michele's catalyst for Good Grief Parenting

[3:01] - Michele's case study about how deeply children are impacted by trauma and loss

[4:18] - Would not have recognized the impact if not for the experience

[5:50] - Founded Good Grief Parenting to help parents find hope and encouragement and goodness in grief

[6:15] - How Good Grief Parenting is unique, especially for formative years

[8:23] - As parents, we can grapple with loss of child, but the sibling left needs support

[9:11] - What adults need to know about how children grieve

[10:19] - Kids need a chance to tell us how they're feeling, what they're thinking

[10:46] - Encourage kids to talk about their grief and loss

[11:20] - Parents need to learn how to say that a child died

[12:47] - How parents can manage their own grief and support other children

[14:20] - Be the parent that's grieving child at the same time as taking care of living child

[15:32] - We can find goodness and bring it into the family

[16:35] - Childhood is best time to learn grief coping skills

[18:10] - 3 ways to support grieving children

[19:55] - Turbo Time

[24:55] - Michele's Magic Wand

[27:29] - Maureen's Takeaways

Good Grief Parenting

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Atomic Habits by James Clear

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Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

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Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

Micro-school feature on Good Morning America

The Micro-School Coalition

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LEADPrep

Schools usually fail before someone steps up to try to diagnose what's wrong and fix it. Meanwhile, hundreds and thousands of learners suffer through subpar educational practices that might meet the needs of a select few, but not the majority.

When it comes to health, we know that prevention is the best medicine. We take care of our bodies so we can remain healthy for many years. But in our antiquated school systems, we sadly don't take the same approach. And it's our children who feel the brunt of this.

That's the focus of my conversation this week with Aimee Evan, PhD, author of the new book Student Centered School Improvement: Identifying Systemic Changes Essential for Success. There are so many factors in the success of a school, beyond the school ranking, what extracurricular activities are available, and what student grades look like. Aimee encourages parents and educational leaders to dig deeper to take care of all layers of the schools so students can truly be successful.

Mom, researcher, school improvement specialist, author, and former accountability director, school turnaround lead, and middle and high school teacher.

• [1:49] - Catalyst for dedicating career to improving education
• [4:33] - We're more likely to try to make a change when we see what needs to be done first-hand
• [5:34] - Unpacking how to meet the needs of students
• [7:18] - We have two educational systems in the U.S.
• [8:54] - What should we be doing to improve schools
• [9:40] - We're waiting for the Gordon Ramsay of education
• [10:54] - The current school improvement policy is to wait for the school to fail
• [12:40] - How being a mom has impacted her mission
• [18:10] - How listeners can take steps to school improvement
• [18:38] - We look for a good fit for our kids and conflate that with "good school"
• [19:57] - Parents and teachers can see what's happening inside school
• [26:18] - A real harm is laying all change on shoulders of teachers and leaders
• [27:20] - You might have new tires but you're not going anywhere because you haven't checked your engine
• [29:20] - Engaging teachers in the change that needs to happen and utilizing all the support systems they have access to
• [30:19] - Aimee's Magic Wand
• [31:28] - Maureen's Takeaways

• Connect with Aimee on LinkedIn
• WestEd
• Student Centered School Improvement: Identifying Systemic Changes Essential for Success by Aimee Evan, PhD
• Episode 42: The With Heart Project
• Episode 97: Creating Trauma-Informed Classrooms & Putting Kids First
• Email Maureen

• Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

Sometimes it takes time working and learning in a broken system to find the path to changing lives. After more than 25 years in education, John Camp (or Camp, as he prefers to be called) was on the lookout for something that was more student-centered and progressive at a school level than what he had experienced thus far.

As founding head of teaching and learning at New England Innovation Academy, Camp and his colleagues are on a mission to prepare a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to enter the workforce and make a big impact.

How do they do that? By focusing on student-centered learning based on what the lead stakeholders (students and teachers) know is best.The school integrates many subjects into one lesson and has let go of both a traditional semester system and old-school assessment and grading.

Listen in to hear more about how this innovative school is changing the way we teach and learn.

Camp had led and taught in independent schools for over 25 years. He is the founding Head of Teaching and Learning at New England Innovation Academy, which opened in the fall of 2021. He is an assessment guru, including being the architect of NEIA's competency-based system. Camp also teaches Humanities and writing classes, such as "The TV Writers' Room," and interdisciplinary courses such as "The Art and Physics of Time Travel." At St. Mark's School, which bestowed him with The Trustees Chair and the Kidder Faculty Prize, Camp served as the Director of Experiential Learning and Associate Director of The Center of Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

• [1:38] - How Camp got started in transforming the system
• [3:36] - What he's created
• [5:16] - Student and staff opportunities for innovation for students
• [6:03] - Integration isn't an exception to the rule; it IS the rule
• [7:46] - How to assess in this model
• [8:58] - What an assessment looks like
• [10:06] - Letter grades are single data point
• [11:50] - Feedback is key for any assessment system
• [14:15] - What is human centered design
• [16:10] - Be awesome and be able to defend why you're teaching something
• [16:50] - Unpacking some course titles
• [20:56] - What innovation looks like in past jobs
• [21:28] - Big perk of building a new school
• [22:50] - Have the courage to try to fix something if you see it needs to be fixed
• [23:39] - Stepping out of status quo school landscape
• [25:37] - Turbo Time
• [29:10] - What Camp would change about schools
• [30:49] - Maureen's Takeaways

• New England Innovation Academy
• Heidi Hayes Jacobs on rethinking schools
• Sum of Us book
• Email Maureen

• Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

As parents, we want the best for our kids. When it comes to their education, there are so many options out there, it can feel overwhelming and sometimes impossible to find the best setting for them. What really are the differences between public, private, online, and homeschooling? What is an NPA? How can families find the resources they need to make these important decisions for their children?

Today I'm joined by Carlos Melendez from Schola, and he lays it all out for us in a way that is easy to understand. Schola has been helping match students with their perfect education setting, and today Carlos is here to explain the different options available so you know where to get started. And not only does he help you better understand your options, but he shares what other resources are available to help both families and schools in this process.

Listen in, and discover what educational setting might best suit your child's needs.

Carlos is the Chief Marketing Officer at Schola, a software company that helps families find their perfect school or educational setting. He is an expert at creating effective marketing campaigns for schools in any market, which has helped his school partners increase their revenue by more than $100m in his 5 years at Schola. Carlos' expertise includes integrated marketing communications and social media advertising. In addition, he has a law degree from Universidad Rafael Urdaneta and a Master's in Business from Thunderbird/ASU.

• [1:14] - About Schola
• [2:21] - Understanding your options and choosing what's best for your kids
• [3:35] - Public schooling options
• [11:07] - NPA (Non-Public Agencies)
• [14:20] - Private schooling options
• [18:45] - Shift towards online schooling
• [20:26] - Dual enrollment programs
• [21:49] - Homeschooling options
• [25:15] - College prep models
• [28:04] - More resources for families and schools from Schola
• [36:00] - Turbo Time
• [45:28] - Carlos's Magic Wand
• [47:46] - Maureen's Takeaways

• Schola
• National Association of Independent Schools
• P-Tech
• Episode 73 with Stanley Litow from P-Tech
• Connect with Schola on Facebook and Instagram
• Follow Schola on TikTok
• The Membership Economy by Robbie Kellman Baxter

• Email Maureen

• Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

Schools won't change on their own, often needing a push from concerned educators, community members and, most importantly, parents. But too often parents don't know how to get involved or how to speak out on behalf of their children.

Thankfully there are tools and resources out there to help parents understand their rights (and the rights of their children) and learn how to talk to policymakers and educational leaders about ensuring their children get the education they deserve. One of those organizations is African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities (AFCAMP), led by Executive Director Ann Smith. Ann joins me on the podcast this week.

We need more parents as educational advocates if we're going to make real change happen. And the more they learn, the more comfortable they are with speaking up for their children and for the community as a whole. Ann shares what those resources are and why they're so incredibly important.

Ann R. Smith, JD, MBA is a "change-maker" who can speak to the importance of engaging families, youth, and community to address inequitable policies and practices that produce disparate outcomes across the intersecting education, juvenile justice, and health (physical / behavioral / mental) systems.

Ann is Executive Director of African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc. (AFCAMP) commonly known as AFCAMP Advocacy for Children, a parent-led nonprofit organization headquartered in Hartford, CT. For 20+ years AFCAMP has provided resources, training and advocacy to promote authentic family and youth voices to inform decision-making within child-serving systems including education, juvenile justice, child welfare and children's behavioral health.

Pursuing equity fuels AFCAMP's work to transform systems and reduce the adverse and disproportionate impacts experienced by youth of color and youth with disabilities. A multi-level approach is employed to reform systemic policies and practices that proliferate inequitable education, justice, health, and economic outcomes for children and families of color with a particular focus on those that are Black.

Ann currently serves as a Tri-Chair of the Connecticut Children's Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board. She also serves on other advisory bodies and nonprofit boards of directors. She held multiple roles over 16 years of service with the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and its predecessors. Ann is also an attorney licensed by the State of CT.

• [1:34] - Where school transformation began for Ann
• [2:48] - Parents don't always know their rights
• [4:32] - Community Parent Resource Center
• [5:50] - Find out about your own state's resource center
• [8:18] - Where to begin in gaining empowerment
• [10:55] - How the system encourages and accepts parents and youth
• [13:01] - When families are actively involved, the process of education with their kids, the outcomes are better
• [21:14] - Turbo Time
• [22:49] - What you need to know about parent engagement
• [24:33] - Ann's Magic Wand
• [26:19] - Maureen's Takeaways

• African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities (AFCAMP)
• US Department of Education Parent Resource Centers
• Center for Parent Information and Resources
• Connecticut Family Engagement Project
• Connecticut Children's Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board
• Email Maureen

• Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

Online learning is no longer a novelty that's all about checking boxes and "getting through the material." Because of innovations in technology, there are so many possibilities to create truly engaging learning experiences and to foster a joy of learning for both students and teachers.

This week on the podcast, I'm talking with Shaunak Roy, CEO of Yellowdig where they're helping K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporations create truly experiential learning experiences and active learning opportunities for all.

Born out of a desire to create educational transformation, Shaunak's online learning tools are helping to build community within an asynchronous environment where students are rewarded for asking questions and taking risks, rather than regurgitating the "right" answers. Because human nature is to be creative, and online has the potential to grow students' creativity without the limitations of time in a classroom.

Tune in to be inspired and see how half a million students at more than 130 schools and organizations are currently enjoying the growth that's possible with the right online learning tool.

Shaunak is the founder and CEO of Yellowdig. Yellowdig is a community-driven active learning platform adopted by over 130 colleges and universities, K12 schools, and corporate training clients. Yellowdig's mission is to transform every classroom into an active, social, and experiential learning community. Shaunak graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Bombay and completed his graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to founding Yellowdig, Shaunak spent a decade advising global companies on technology, strategy, and growth.

• [1:28] - Where school transformation began for Shanauk
• [3:07] - Kids learn best when they're active and engaged
• [4:09] - The best way for students to learn is to use the digital tools they have intentionally
• [5:15] - What we need to build engagement online
• [6:50] - Constructivism is a model for discovery learning
• [7:21] - How Yellowdig is creating an online experiential experience
• [9:15] - Shifting the roles for teachers
• [10:48] - Adding in a live component to asynchronous learning
• [13:56] - Grading posts and comments defeats the purpose of engagement
• [14:27] - Learning how to "do school" doesn't translate into real life
• [17:28] - Human nature is to be creative; we need to use that in the virtual classroom
• [20:12] - Advice for parents and young adults exploring online education
• [20:38] - A big advantage of online learning is that there's no time restriction
• [21:58] - Turbo Time
• [23:25] - What people need to know about engagement in learning
• [24:25] - Shaunak's passion in Yellowdig
• [25:53] - Shaunak's Magic Wand
• [27:10] - Maureen's Takeaways

• Yellowdig
• Range: Why Generalists Trimpph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverence - TED Talk with Angela Duckworth
• Email Maureen

• Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

We're not supporting our youth in developing into well-rounded individuals, and one of the culprits is our educational system, which isn't set up to inspire greatness. This is a challenge we can remedy. So why aren't we?

Especially when there are educational leaders, like Chris Menagé, who create systems and opportunities to do things differently.

This week on the podcast, Chris is sharing the importance of developing human and social capital in a way that works for our youth. That means making sure our students are inspired and seeking out learning for the sake of learning instead of sitting through old school lessons. And it means finding ways to prioritize thriving instead of simply surviving.

Chris stresses that encouraging children to find balance and use their intuition in the classroom is incredibly important so they can take ownership of their learning. Education is an investment in our children, but only when it empowers them.

Chris is an educator who believes a world of change needs learning to change so he designs award winning learning experiences that are all about meaning, not things. Through e²: educational ecosystems' framework, Chris advocates for education's upstream role: to learn from, share with and contribute to, building capacity in social capital.

• [1:36] - School transformation interest through life experiences
• [2:06] - Focus on relationships and holistic approach to education is a lifelong process
• [3:00] - What is human and social capital and how to use it educational systems
• [3:31] - Social capital is combination of our collective wherewithal - collective abilities, skills, dispositions, lived experiences
• [5:25] - How to use this capital in educational systems
• [6:26] - Move from restrictive mindset to more collaborative approach
• [7:53] - Effective learning strategies build capacity to be eco-centered
• [8:51] - Balance and intuition as two senses
• [10:21] - Where can we start to create the whole experience
• [11:26] - Be okay with the imperfect process
• [12:57] - COVID provided an opportunity to pause and reassess our drivers
• [15:30] - Education is a resource that's intensive and costly; we don't look at this work as an investment
• [18:01] - When you invest in resources, kids start learning with passion and purpose
• [18:50] - Turbo Time
• [20:03] - What people need to know about activating human and social capital
• [20:32] - Diagnosis vs. intervention is an approach to well-being
• [21:26] - Despite all the advances we've made, if we were to look at trends we see at the moment, I don't think we have much to lose to look at things differently
• [25:56] - Chris's Magic Wand
• [27:17] - Maureen's Takeaways

• Educational Ecosystems
• Follow Educational Ecosystems on LinkedIn
• Follow Educational Ecosystems on YouTube
• The Future of Smart: How Our Education System Needs to Change to Help All Young People Thrive by Ulcca Joshi Hansen PhD
• Email Maureen

• Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep