Old School, New School

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Krista Parham about the importance of letting kids be themselves, de-emphasizing competition, and finding the “Joy in Being Awful.”. 

Krista Parham is a senior user researcher with a popular mobile gaming company called Kabam. In that role, Krista brings psychological principles and science to game development to build a bridge between the player experience and game design, helping to create experiences that millions of players worldwide enjoy. Enjoyment is something that Krista takes seriously - she is an avid appreciator of music, books, movies, and games, and amplifies the media she loves with her own writing, connections, and contagious enthusiasm. Krista’s command of history and data analysis, along with her growth mindset and nonstop curiosity make her the ultimate learner, with valuable insight on how to foster that spark and spread that joy in our students and ourselves. 

Follow Claren Academy on Twitter/X and Instagram @clarenacademy

www.clarenacademy.org

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. This podcast delves into pedagogy, leadership, and teaching best practices, as well as entrepreneurship, career development, and post-secondary education. Listeners will be interested to see how many different social, psychological, and environmental factors come into play when we analyze our school experiences. Whether you’re interested in teaching, education policy, parenting, or self-improvement, this podcast has a little of everything. 

Claren Academy’s leadership is constantly fielding questions about why they created a new school. We hope that this podcast will shine a light on factors that help us reexamine old schools and what it means to deliver a future-ready education.

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Ryan Black about education’s less talked-about influences on a person’s success: electives and extra-curriculars.

Ryan Black is a seasoned tech lawyer at DLA Piper, one of the world's largest law firms. His practice focuses on a wide range of legal matters, including M&A, employment, intellectual property, startups, and commercial contracts, primarily for video game, consumer, and other child-facing clients. A former adjunct professor at law school and a sought-after speaker within the legal community, Ryan is a champion of future-focused education models that foster resilient learners. He's a firm believer in Claren Academy's mission to make quality education accessible to all, regardless of background. In addition to serving as a director at Claren, Ryan holds leadership roles at his firm. He sits on the National Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee, co-founded the firm's Emerging Growth and Venture Capital group, and co-leads the Gaming and Gambling pillar of the Media, Sports, and Entertainment sector. He also holds board positions with the Video Game Bar Association and the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society. When he's not immersed in these roles, Ryan is an avid gamer, early tech adopter, and film aficionado. Ryan also serves as a member of The Claren Society Board.

Follow Claren Academy on Twitter/X and Instagram: @clarenacademy

www.clarenacademy.org

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. This podcast delves into pedagogy, leadership, and teaching best practices, as well as entrepreneurship, career development, and post-secondary education. Listeners will be interested to see how many different social, psychological, and environmental factors come into play when we analyze our school experiences. Whether you’re interested in teaching, education policy, parenting, or self-improvement, this podcast has a little of everything. 

Claren Academy’s leadership is constantly fielding questions about why they created a new school. We hope that this podcast will shine a light on factors that help us reexamine old schools and what it means to deliver a future-ready education.

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. In this episode, we talk to Kathryn Sykes about going from being the type of person who avoids hard things to being the type of person who seeks them out.

Kathryn Sykes is the co-founder and Executive Director of Claren Academy, an independent K-7 school in Vancouver, British Columbia. Kathryn is a Registered Social Worker with over 20 years of experience in non-profit organizations. She is one of the founders of Claren Academy and is an active presence in all areas of the school - except the actual teaching. Kathryn is the chair of the board of directors, as well as part of the administrative team, working closely with the Principal and the Director of Admissions. In her spare time, she reads books, enjoys live music, and gets asked a lot about why she started a school. 

Follow Claren Academy on Twitter/X and Instagram: @clarenacademy

www.clarenacademy.org

This podcast delves into pedagogy, leadership, and teaching best practices, as well as entrepreneurship, career development, and post-secondary education. Listeners will be interested to see how many different social, psychological, and environmental factors come into play when we analyze our school experiences. Whether you’re interested in teaching, education policy, parenting, or self-improvement, this podcast has a little of everything. 

Claren Academy’s leadership is constantly fielding questions about why they created a new school. We hope that this podcast will shine a light on factors that help us reexamine old schools and what it means to deliver a future-ready education.

Old School, New School deconstructs success stories through the lens of education. This podcast delves into pedagogy, leadership, and teaching best practices, as well as entrepreneurship, career development, and post-secondary education. Listeners will be interested to see how many different social, psychological, and environmental factors come into play when we analyze our school experiences. Whether you’re interested in teaching, education policy, parenting, or self-improvement, this podcast has a little of everything. 

Claren Academy’s leadership is constantly fielding questions about why they created a new school. We hope that this podcast will shine a light on factors that help us reexamine old schools and what it means to deliver a future-ready education.

Follow Claren Academy on Twitter/X and Instagram: @clarenacademy

⁠www.clarenacademy.org⁠