The conversation around educational reform is not new, but why does progress to the system seem so fleeting? How do we begin to bring concrete and lasting change?

Today on the podcast, I’m talking with Jessica Spencer-Keyse, Valentina Raman, and Zineb Mouhyi the co-founders of YouthxYouth. These three inspiring young women are leading a movement to radically reimagine the future of education to ignite a passion in young people to transform their education and revolutionize the status quo.

It’s time to revolutionize education and imagine a new student-driven future. These three are leading the charge! 

Listen in!

About YouthxYouth:

Jessica Spencer-Keyse, Valentina Raman, and Zineb Mouhyi are the co-founders of “Youth by Youth.” YxY is a movement to radically reimagine the future of education to ignite a passion in young people to transform their education and revolutionize the status quo. They are also collaborators at the Weaving Lab, a global organization with the mission of advancing the field of weaving—the practice of interconnecting ideas, people, projects, organizations, places, and ecologies to enhance system change.

To learn more about the YouthxYouth movement, follow them on Instagram or visit their website.

Jump Through the Conversation

• [2:00] Jessica’s “why” of discerning what’s important in education
• [5:47] Valentina’s unique “bridge-building” upbringing
• [11:40] Zineb shaped by her Moroccan experience of colonized education
• [15:20] The magic of their meeting and power of “weaving”
• [26:20] The educational system–exploitive and reductive
• [32:32] The Imagination Age is here
• [35:20] Valentina’s Magic Wand: Thriving seen as every school’s most essential mission
• [36:14] Zineb’s Magic Wand: Changing the goal of education to reaching our human potential with joy, discovery, and lifelong intergenerational co-learning
• [37:40] Jessica’s Magic Wand: Making learning a practice of liberation connecting back to selves, community, and nature
• [39:08] Maureen’s Take-Aways

Links and Resources:

• YouthxYouth Summit
• Jessica’s research report in Forbes: Every Child to Flourish 
• Ashoka Changemakers
• Brookings global innovations spotters
• The Weaving Lab
• EdActive Summit
• Email Maureen
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• 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
•  

Transcription:

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Hello fellow parents and educators. Thank you for joining me at Education Evolution, where we are disrupting the status quo in today’s learning models. We talk about present day education, what’s broken, who’s fixing it and how. I’m Dr. Maureen O’Shaughnessy, your host and founder of education, evolution and the micro school coalition, where we are fiercely Committed to changing the narrative to reimagining the education landscape, and creating learning that serves all children and prepares them to thrive.

If you are new, welcome to the podcast. Please subscribe on our website to get it delivered to your inbox weekly. If you’ve been around a while, have you left a review?

Hi, Jessica Valentina and zenab. So good to have you. And listeners, today I’m chatting with Zinei Mui, Jessica Spencer keys and Valentina Rahman, these three women are the co founders of Youth by Youth. This is a movement to radically reimagine the future of education, with the goal of accelerating the process of young people influencing designing and transforming their education. Let’s hear how you three are making this happen. you each have an amazing background, let me help our audience get to hear a bit from each of you to start. So Jessica, could you tell us about yourself and your acclaimed research article, every child to flourish?

Youth X Youth
Sure. That’s a good question. I paused a little bit because it was a piece that I did a while ago now. But that was really a deeply influenced by the work that I was doing. 100, which was a startup in Finland, that expanded looking at innovation globally. And what I was really interested in as a team was like, how do the different stakeholders influence the transformation of education and what’s being said out there, to try and just get really like clear, holistic, broad picture of what like parents think and what policymakers think and what teachers think and what young people think. And I was just so surprised at how little young people got to share what they really thought of their own learning and education. It was really common for like policymakers or adults or teachers to weigh in. But those who are like most affected by that experience, the ones that are in the education themselves don’t get any chance to have any feedback. And that doesn’t make any sense when you look at any other like sector at all. So that’s really where it came from.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
And what’s your background? How did you get into all of this?

Youth X Youth
Good question.

I pause again, because I’m like, I find it really hard to synthesize, but just like, but it’s one of those things where I was actually like, trained in the arts, and I was trained to be a ballet dancer. And then I was suddenly I left that school and went to a very different normal state school in Darby. And I would say, that’s like, where it all started. Because I was just like, this doesn’t make sense. In one space. The arts are like highly valued, and highly respected. And we spend all our time doing that. And that’s what we’re told it’s important. And then suddenly, I’m in a state school environment, where I’m being told that science is the most important thing, you have to do that for nine hours a week. And dance doesn’t matter. You don’t move the arts aren’t very important. And that really got me questioning everything. And really just like blew my mind about what is the point in learning? Why do we learn what are we learning for? And honestly, that was the trajectory that started everything. And then I kind of weave together lots of different threads around my interest in psychology, my interest in working with like, young people with disabilities and how they were marginalized by the system. I looked worked with children with autism, just got really interested in why the systems change and went into research because I was like, I can be paid to learn. And so went down a path of conducting different types of research, but never really like dealt with the more traditional academic environment because I thought it was like particularly competitive and reiterating the same systems that seemed to be the issue. And so now I’m kind of more in a position of like facility to, I’m looking to facilitate a learning journey on radically reimagining change within an organization quarter more yourself and created this magical thing with volunteer incentives on youth by youth because really influenced by that piece of every child flourish. really learning when we were interviewing the young people and doing the survey, how little like they felt good about their education and how much they wanted to improve it.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
And so instead of just doing a research piece about it, we were like, well, what if we can be with them and support them? How can we do what they need to do? Yeah. And your own experience the dissonance? Wait, the arts are all important. Wait, they’re not important at all. Wait, a youth life, their education. But wait, they have no voice. So your own curiosity, your own life experience bringing that in to what you’re doing to serve the world. That’s wonderful. Thank you.

Youth X Youth
You’re welcome. Yeah.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Valentina, can you tell us about your background, and I’m also curious about your creative arts work with our play?

Youth X Youth
Yeah. So as you can tell, there’s some where we all are dilettantes of many different fields. I think to step back, my background begins at birth, I was born in the states to two immigrant parents, my father is Indian, my mom’s Italian. And I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, in the US, and that interesting concoction of cultures, religions, perspectives, and, and contexts together, cultivated me as a bridge builder of these different, these different communities that I was inhabiting. And also, at a very young age, understanding the role of empathy, in bringing diversity into, into flourishing into Unity and towards a greater and more equitable world. And that kept on that was first in my family discovering that then through my school in Birmingham, Alabama, and trying to build a bridge between my suburban public school that was predominantly white, upper middle class, and the more urban schools of Birmingham that were majority minority of Black and Brown students, and seeing the that that story was continued when I went to Philadelphia, for college, and at the University of Pennsylvania, and began to write about it.

So I started a magazine focused on social change called impact, which was my first entrepreneurial journey and helping to really cultivate a culture and shape of change making in the student and faculty and academic bodies of University of Pennsylvania, and engagement with the wider community of Philadelphia and beyond. And that cultivating of learning communities towards changemaking has stayed as a common thread. And my, my work with empathy and the development of empathic mutually beneficial and collaborative relationships with them for the community at large is, has been the sweet spot. And I think the the root of how our schools are needing to transform, especially at this moment in the face of the mental health, and equity and other challenges that our schools are facing, emerging from this pandemic world. So I leaped after my undergrad experience, and this experience with impact into Ashoka, which is a nonprofit network for social entrepreneurs and innovators. And that I was specifically on the empathy initiative, which that’s where the language of empathy was really stuck with me. And I started to see how cultures of empathy were being embedded in schools around the world through a showcase network of Changemaker schools. And through that work, I met Jess and Zainab, who are also looking from this 10,000 foot level at the innovations in education and how cultures of empathy and changemaking were being cultivated with young people and the stakeholders of their schools and beyond the schools really looking at the school as hubs for the community, that we’re not the center but I part of that larger ecosystem. And since then, have started to weave different learning communities and collaboratives across the globe to understand that more deeply that process of change, and how that begins.

And when I say process change, really with emphasis on the process that it is a deep relationship building, community building process in order to make this change happen. And so that’s why I’m right now sitting in a school as director of service learning and social entrepreneurship. Because I have been, through that journey learned that the best way to learn is doing that work myself in weaving those cultures of change making for me as what I really needed to be grounded, after looking at the 10,000 foot level landscape. And so I’m doing that, from my vantage point of Alexandria, Virginia at the moment, and seeing how, how much of a lifelong commitment and journey, the work of moving towards a more equitable and thriving world is. And so my mission at this moment is to cultivate this community of young people around the world who can live and learn and shape that future, and knowing that they are also the present as well as the future in shaping the future of education. And so I’m really excited to see where where we go with this.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
inspirational. Thank you, Valentina. zeyneb. Could you talk to us about yourself, your background, and how you help you think globally, you know, NGOs, sustainable development goals, I think, especially in the US, a lot of our kids don’t even know what those things mean. So tell us about you.

Youth X Youth
So just for, for context, I’m from Morocco, where I was born and grew up. And I think I definitely experienced what I would call colonized the education system. So went to a French education system in Morocco, learned French learn about the French history, the American history in European history, and learned very little about my own countries. And my passion for education really started within that context of actually being an activist in my education system. And then I actually went on to study the role of education in economic and political development, and looking at that global scale of what does it look like for different contexts for different income brackets for countries are and what role does education really play in the development of a country? So I usually like I started with that very macro perspective in education, and then worked with the world Innovation Summit for education, identifying global education initiatives around the world. And so when looking at how to connect young people globally, and how do we actually have that global lens, when talking about education change? One thing that really struck me is that it is clear to me that young people are facing very similar challenges, regardless of where they are.

And education is in crisis, both in developing countries and in high income countries. And young people. I think, really, like the climate movement that I saw happening in the past few years, really opened my eyes to the possibility of global solidarity between young people and kind of started to reflection around Can we have a similar movement happening in education, and towards global solidarity for education change globally, which is the lens that we took when we started by youth. So you’d bet you had the it’s first event in January of this year. And we brought together 150 Youth activists from across 50 countries, with more representation from the global south in the global north, and really put people together in global groups where they could discuss education challenges that they were facing. And that is one of the first key takeaways that they took from the experience is the extent to which they’re facing similar challenges, and want to be able to be there to support one another. And to to see, like what actually works in one context, because a lot of the time, what works in one context can be taken into another one. And they can learn at the global level while acting at the local level. So that’s fine balance between local action and global learning, that we’re trying to foster youth by youth.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Wonderful, and I love that you’re helping the youth see the commonalities. And really, I think sometimes marketing and people in control want us to focus on our differences. They want us divided so we’re not as strong. So to help expose youth around the world and see that Wow, look at all we have in common who knew and I know from my International, living overseas, just that the who knew was always so heartwarming, like, Oh my gosh, this is a different language, but my goodness, these families in Kuwait, how they love their little ones, just like I love my little ones, and So, guess what a priceless experience? Let me ask a general question for the three of you. So a shoka seems to have brought you together, how did you guys meet and decide that, hey, we want to join forces.

Youth X Youth
To be honest, their first meeting was was quite magical. I think we already knew that something was gonna happen between the three of us the first time we met, which was actually at the Brookings Institute, and GT just was working for 100 Balanchine, I was working for shoka. And I was working for ys, which are three organizations that had been selected by Brookings as part of like Global Innovation spotters. So all of us were looking at global innovations around the world and trying to see like how we can bring them together. And so it’s in that room that we met for the first time.

Yeah, I’ll jump in there and saying that, that was the first encounter and the Curiosity piqued, and each other. And then we re encountered that magic in the Netherlands, through a by all joining this learning journey through the weaving lab, which is a one community that we’ve co created, with a number of people from Ashoka and also from other organizations, and independent entrepreneurs and innovators around the world who are all weaving learning ecosystems towards a more thriving, future and universal well being. And that inaugural learning journey kicked off in the Netherlands. And we all showed up there not knowing what was going to emerge and realize that we as you know, our backgrounds show we had both distinct and aligned philosophies and interest in the transformation of education in that larger picture of weaving learning ecosystems, where I think we all our heart, hearts were were around the working with an and enabling young people to be greater participants and decision makers in that change. And also the fact that we were the three youngest people in the room ourselves most of the time in this work at our positions. And as young women, that’s, that’s not something that is that we hold lightly. We also know that that’s a, a also a lens and a responsibility in creating pathways for the future for more participants of all backgrounds, to be able to create this new narrative for education. So recognizing both the timeliness of all of our journeys to come together, and the shared passion that we hold held for the specific angle of education transformation. We said, Let’s do this. We didn’t know what this was. But we were, we knew it was something.

Yeah, and if I just add a tiny little bit more, because I think it was also really amazing it with the weaving lab, the sense of relationships versus brand first, that really like was everything. And so we were in a space that really cultivated the conditions for us to like, show up as our whole selves and like to be vulnerable and authentic with each other from the beginning. Like I don’t know about you, Maureen. But like going to so many different events and conferences. Like in the past, you just like given out business cards, and you just so dehumanized, and this was a space, where we were like, hey, you’re cool. Like we got to just talk about everything. And like everything was welcome. And I think that really catalyzed as well. Like I deeply love these women, and there was just so much possibility to love each other and care for each other. And I really think like that’s at the center of what, who we are like why we’ve carried on all through these years through different explorations and experimentations through different projects, because we really, really care for one another and like that friendship is also like so core to our wider mission.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Wow, it does sound magical. And it sounds like to you new as entrepreneur is looking for cool, I do Diaz cool energy and how to make a difference. You felt that within each other and knew that there would be this synergy and and look what you’ve made happen. That’s it’s so impressive. So you’re edupreneurs and you weave learning communities, so within and beyond schools and education systems, and I know that your goals are to have a more just equitable and thriving world. But a lot of people don’t understand weaving. I was reading more about weaving after I met you guys. And enterpreneur. That’s like wait, I kind of think I get that word. So unpack it. What’s Leaving? What do you guys doing? And how does it work? Sure,

Youth X Youth
I’ll start with this question. And that doesn’t, by the way, and if they want to as well, because leaving is a discipline. And it’s I think, based on the clear understanding that we’re facing global, complex, interconnected challenges. And the only way to solve these challenges is in an interconnected way. So a lot of our approaches to change are very siloed. And don’t actually take into consideration the fact that all our systems are interconnected in ways that we’re not seeing. And so weaving really is the discipline and practice of interconnecting ages, people, project sectors, places and ecologies in order to create that systemic change that is needed. So it’s that that’s really I think, what what is that the foundation of weaving, sort of, for instance, in the case of youth, by youth, we understand that in order for education change to happen, we need to bring together all of the people who believe that that change needs to happen, all the youth advocates, all the organizations, because we need that weight together. And we need to weave that change together in a way that actually allows us to have enough momentum to really challenge that mainstream education model. That Yeah, has been so pervasive globally, for decades, or centuries that this?

Yeah, and I and I add also the internal inter human process of weaving as well, that it’s also a way of being and about integrating ourselves and weaving our passions, purpose, skills, and experiences as being a human in this complex and sometimes and many times dissonant world with those values. And, and, and how do we weave that narrative within ourselves that inner transformation to create the systems we wish to see. And one thing that I often say, and re quoting or reinterpreting Gandhi’s code is Be the change you wish to see. Weaving is about being the system that you wish to see, we are a product of the systems, but we are also our creators of them. And so how do we model in our schools, in our places of agency, model those values, and remove our masks to embrace the the holistic, emotional, mental, spiritual and bodily awareness that we need in order to create this transformation and education?

Yes, it’s as well, the fact that we’re always all interconnected, and interdependent, we’re in an interdependent, interconnected world. And we’ve been so disconnected from each other, and nature. And so really, like extends to the natural world as well. And the way that we’re in relationship with that sort of weaving can be seen all these different levels at like, your personal level, the community level and the planetary level itself. Oh, and you said that your printer as well, you were asking? Yeah, yep. I think that’s an interesting term, I’ve actually never would have thought of myself as an entrepreneur. The way that it seems to me it’s like, combining that space for educators to also be looking at what I would say is like social entrepreneurship and how these different models align. But I really also think that Mr. volunteen, it may be best to stand on Miss entrepreneur.

Yeah, I use that term, often to emphasize the entrepreneurial quality in which we, we need to do this this transformative work. And that is, and that is an emergent process. We’re all big fans, a agent, very Brown’s emergent strategy. And that’s that her principles of emergent strategy really guide a lot of the processes that we lead in youth by youth and beyond. And so, how I would define an edupreneurs someone who brings the learnings and lessons from entrepreneurial, entrepreneurial ventures beyond the disciplines of education and learning or beyond the disciplines of education, the understanding that learning exists everywhere and using those that that real world picture and, and challenges to bring that back into the context of schools and traditional education environments and bridging, bridging that gap. Because we have, what we see is that our schools are often are often behind in understanding where the world is preparing our young people for the world that exists today, not what was defined in the 1700s. And that is, so an entrepreneur looks at the process of learning entrepreneurially. And that it is something that it has yet to be the learning that we need has yet to be defined and created for the future. So we need to constantly be reimagining recreating our learning communities in order to keep up with the the change that is ever present in our world. And that’s the reality. And, and right now, we don’t see schools in that way we see more is fixed, fixed constructs, and in many places, and, and so it’s it’s more of a Yeah, so building that bridge between the real world in the school world is what I see in edupreneurs, sweetspot. Is

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
that it? Yes. So we talk about transforming education. But isn’t that when you talked about a colonized education? education is oftentimes at some unconscious level by most of us. It’s a control mechanism a lot of our institutions are. And truthfully, we’re containing our youth. We’re controlling what messages they get, and keeping them pretty passive and contained. I am not sure a lot of people as much as we’ve all watched sir Kenneth Robinson’s TEDx on how schools are killing creativity. In the end, we all are meant that this assembly line education system doesn’t work. I don’t know that the powers to be really want to do the hard work and make the changes. Do you guys, when you’re reimagining education, it’s so huge. Where would we start? And how are we going to get the traction? Because so many people see the problem and bring up a good idea. And then 30 years later, it hasn’t really gone very far. How are we going to get it differently this time, when I’m not really sure the people that could make this happen? see this as a top priority?

Youth X Youth
Solution. I think that’s something that we do talk about a lot with young people, is just making them realize like, how exploitative the education system that they’re a part of actually is, and how much their own value is reduced to their utility in the system. So it’s, we talk a lot about like, for instance, the reductive human capital theory model, which is basically reducing human potential to the humans. monetary value is essentially for governments, it’s the taxpayers for employers, it’s the future employee, and future consumer, and energy efficient system is very much framed in that way. So that’s actually exactly the reason why we start you by youth with with the thinking that this is not about to change that that there is vested interest in the way the educational system is currently structured. And that unless there is, I would dare to say youth revolution, there isn’t going to be that momentum necessary to create that systemic change that we’re talking about. And yeah, I think, Maureen, you’re absolutely right to point out that this conversation around education transformation are not new education reformer and talking about how education systems are obsolete to prepare our youth for the future, have been messages that have been, I think, presence since the 60s, perhaps even more than that. So it’s also acknowledging that that’s what we need as a movement.

We don’t need just a few people at the edges, saying things need to change, we actually need to also come together as people who believe in this, the importance of education transformation, not just for young people, but for the world that they’re going to inherit, because the result of an exploitative system as well is that it actually trains young people to be competitive. And it treats them for a value system. That is also one that is exploitative. So I think it’s important to see how all of those dimensions work together and really think about how can we bring people at the edge who believe in that need for change? And how can we empower young people with that knowledge in order for them to be able to say like, no, this is not how I want to be educated, I want to be educated to care about the natural environment around your own to be educated to care about my own well being, and actually be able to express my passions and be taught what I’m interested in. So bringing that that fundamental, I guess, human dimension back into education.

And just to add to that, I do see an opportunity Unity and some converging streams at this moment in our, in global narratives around the education and equities that we’re seeing in, in hyper vision to to COVID-19. And also in equities and society in general and how that’s converging, you know, we, we are taking after, you know, a lot of the events in, at least in the US and across the world of violence in our communities, it’s black and brown individuals, and how that is really creating awakening of, of our role to play an ally ship of people who are not the directly affected, but contributors to these inequities, really seeing that role. I think that that’s that is causing people to pause, and rethink the way that they are doing things and center those voices at the margins. And young people are one of those voices at the margins that, that are needing to be centered at this moment, and especially the young people from historically marginalized communities. And I think that there is in the global south, as well, who that’s why very intentionally our network of youth I youth is majority of voices from the global south. And I think we are in a moment globally and in our various localities, and in the, in the education system, of centering the voices in the margins, and, and building coalitions of allies to support that work. And, and that’s allies in both directions, allies in accountability to those in power to to step up and make the changes that need to be that need to be done and or have long been told to wait. And allies of those you are, have been marginalized. And the and oppressed by our education system, over time, and in Finally, putting the resources and the power and, and the and the political movements, as well to make the changes that we wish to see. Big, big stuff, Jessica?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Yeah, I just want to add, like tiny little bit more.

Youth X Youth
And then I think also, like we’re coming, we’ve been through this like stage of the information age where we’ve just had this opportunity to connect to information in a way that is like never been before. And what I think that’s catalyzed is like so many more people starting to be aware of what else is out there. And to kind of be in a way, like, armed with that knowledge. And so people that wouldn’t have had access to that information before, and wouldn’t have been able to connect with other people before, particularly pre pandemic, like now, people were at home and online. And they were like intentionally going beyond their communities and reaching out and talking to the people. There’s, I think, this moment of education transformation shifts into what they’re now calling that the imagination age, and that we’re in this imagination battle, and that there’s a space to start to imagine together a new possibility. Whereas like, actually, research has shown that the education systems today have like, basically blocked our imaginations that like they did research and Rob Hopkins book that showed about how like 12 year olds could no longer imagine or write a story, but they could tell you what an adverbial pronoun was.

And it’s like, this is my new show of technicality. But they couldn’t imagine new worlds. And I think this is I see it emerging, I can feel it emerging and, and the more I look, more and more people are imagining and believing in a better future. And I think they’ve seen a glimpse of it. And they’ve had time to dream. And there’s been time to in the devastating losses that have happened, there’s been a slowing down. And also an equalizing as like, you’ve seen everybody on zoom, like their idea of who is hierarchically successful, is starting to disintegrate. They’re as like present and Valentin have mentioned. And so that power distribution is different. And I think about myself, like I have a health condition, and I can often get quite sick and even putting on youth by youth might have been much more of a challenge for me, I might not have been able to even like get on the plane that day if it had been somewhere else. But here, I could be here and attend and do everything that I needed to do without having to worry. And I think I’m not being afraid to tell those stories either anymore.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Yeah, I love that. We’re entering the imagination age. I hadn’t heard that before. And that gives me hope. And I want to end I like to end I have a magic wand. And I would like each of you just to pretend like you have the magic wand. What do you wish? for education for our youth? This is your, your moment to dream big. Who wants to dive in first?

Youth X Youth
I’ll go. Thanks, Valentina. It’s a good question. I know, there’s a big question. My greatest wish is that every school every learning community, sees their most essential mission is helping their young people thrive, and build the skills and dispositions and qualities to help themselves and help others become thriving, and create a more thriving world. It’s my deepest wish.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
And that thriving is so different from the technicalities, that Jessica just meant it of being able to diagram a sentence. Yeah, the whole human and thriving. Definitely. Thank you. Now, you want to give it a try?

Youth X Youth
Yeah, I think what I would start with is basically, yes. change what the goal of education is. And I would make the goal of education to reach our human potential, not just like, yes, absolutely, like starting with young people, but really thinking, and it would make education systems like, lifelong. I think that perhaps I would retake the entire school structure if I had the one that every school would be a Learning Center, that would be intergenerational, and would be, would have lots more of nature and play in it. And people would be allowed to actually discover how they want to use their time. And there would be like, intergenerational learning and be able to learn from the different people in your communities. There’s so much I would want to change education, quite frankly. But yeah, in my vision, it’s starting with really changing the goal of education itself. And then rethinking the place of education is a place of joy, and of play and learning in all its forms. And learning from from everyone that like color and and dimension that can happen also, between ages be like for young people teaching young people, all of that?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Yes. Yes, please. Thank you, Jessica.

Youth X Youth
Oh, it’s so hard. I was really enjoyed listening to both of yours. Again, I think that to respond to this current moment that learning needs to be a liberation or practice of liberation. And to do that, is to connect back to our like selves back to nature, back to our communities, in a way that we’re like deeply disconnected, through really a sense of what does freedom look like for us? How can we feel free together? And to put questions at the center of things not? Not answers, to be in it together?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Wow. You guys, I am so impressed by your deep thinking, by your value on interconnectivity, and the whole human in the whole lifelong learning experience, and what you’re creating with the weaving lab and with youth by youth to really help us get those connections going and help our youth have a voice and in their own world in their own education. Thank you so much for joining us today on Education Evolution.

Youth X Youth
Thank you for having us.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy
Wow, I would love to deep dive and unpack some of the amazing and inspirational ideas. Jessica zeyneb and Valentina shared, but I’m going to keep it short. Please see the show notes for more resources. These three inspires so much hope for the future. It’s powerful, the ways that they are engaging youth so that more voices are heard, and more ways of seeing and connecting are happening. zeyneb Valentina and Jessica, are going to be helping us create an imagination day at our June at active summit, with youth holding that space and leading an intergenerational day where we reimagine the purpose of education. I really hope that you will join us in the summit. get to experience this immersive embodied model of learning. That is the future we want for education, lifelong learning, with all of us woven into the conversation. Thank you for being a part of the Education Evolution.

I know how challenging it is to make changes inside your own school or community. I’ve spent years working with schools around the world on creating learner centered programs. And it always struck me how much schools were able to get done with the right tools and guidance. If you’re ready to make changes like this in your own school, let’s talk and put together an action plan. Visit education evolution.org backslash consult for a free 15 minute call. And let’s see if we’re a good fit. For more work together.

Education evolution listeners, you are the ones to ensure we create classrooms where each student is seen, heard, valued and thriving. We need you. Let’s go out and reach every student today. I’d be so grateful if you’d head over to your podcast app to give a great rating and review if you found this episode valuable. Don’t wait. Please do it right now before you forget. I really appreciate it. Thank you for listening, signing off. I am Maureen O’Shaughnessy, your partner in boldly reimagining education.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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