Learning Unboxed

Art is such a powerful way to expand our creativity and explore unique ways of thinking, but the traditional art world can be uninspiring to outsiders and limiting to the artists themselves. Thankfully, people like Allyson Lupovich mean to change that. Allyson is the Director of Brand Content for Meow Wolf, an immersive art experience company in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their goal is to inspire creativity through their art and to remind people of the power of play. We talk about all sorts of things, from how Meow Wolf approaches creating their maximalist, impressive art installations to collaborating on creative projects and more. We also discuss how to bring some of this sense of art and inspiration into your own backyard.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What Meow Wolf is and how it got startedHow these experiences are designedGiving everyone a voice in creatingWhat Omega Mart is and how it was designedBringing creativity to your neighborhoodResources:meowwolf.comInstagram: @meow__wolfLinkedIn:

High school internship programs can be a fabulous experience for students and, when done well, are incredibly productive for all parties involved. Internships can run from work-based experiences to being fully embedded in a workplace. Tammy Cooper has been the internship coordinator at the Marysville Early College STEM School for the past five years. She talks about some of the benefits of internships, how students can get involved, and what’s in it for the businesses that participate as well.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What Marysville Early College STEM School is and what they doWhat students get out of an internshipThe experience for the company during an internshipGetting workplaces on board for internship opportunitiesResources:Marysville Early College STEM SchoolLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tammy-cooper-a27003104

Travel is a wonderful thing, and so much learning can happen while doing it. Creating opportunities for learning takes a lot of work however, and it isn’t always accessible. How can we make it easy for anyone to learn as they travel?That’s the goal of the Smithsonian Adventure Labs. Anne-Marie Gilliland a volunteer organizer at the Smithsonian Castle. Adventure Labs is an app based on the idea of geocaching, where you use your phone’s GPS to go on a scavenger hunt to different locations. In the app, you discover new locations, all the while learning more about their history, and you are encouraged to visit and discover new areas and new things you may never have noticed before. While it is made by the Smithsonian, anyone with the app can set up their own Adventure Lab.Anne-Marie shares with us how, using the Adventure Lab app, you can bring exploration-based learning to your community without the need to invest in tour guides that by necessity limit what can be covered.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

How do we get our kids through childhood and teenage years to adulthood?The world is changing rapidly, and that’s leaving young adults with having to make important decisions about their future—without knowing if the advice that worked for their parents, or even their peers, will work for them in the future. Things like whether or not college is necessary, what jobs will be around in the next five to ten years, or whether or not they’re prepared to live on their own.Thankfully, there’s Raising the Next Gen, an organization out of central Ohio that helps high school students make smart career and college decisions to become successful adults—regardless of whether that student is college-bound or going right into the workforce. Traci Bakenhaster is the founder of this organization, and she’s going to share with us why this organization exists and what it does to help young adults thrive.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How most adults learn things the hard wayThe foundations of adultingKeeping e

How do we create good stewards of Mother Nature from a young age and give our kids a well-rounded education—while having fun? Jessica Kaknevicius is the Vice President of Education at Sustainable Forestry Initiative where she leads the initiative to advance environmental literacy, stewardship, and pathways to green careers. She also leads and directs Project Learning Tree. Sustainable Forestry Initiative is all about the broad aspect of sustainability but approaches it through the lens of forestry. Teachers often don’t have the resources or permission to get their kids outdoors and learning in a natural environment, so anything that helps with that is a huge win.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:The mission of the Sustainable Forestry InitiativeExploring the benefits of trees and forestsHow the pandemic has affected outdoor educationBringing programs to your communityLearning from indigenous communitiesResources:forests.orgplt.orgLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessica-kaknevicius-00431525Learning Un

Food is essential to our lives, but kids rarely get a chance to understand where it comes from – or how to participate in the process. Jim Bruner is the farmer extraordinaire at the Mezzacello, an urban farm in the middle of downtown Columbus which hosts programs that expose local kids to urban farming. We discuss how last year’s events went and what lessons he’s learned that will be applied as the project moves in the future.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:Why Jim created MezzacelloMezzacello summer camp programmingCreating a positive learning environment through playLessons Jim learned working with kidsLong-term impact of the programDesigning your own backyard curriculumResources:mezzacello.org2022 Summer CampLearning Unboxed is produced, in part, by Crate Media.

When given trust and resources, students can do some incredible things. One Stone is a student-led and directed nonprofit that makes students better leaders and the world a better place. Through allowing students to pursue their passions and interests, they learn to become more confident, empowered, and self-sufficient. Jesse Ross is the director of senior partnerships at One Stone. He’s joined by two senior students, Saumya Sarin and Elani Waight, who share why they joined the program and what they get out of it.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:What One Stone is and why it’s necessary in educationWhy students are choosing One Stone for their high school experienceBalancing educational requirements with new, creative ideasThe youth innovation challengeExperiential learning opportunitiesResources:onestone.orgLearning Unboxed is produced, in part, by Crate Media.

Elly Blanco-Rowe is an expert in K-8 mathematics, with over 20 years of experience in teaching, coaching, and school leadership. We’re talking about Teaching Matters, a national New York City-based nonprofit whose mission is to close the opportunity gap of a radically unequal education system for underserved and historically marginalized children. We take a look specifically at their Math Acceleration pilot program and how it helps to build kids up in their critical areas of education.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:The background of Teaching MattersHow Teaching Matters offers support to students and educatorsAsking kids their perspective on their educationHow the learning experience changes from elementary to middle schoolWorking with the individual schoolsResources:teachingmatters.orgLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elly-blanco-rowe-2b797a7Learning Unboxed is produced, in part, by Crate Media.

High school is a critical age for students. As our kids’ social lives expand, it can be harder to keep them interested in learning. And the skills that they are taught in school may not be the most readily applicable for their future. So what can be done to improve that system?Giant Leaps Learning provides an after school enrichment program that helps prepare creative and curious students for life in college, the workplace, and beyond. Michael Trezza is the founder and CEO; his perspective aligns well with ours here at the PAST Foundation. We discuss how teaching kids the skills of critical thinking and self-learning can carry them much further than most archaic classroom lessons.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How the world is changing faster than our current education system can keep upWhat Giant Leaps Learning doesHow coaching meets educational needsTeaching kids critical thinking skillsResources:giantleapslearning.comLearning Unboxed is produced, in part, by Crate Media.

Little Inventors is a creative education organization that inspires imagination by taking young peoples’ amazing ideas seriously. Dominic Wilcox is a British artist and designer who creates innovative and thought provoking work that is shown in galleries and museums across the world, as well as the founder of Little Inventors. Mark Muzzin is a K-12 STEM consultant for the Macomb Intermediate School District. He loves to develop new initiates, collaborate, and leverage his experience to empower others. Together, they share how kids can learn to think of themselves as inventors and the synergy that comes when working together with teachers and engineers to come up with innovative programming.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:The story behind Little InventorsGiving kids a sense of agencyHow schools can shake things upGetting schools to buy into an ambitious new programBalancing open source and formal educationResources:littleinventors.orgFollow Dominic on Instagram: @dominic_wilcoxLearning Unboxed

Today’s guest has had a remarkable journey in the innovation and entrepreneurship space within education. His name is Josh Chernikoff and he is an innovative entrepreneurship advisor and strategist with over 20 years of experience in education, broadcast journalism, sales, marketing, and communications. He’s used that unique combination of skill sets and applied them to a wide range of work. We hear about his successes, failures, and the thinking that goes on behind the scenes.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:joshchernikoff.comcascadego.coLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoffLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

Let’s talk about a place, a program, and a whole ecosystem all living under one name: IslandWood. Washington-based IslandWood is an environmental education nonprofit that believes there are many paths to creating a more sustainable and equitable world. Megan Karch, our guest today, has been the CEO of IslandWood since 2018. She sees, and tells us all about, the magic in the science and intention brought to the project. We talk about the importance of this kind of work, how it opens kids up to seeing the significance of the natural world, and how those without access to IslandWood can replicate its lessons in their own backyard.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:islandwood.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

Rachel Shreve has been involved in Cooking with Kids, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization based in Northern New Mexico, since 2006. It is dedicated to educating and empowering children and families to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning with fresh, affordable ingredients. We talk about nutrition, healthy foods, and the lifelong learning experiences that can take place between kids and their families as they learn how to cook, eat, and be in a happy and joyous relationship with food.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:cookingwithkids.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

Reading and literacy are skills we can often take for granted, but they aren’t as accessible as we might think. Many children – and parents alike – don’t have access to reading material that can allow them to learn at their own pace. That’s where Worldreader and their mission comes in.The Worldreader website and app offer a digital library of books as part of their Keep Children Reading US programming and provides access to books in English and Spanish to families who otherwise struggle to access books and reading in a meaningful way.Kristen Walters is the Director of US Programs. She shares how the organization tackles overcoming the barriers to learning, helps parents and their kids connect and learn together, and provides reading materials around the country.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:worldreader.orgWorldreader AppBookSmart AppLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

Archaeology is one of the best examples of STEM education you can find. But it can take a lot of effort to get meaningful programming, access, and opportunity into communities as it relates to archaeology and local history. Joining us to talk about this is Dr. Alexandra Jones. She’s the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Archaeology in the Community and is an education leader focused on community outreach and service. We talk about how she started getting archaeology-based education into schools without giving teachers more work, what motivated her to start this nonprofit in the first place, and why it’s so important to get kids learning about archaeology.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:archaeologyincommunity.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexandra-jones-phd-rpa-79203162Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

This week, we’re talking about diversity and inclusion as it relates to the STEM fields and how we can continue working towards a more inclusive industry. Dr. Jose Morey is an MD known as the first “intergalactic doctor.” He’s also a leader in technology and innovation, and the founder and CEO of Ad Astra Media, a STEAM edutainment company that provides role models and educational content to encourage more diversity in STEM and STEAM fields. We talk about Dr. Morey’s approach to media education, why it’s so important for kids to see themselves in the careers they pursue, and how this content is being integrated with the traditional education landscape.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:drjosemorey.comadastrasteammedia.comInstagram: @drintergalacticLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/josé-morey-03942357Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Andrea Ferrero is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Pockets Change, a nonprofit that provides curriculum workshops and professional development to build financial literacy and resilience through Hip Hop pedagogy.If you’re not sure what that means, we dive into all of that and more in this episode, including the difficulties involved in teaching finances in school, understanding different personalities and their relationship to both learning and money, and where you can get started including this in your schools.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:pocketschange.comLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

Michael W. Dennis is the Vice President of Legal, PMO, and Innovation for CAS. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from the Ohio State University, and JD from Capital University. In this episode, we discuss the advancement of individual communities on a global scale.CAS is looking to make science and data accessible across the globe, fueling innovation, curating information, and advancing scientific progress. We explore what it means to innovate at a community level, how CAS is contributing to that, and how you can take charge in your own area.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:cas.orgLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-dennis-b262165Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

As always on this podcast, we’re excited to have conversations about innovative opportunities for students, for schools, and in this case, for professionals as well. In this episode, we cover a new program called Mentor Ship.Joining the conversation is Rania Ajami, an award-winning filmmaker and founder of several successful entities and organizations centered around creating modern programming for students. With Rania is Angelica Estevez, an attorney and legal counsel.Mentor Ship is an interactive learning platform that connects children with experts from around the world, bringing together changemakers and thought leaders in the areas of survival skills, climate change, space, artificial intelligence, archeology, health and wellbeing, arts, and more.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:mentor-ship.tvLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rania-ajami-7457452Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

We know that the traditional education system doesn’t work for most people, but rarely do people set out to come up with solutions on their own. We talk to Vivian Shen, the founder of Juni Learning, about what subjects give students the most value throughout their lives, how Juni is doing things differently from the traditional school system, and how to prepare kids for the real world.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:junilearning.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vivianmshenLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media