Episode 14: It's About MY Learning
In the center of Denver, on the corner of Navajo Street and W 37th Avenue exists three entities: Pinwheel Coffee, Framework Cycles, and Embark Education. But the big story here is Embark Education, an alternative, learner-centered middle school where the focus is on supporting young adolescents' curiosity in learning, "supporting students to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self." The school focuses as much on typical academics as it does on their students' social development and interpersonal growth. Listen here to Miguel Gonzalez, Director of the School, and Megan Parry, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and four of their students – Elijah, Eireann, Hayes, and Jazmin – talk about the design of the school and how it has given students the opportunity to own their own learning. As Eireann says, "It's about MY learning." And as Hayes adds, "I'm a lot happier here." She and the others talk about how the community supports their learning by focusing on who they are and how they best learn. Pinwheel Coffee and Framework Cycles are businesses where they can apply and extend their learning, but the real power of Embark is in its design of learning and the focus on youth – empowering their learning. Give a listen!
