Videos
Cross-sector Conversations on Education in Maine
The conversations below were hosted by Jennifer in Spring, Summer, and Fall 2021 and feature a rich variety of individuals engaging with each other on the topic of education, ranging from their own educational experiences to policy ideas for improving education in Maine. The series is co-sponsored with Education Action Forum of Maine. Each conversation is just under an hour and well worth the listen. We will pick up again with the series in October. Join our newsletter and we’ll let you know when a new one is available.
Innovative Mindsets
Listen to Dr. Kylie Bragdon (Director, Maine Ocean School), Patrick Breeding (Co-Founder, Marin Skincare), and Nick Rimsa (Founder, Tortoise Labs) share their perspectives on innovative mindsets in students, teachers, and designers of schools. You’ll also hear them discuss why meeting the students of today while preparing them for tomorrow’s economy means designing learning environments to give students room to explore, experiment, and solve problems important to them. (June 2021)
Imagination
Listen to Emily Dwinnells (Director, NASA Space Grant Consortium), Jeremy Jones (Executive Director, Maine Charter School Commission), and Derek Pierce (Principal, Casco Bay High School) discuss their own school experiences, imagination as a core skill, why we need nature in our lives, and more. (May 2021)
A Conversation on Humane Education
Listen to Zoe Weil, founder of the Institute of Humane Education, in Surry, Maine, talk about what it means to educate humanely for the wellbeing of humanity. It’s pretty simple actually, but surprisingly, schools don’t take into account the unintended consequences of not doing so. (July 2022)
A Conversation with Rob Houben of Agora Schools
Rob is not a Mainer, but he’s talking here with Mainers, including two Maine students. And while Agora Schools have some way to go to be connecting their students deeply to themselves, their communities, and nature, they do treat their students as self-determining individuals capable of driving their own learning. There is a lot that can be learned by listen to Rob talk about how we need to treat students un-equally so that each can thrive in their own way.