August 2020: Big Idea Project

The children of this world are the future of this world. Repeat that and let it sink in. 

Those watching eyes and growing minds are everything that’s to come, and they’re counting on all of us to give them the mentorship, tools, education, support, and love they need to make sure that as they grow into adulthood they bring humanity forward with them. 

What we know about our youth is there is no “right” way to educate them. 

What we also know about students is that our current education system is failing them in big ways that will continue to limit our progress as individuals and as global citizens until we come together to develop new ways of learning that tap into the curiosity, generosity, and empathy that all humans have within. 

As parents and those bringing up children, we’ve found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic that has forced us to be all the things -- citizen, professional, provider, caretaker, teacher, babysitter, activist…which has seemed at times to be impossible. Maybe it’s now, with our backs up against the wall due to things we can’t control in this world, that we can start to reimagine what educating our students really means and the responsibility we all have in it. 

Because as adults, we're also:
Advocates
Change
Agents
Mentors
Role Models
Guides

It seems 2020 is the year of a collective awakening to the ways we can improve the major systems upon which humankind has been built, and as much as this growth hurts, it is needed beyond measure. Right now, no one is losing as much as all the young humans we love so very much. 

We’re not fortune tellers, and no one knows what the future holds, but what we’re starting to see is that back to school this year is going to be unlike any other. 

Our students are feeling isolated and overwhelmed.
Our teachers are uncertain and scared.
Our parents are feeling crushed by the burden.
Our administrators are doing their best in an outdated system.

It’s time for massive change. It’s time we take all the aspirations and dreams of a better future and we make them real, for the sake of those depending on us.

We don’t know about you, but we’re not about to stand around and watch our youth - and the future of humanity - stumble through the darkness. We’re calling on you to join us as we think about education in ways we never have before. 

We’re calling on you to help us light the way💡