Learning Unboxed

Today, we have a Learning Unboxed takeover. One of our internal colleagues, Javier Cruz, is going to be controlling the host’s mic to lead a conversation discussing student experiences — and what that means in a STEM world.Javier is joined by Melissa Olvera, Swathi Vudatala, Caleb Buaful, and Josiah Nahhas — all students of The PAST Foundation — to share their experience and talk about how it has influenced their path moving forward. They discuss how they were each introduced to PAST, what skills they gained there, how they are carrying those skills into their careers, and what they envision as the future of education.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

PAST’s podcast passion project, Learning Unboxed, has reached the 100 episode milestone! To commemorate, we thought we’d turn the mic to me, your host, Annalies Corbin, to explore the origin story of the show while celebrating milestones past, present, and future.We talk about how my life-long thirst for knowledge ultimately led me to PAST and this podcast. I’m so grateful for this incredible platform, which links learning to life and connects with a worldwide network of education facilitators and students on an intimate level. Thanks for supporting us thus far. Here’s to the next 100! To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate Media

Today we’re delving into PAST’s origin story with the founders who had the courage and vision to start this foundation with me twenty years ago. Dennis Aig, Sheli Smith, Andy Hall, and I take a walk down memory lane to reflect on how we set the stage for PAST to innovate, teach and succeed – despite the growing pains we all had to stomach along the way.  We wouldn’t be here today without our incredible network that goes above and beyond the mission to move science from paper-to-people, and make world-class scientific research accessible everywhere.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

We’re super excited to have Jasmine de Gaia and Paige Love from JPMorgan Chase & Co. back on the show for the second segment of our three-part series on innovation strategies within education and the workforce. We touch on the importance of failure and fluidity for an evolving workforce to thrive and the different ways the tech industry encourages more women, girls, and minorities to move into technology. We also address how the mature workforce can adapt and be part of the innovative process, creating a bridge from the classroom to the boardroom.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Read more: jpmorgan.com/insights/technology/digital-innovationLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Riley Andrews is a middle-school student who we’ve had the pleasure of watching flourish academically since transitioning to a STEM school. Today, Riley shares the educational shifts between her different schools, how she navigated the increased workload, and the pros and cons of virtual learning during the pandemic.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

The Veterans Curation Program hires veterans to curate and maintain archeological collections that preserve U.S. history and endow participants with employable skills for the ever-changing civilian job market. This wonderful trio of educational leaders —Kelly Brown, Shannon Johnson, and Jessica Mundt — is on the ground, literally making history with those who have served. We discuss the ins-and-outs of this unusual program that connects the military to location and place through an archaeological lens, their current collections, and visions for the future. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Website: veteranscurationprogram.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

On October 4, 2017, Shaesta Waiz made aviation history when she became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft.And since then, she hasn’t stopped making her mark, in the skies or on the ground. Her foundation, Dreams Soar, runs inspiring outreach programs across the globe to encourage more girls and women to study and work in male-dominated spheres of STEM and aviation.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Website: dreamssoar.orgBook: ¨Fly Girl Fly: The Story of Shaesta Waiz¨ by Nancy Roe Pimm Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

We cover quite a bit in this week’s episode Elizabeth Dinschel and Kristine Bullock: the work of Presidential Libraries, their public outreach and engagement of K-12 students, and a lot of social studies and language arts — and, of course, how that all ties back into STEM and STEM education. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Hoover LibraryVisit the Presidential Libraries onlineLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Jasmine de Gaia, Executive Director of Transformation at JPMorgan Chase & Co., explains how the advancement of digital innovation in low-tech and high-tech industries is transforming the cultural fabric of our lives.If we adopt Jasmine's notion that ‘every company has become a tech company,’ it becomes of crucial importance that educators are preparing children for future tech-focused careers that are not the norm. We discuss the importance of agile-based learning over gadget dependency and how this upgraded mindset is transforming the consumer experience of today.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Digital Innovation at JP Morgan: www.jpmorgan.com/insights/technology/digital-innovationLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

We’re talking to Ohio State graduates, Ruby Xun and Melissa Liang, who reached the finale of Best of Student Startups (BOSS) last year. While Covid-19 derailed execution plans for their sustainable fashion platform, Twirl, the applied learning experience at BOSS endowed them with useful insights for creating, maintaining, and growing a business.We imagine the different ways entrepreneurship could be integrated into a high-school program, and how familiarizing students with everyday business skills earlier on could help navigate a future in a way that textbooks and blackboards cannot.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:BOSS: The Best of Student StartupsLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Groundwork USA shares our mission to move youth from the classroom to the forest, learning and thriving in the great outdoors.Today, Curt Collier and Lucy Crespo talk about how they’re combating environmental and socio-cultural barriers to getting kids outdoors, to make the mountains mainstream for urban youth.We discuss the cultural and generational shifts towards environmentalism, effective community engagement, past project highlights, and the different ways our teachers can integrate our great national parks into the national curriculum.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Website: groundworkusa.orgLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Tim Mitchell, executive director of The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA), has mastered the (seemingly) impossible: he’s curated a hugely-successful fine art, math, and science institution — within the state’s public school system. With 85-95% scholarship rates for college — compared to the national average of 15% — it’s clear that their diverse student body is thriving. However, it’s the magic of marinating the world of STEM and STEAM together that makes this remarkable school stand out for us here at Learning Unboxed.Creating synergy between science and arts is not only possible, it’s already happening! We hope this expansive conversation plants a seed of hope for our community looking to ignite more change within the archaic education system. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more about ASFA: www.asfa.k12.al.usFollow:@asfaschoolLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

At just 23 years old, Imran Nuri is transforming the way America approaches philanthropy with his impactful non-profit, The 52 Million Project. His subscription-based program, which costs $1 a week, donated just over $30,000 to 52 different non-profits last year. By breaking down the barriers of donating, students, young professionals, and local communities have jumped on the philanthropy wagon, without having to break the bank. Today Shannon, Imran, and I discuss how the project began, the evolving dynamics of the giving back model, and how charitable efforts from childhood can create altruistic habits for later life. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Donate: www.52millionproject.orgFollow: @52millionprojectConnect: Imran NuriLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Learning through seeing, thinking, and wondering is the educational utopia we’re striving to achieve, and thanks to teachers like Sabrina Walters and parents like Lori Trent from Upper Arlington City School, we’re closer to making it a reality. These forward-thinking educators reveal how creating an active dialogue between parents, teachers, and students can revolutionize the learning process. Their holistic model builds on the notion that learning is best delivered from a dynamic pool of voices and perspectives. For Sabrina and Lori, true learning exists in constructive, shared conversations and not in top-to-bottom instructions from a teacher to a student. To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Recreate the Dale Chihuly art project for your students: artsycraftsymom.com/10-dale-chihuly-art-projects-for-kids/Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

If it involves getting more folks outside, learning, and protecting our environment, we are all about it here at the PAST Foundation. And that’s why we are so enamored with the programs offered by the National Park Service. And today, Julianne Geleynse from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is going to teach us about the Parks as Classrooms program, which is offered at a number of different parks around the U.S.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Do you want to schedule a virtual program for your class? Send an email to grfm_education [at] nps.govNational Park Service’s Resources for EducatorsSmokieee’s at HomeLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Employment is a big conversation these days, for both those seeking employment and those seeking to hire, and the issues involved are numerous and complex. And this was a big conversation before 2020’s record unemployment numbers. Now? It’s simply one of the biggest conversations that needs to be had.So we sat down with Dr. Rachel Angel, President and CEO of Anexsis, which has developed an interactive software that engages young adults seeking employment called Peerro. Dr. Angel offers us a glimpse at the future of employment — as well as what we need to do, as a society, to ensure we have a workforce in the future.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:peerro.comInstagram: @peerro_Facebook: www.facebook.com/anexsisLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a paid — yes, paid — student residential employment and education program in which 64 teenagers live, work, play, learn, and grow in Yellowstone National Park. They stay in the park for just over a month to work on projects that improve the park for both visitors and mother nature, and one hour is set aside each day for purposeful education, leadership activities, and career development. And this is such an impactful program that about 20% of the current YCC staff were previously students who participated in the program!To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more about the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) ProgramLearning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio

The Ohio State University Center for Innovation Strategies has an incredible program called OnRamp, which is a corporate innovation idea accelerator driven by innovative students.  Given initial concepts generated by a sponsor, a group of students conduct customer validation and innovation techniques over a multi-week program to result in out-of-the-box solutions. This gives students from any area of the school an opportunity to experience what it’s like to work within a Lean Startup environment, working collaboratively with other students and a corporate sponsor to solve real-world problems.And today, we’re going to talk to three students who either have participated in or are currently participating in OnRamp:Drew Mayerson, a fourth-year scholar student at Ohio State, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration through the Max Fisher College of Business and OnRamp graduate.Szofi Wiksell, a sophomore at the Ohio State University with a double major in marketing and public polic

Today we’re covering a topic that we’ve never actually talked about on the program before: What do school boards do? Why would someone run for one? And is it really important?Really, it’s impossible to talk about what’s going on within our school without considering what’s going on within our school boards. So, we sat down with three newly elected school board members to hear why they were compelled to serve their communities in this capacity:John Jones, an experienced business owner, a former Huron City Council member, and a new member for Huron City School Board.Dr. Tina Pierce, a program manager for the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University, CEO and Founder of WORTH (Working through Obstacles Reaching True Heights Foundation), and a new member of Columbus City School Board.Lori Trent, the communications and development guru here at the PAST Foundation, an art teacher, and a new member of the Upper Arlington School Board.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgLearning Unboxed is

Project Zero is an educational research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education dedicated to understanding and enhancing learning and thinking. This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about Project Zero on the show — and it probably won’t be the last! — because they are trying to make teaching, learning, and the future of work very relevant and right now. But the secret to this conversation is that work in progressive learning has been going on for many years and it's having quite the impact, so we actually have quite a few clues about where to go in the future.Our guests are Mara Krechevsky, a senior researcher from Project Zero, and Dr. Fred Burton, who has spent 44 years as an educator in progressive education, including 13 years as principal of Wickliffe Progressive Elementary School.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgResources:Learn more about Project ZeroFind more resources created by MaraListen: “74 | Cultivating Creative & Civic Capacities | with Jennifer Lehe, Jason Blair, &