Genius Hour in Latin: A Four-Quarter Approach

I was recently asked on Twitter how I did Genius Hour in my Latin classes... here is my process, and I am always tweaking and shifting things around. There is also a link to a Google Folder full of resources.

RESOURCES

Quarter One: Essential Questions and Research

GENIUS HOUR EVERY FRIDAY

Technology Readily Available

Day One: Introduce Genius Hour

I give the same talk about making education relevant, making use of what you are learning in school, tying everything together from different classes. I use the PPT presentation in the Resources Folder. 

Basically, this is my script: http://thisworkaholicwantstogotorehab.blogspot.com/2013/08/sweet-genius-hour.html

Then, I give the students a week to think. What are they passionate about? What is a societal problem they want to fix? They need to come in with brainstorms for the next session.

Day Two/Three: Essential Questions/SubQuestions

So now the students have had a chance to think, they should turn their topic into an essential question that will guide their research.

For example, I have a student who is super interested in mythology, but doesnt want to come across as ripping off Percy Jackson. So… his essential question was “How can things be explained differently?”

On day two, the students create and have approved their Essential Question. Their final project will be an answer to this question. Then, they write their possibilities on a piece of paper, and we tape them to the wall to be an inspiration to others.

When they have an essential question approved, they create sub questions (template is in the folder) that will help them to answer their essential question. I meet with each group/student the following week and help them to format these questions to make a good project.

Day 4: Introduction to Research

This part many media specialists are happy to help with, if you are not familiar with databases, etc! I usually go over the following:

• Where to look for information
• Letting research guide you to an answer vs. finding the answer in your research
• Researching vs. copying and pasting
• Good and bad sources
• What to do when you get stuck

The students then begin researching their sub questions. They should have a list of possible google searches that could help them from the last GH, so they have a good place to start. I help as needed.

Day 5 - End of Q1: Research

Then the students start their research, and use the Research Templates to store their information. They turn their research templates in on their individual due dates via Google Folders. Examples attached. I also included my spreadsheet that helps me track which students are on time with their submissions and which are not… green means on time, yellow means late, white is missing (and I just included examples, not the final spreadhseet!)

Quarter Two: The Project Proposal

GENIUS HOUR EVERY OTHER FRIDAY

Technology Available

The first thing that I have the students do is self assess using the rubric where they are with their research. If there is anything left that they have to research, they write “To Do Lists” with due dates, and submit that during the first meeting.

Then, the students start work on their proposals:

Days One - Four: Part I

Part One of the Project Proposal is having the students use their research to answer their sub questions. From there, students then use their answers to then answer their Essential Question. This takes the form of a formal paper, and we discuss argumentation (claim, warrant, backing, impact), citation, and introductions/conclusions. This typically takes students the longest, so they get a month to finish.

Day Five - Six: Part II/III

Part two of the proposal is where students create a product that will showcase their learning in a creative and innovative way. We discuss the difference between a report and a project, and here I do the most guiding. Many students just want to build a model, which is something that they have been taught is creative in the past, but it does nothing to apply the information that they have earned. Part Three gets down to the nitty gritty of this, asking students why their project is valuable… why is it not just a report? This is usually the shortest section, but also the most meaningful for the students.

Day Six: Parts IV and V

This is the planning section, where students take their concept and map out how to make it a reality in specific steps, with due dates. This is put into the semester two spreadsheet for tracking. Part Five is a simple question - is there anything else you need to research before you begin? Its a last minute deep breath before things become crazy!

Day Seven - End of Q2: Researching/Tweaking

If I need to meet with a student/group, I do it on these extra days. Otherwise, the students are researching, or planning, or even creating!

Last Meeting: Genius Week!

The students turn their project proposals into PPT presentations, and present their findings to the class. They ask for specific feedback from the class about where to take their project. Do not skip this step - it is by far one of my favorite parts of Genius Hour!

Semester Two: Creation

GENIUS HOUR EVERY WEEK TO BI WEEKLY

Students bring own materials

In January, when the students come back from break, I check in with them and have them re-map their due dates and to do list for the project. In addition, at the beginning of both Q3 and Q4, I ask the students the following questions (they write down the answers):

1. How is your project progressing?
2. What have you been most excited about?
3. Where is one area that you are having trouble with?
4. What is one thing you are doing well?
5. What is one thing you can improve upon?

How you structure semester two is up to you - I try to meet with students at least once during the quarter to check in, and then the students who need more structure meet with me more frequently to discuss their project and to keep them on track. The self-assessment forms are super helpful during meetings because it allows me to ask more targeted questions.

At the beginning of Q4, I set the final “Genius Day” for the students. On this day, we do a Gallery Walk in class and in the Evening. Students bring in their products, and a poster describing their project and process. During the day, we ask questions about each other’s projects to try to extend learning. At night, we invite students from other classes, administration, and community members to come and see what the students have done and celebrate their Genius. The event lasts about an hour in the evening.

The last step is one last self-assessment, using the rubric, and having the students answer the follow up questions they received on Genius Day… our Genius Day this year is May 7th, and I will post pictures then!

The Dangers of Results

Today was Genius Hour. I was moving about the room, checking in with students, and I came to a student who was upset.

Among other things, he just wasn't that into his and his partner's project anymore. Some students, after a lifetime of being given little to no creative freedom in school struggle with an open-ended project of this magnitude. I expected that. So, we sat down and tried to brainstorm a new project. Normally, the "plan A didn't quite work out, so let's try plan B" approach tends to revitalize kids - they want to find something that excites them. I've had students change their projects multiple times this year, some after asking for a meeting, and some on their own because in their research, they found something they loved even more. I expected that too - and love the fact that it has been happening.

This particular student, however, seemed frustrated with having to change his project. Upon further questioning, it became clear that he felt that he had wasted his time researching the first idea. That somehow, because he was not able to produce a project from his first idea, that all of the research went to waste. And, because he couldn't think of a flashy new project in 5 seconds flat, the project wasn't worth doing anymore.

In other words, it was what he was able to produce, or his results, that he was allowing to define his success in Genius Hour. And he was expecting me to define him in the same way.

And then I realized that this is the message that is consistently forced on all of us, in every facet of life.

Think about the reunion scenario on, like, every sitcom ever: you go back to your 10-year high school reunion, wanting to prove to everyone that you are more successful than they are - you have the house, the car, the spouse... and thus are a somehow inherently more worthy than they are, or than they thought you were "back in the day"...

Coaches are defined not by inspiring students to enjoy a particular activity, in the hopes that it will transform their lives and the world for the better simply because of their participation, but rather by their win-loss ratios and how many trophies they bring back...

Teachers are defined (and paid, and sometimes hired/fired) based on standardized test scores, and student grades, not by getting students excited about a particular subject, or helping them to learn to be better world citizens...

And, most frighteningly, students are defined by their GPA, or the number of "A"s they earn each grading period, or by their SAT/ACT/AP scores - defined by arbitrary and non-descriptive numbers that say little to nothing about their character, or the essence of who they are as people. It is consistently reinforced from the moment we as a society start classifying and evaluating children that their worth stems from the results of their pursuits, NOT on the journey that they take, or by what they learn (about themselves and their roles in the world) along the way.

No wonder this student is frustrated!

I know the feeling of being under pressure to perform - it is physically and emotionally exhausting for the most well-adjusted people. And, often, it is a barrier to success.

I tried to explain to this young man that it was completely fine that he was switching projects, that he wasn't a failure, that in fact, this was a completely regular part of life. He regarded me, at best, skeptically.

If you want to know the statistics:

99.8% fail.  Only 3,000 patents out of 1.5 million patents are commercially viable. “In truth, odds are stacked astronomically against inventors, and no marketing outfit can change them. ‘There are around 1.5 million patents in effect and in force in this country, and of those, maybe 3,000 are commercially viable,’ [Richard Maulsby, director of the Office of Public Affairs for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office], says.  
(SOURCE: http://www.inventionstatistics.com/Innovation_Risk_Taking_Inventors.html)

And that is why in particular, projects that are like Genius Hour are so important. Not only do students get to work with topics that they are interested in and enjoy, but they learn that sometimes you have to walk away from an idea. Sometimes there is no clear answer, no clear path. Sometimes, the struggle really IS real.

We also ought to seriously rethink what we are doing to the next generation - all of that pressure to perform, that emphasis on results creates a ends-based ethic that results in some pretty extreme and not so healthy goings-on to get to those ends. Or creates students that shut down and give up, because they can't face failing. Or, perhaps the most frightening, creates students who tie their self-worth into what they are able to accomplish, and suffer emotional and psychological trauma if things do not end in applause and trophies.

We, as adults, need to stop defining ourselves by our results, but instead see ourselves as individuals with essential truths and experiences that are important and worth sharing. And, even more importantly, we need to stop judging other adults in this way. We need to model what it is like to celebrate our own journey and the journeys of others for students. It's a massive cultural shift in this capitalist society of ours, but it is a shift that desperately needs to happen, and soon.

The pair of boys and I left our meeting saying that we were going to brainstorm ideas for them based on their new project idea (and I already have a super cool idea!!!)... but hopefully the biggest take away from all of this, for all of us, is that the journey is almost always more important than the destination.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

One of the great perks of being "friends" with my students on social media is that every once and awhile, I get to see their thoughts and opinions on education, the world, and life. It has been one of the most enlightening decisions in my teaching career, and I really believe it has made me a better teacher.

I came across these posts in a Facebook thread about education last night. These kids want a chance to make their voices heard, and they so clearly are passionate about learning and their education. And that's what is so powerful about these posts - too many adults assume that kids have checked out, and don't want to learn. Clearly, they do. They are excited to learn.

These messages are too powerful to be ignored. I know I am already thinking of what I can do to make things better...

everything everyone said is so true. I cant even....no. Society today is anything but caring. They want us to be these perfect examples of success and victory when i don't even no if that's what most of us want. Yeah, there is many people out there who are going to discover a cure for cancer, an affordable and efficient substitute for fossil fuel, a way to end poverty, time travel but for the rest of us all we want is to have comfortable and purposeful lives. I would rather live in middle class doing something that i love and have a passion for then be wealthy doing something i cant stand and hate. lately success and perfection had been blurred into the same meaning and it shouldn't be like that. What ever happened to living life doing the things that you loved, taking risks, failing a few times, but learning every step of the way. And that's another thing failure is looked at as a sin rather than a stepping stone. No one is going to be brilliant and noteworthy the first time they try something. Life is about failing just as much as it is about success. I cant remember the last time anyone told us that failing something was one step toward doing it right, mostly because they don't want us to think that way.There's this mold that our world tries to squeeze us into, trying to make us super humans and force us to be number one. Most students bury themselves in honors and AP classes but with no prevail. We end up having so much of a work load that we drown and do poorly on everything. And the only response we get; please try harder next time.some subjects and classes many student don't understand but have to take it anyways, trying to get their credits filled. I don't know who made this comment but it holds true; "If you don't expect teachers to be able to learn, understand and be able to explain six subject to the best of their ability then how on earth do you expect children to do the same?" every teacher from every class want you to put your whole dedication toward their subject but there is only so many hours in the day and way to work your free time. If I had three or four classes rather then twice that it would be far more easier to get ahead and fully understand and know what I am doing, truly this is why i believe america is so low on the education charts. We spend less time on depth then we do breadth. School forces us to know this, this, this, this, and this instead of just focusing on the important things and spending our time really getting into it. That just adds to one of the many reasons why Americas school system has tumbled so low. There is no time spent on looking at each student individually anymore, and trying to assist and help them with any problems they have. Instead we are expected to go on our own time and get tutored on something we should have spent time on. Being honest there are countless teachers, I wont say who because i am not here is disgrace people, who don't do their job of being of being a teacher. numerous times us students are told to figure out things on our own and learn it by our selves. I understand that you want us to be independent but there is a deference between being independent and being abandoned. I dont think adults realize how much this sort of stress affects us physically and emotionally. I know for a fact that i no longer have healthy sleeping, eating and social habits, because i am too busy trying to adjust my living style to that of school. I realize some stress is good but in this case more doesn't mean better. The affects emotionally are even worse. It more than hurts basically being told every day that no matter what you do you aren't good enough, no matter how hard you try there is going to be someone better then you, that we want, expect, and need 100% of your effort 100% of the time.Its imprinted in my head that an A is good but anything lower than that is unacceptable. When did getting a B or a C become this downgrading thing. Yes, many teachers say that if you get a B its perfectly fine but really we've been told so many times that we know its not. We think of ourselves as flawed and stupid if we don't get that perfect 4.0 on a report card. Students cant run like clockwork more and more people are breaking down everyday, some deciding to end the stress once and for all, ending their life in the process. now im not saying kids should slack and blow off school, thinking that B and C and D are fine but this is what i am saying: If you put in the time and effort to a subject but still cant above a C I will not lose respect for you, i will not get mad at you, and i will definitely not think of you as lower. If anything i will appreciate that you took the time to try even in the face of failure. I dont look for perfection in people but rather the ability to try. I cant speak for everyone but I hope i am not the only one who feels this way. we all try our best at school but sometimes it just not enough. So dont feel discouraged when you fail a test, miss a homework assignment or cant grasp a topic. Learn from your mistakes and accept the fact that no one is perfect and cant go through life without failing. The quote i live by is from J.K. Rowling 
"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all- in which case, you fail by default" 
so everyone live a little more and worry a little less. Don't be afraid to take stupid and risky leaps in life. Don't break yourself trying to fit someone else's standards. You only have one life, please don't waste it.

_________

But no, that is ridiculous. School has become the opposite of what school is. It's supposed to teach and help you be who you want to be. Somehow it's gotten warped over the years into "show us how good you are at following our explicit directions and doing homework" land.
Cause man I learn so much in history and I could be learning at a much faster level but apparently I can't because my handwriting is sloppy? I could be learning science at the honors level but I can't because my ability to copy a formatted lab report into a notebook is below average? Bullshit. Yeah I'm a pretty crappy student. But do you know what doesn't help me want to get my work done? Being told that my completion makes me the same as everyone else in my grade. School should be about filling your head with the knowledge it can hold, not about doing what is required. So many kids are so stressed because they have this gap that can be filled with knowledge, because the human brain thirsts for it. But because of counselling departments and school policies, we spend the time trying to do what is so hard for us, for some reason or another, but can't simply because we forgot that that one thing was due today, and therefore are a failure and an idiot. The stress caused simply by feeling like your grade dictates your life is terrible. A point can ruin everything. But why? What is adolescent life for but to learn. Our brains are in a stage of learning at this age and instead they are focused on doing what they're told. We aren't the smartest bunch in the world. But we sure as he'll don't deserve to be treated as a secondary person.

________

Like you said, what ticks me off the most is that these sort of discussions goes unnoticed or ignored by any teacher or staff member. Instead they try to put the blame on us and say what we are doing is just making excuses. This entire discussion has been nothing but a group of people having a quality and rather professional plea for help but there isn't anyone here to save us. I really wish there was a place for our voices to be heard, without being judged or accused.

________

I talked to my grandpa about school awhile ago, and I told him that I am tired and not getting enough sleep because of my homework. He told me he read an article in the paper that a father of a 15 year old girl decided to do her homework for a week, and he reported to the paper that it was so time consuming and stressful that he was going to bed at 2 in the morning every night. Not only are we teenagers that need 8 hours of sleep every night to grow properly, but we are also full of teenage angst and hormones and its become a thing, at least for me and some of my friends, that I dont have time to deal with that kind of stuff and I end up having melt downs because I cannot hold my emotions back anymore, and they overcome my ability to work and get things done. On top of that, I am expected to be in extra curricular activities, have friends, and have time to sleep/relax. But there is not time for all of this, so I take away things like socializing and sleep. I was told that I should embrace my high school years because it's something I won't ever repeat, and by all means I am! But i'm trying so hard to enjoy something that makes me emotionally unstable.

_________

I feel like I need to begin this with a disclaimer: I'm not trying to be rude or insensitive or braggy in any way. But, I have always maintained what are considered "good" grades. But, I mean, at what cost? I don't have the problem of sleep like many others do as I actually do manage 8 hours every night. But I don't think just sleep cuts it like there's so much mental and psychological stress to maintaining good grades in rigorous classes and keeping up with extracurriculars and participating in the community and spending time with friends and family. All these things are supposed to like set me up for college and the future and whatever but I'm not sure I'll appreciate the benefits if all I remember from high school is the pressure to maintain this standing.

Genius Week!

The last week of each quarter I set aside for some collaborative learning time. We call it Genius Week.

Each Genius Hour student/group presents their project to the class. They present where they are in their project - what they have learned, how their project is taking shape, and then they choose 3 questions to ask the class for feedback. I do tell the students that they cannot choose questions that can be answered in a sentence or less... this is their time to solidify and extend their ideas, and meaningful collaboration is important.

I always say that I am blown away by my students. Each time I am! This time, I was speechless.

There were students who got up, and in front of all their peers, said - I am writing a book. Here are my characters. Here is the basic plot. Here is a scene that I wrote. Now, I have some options as to where to go. Which one would you rather read?

Putting yourself and your creativity out there like that take guts. I was beaming. Brimming with excitement - what amazing minds these students have!

And then this happened: Hi, I have this idea for a topic. It's (idea). But, I dont really know what to do with it, and I need help. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Now, before one of my students gets angry that I am gossiping about them - I'm not. Because I wasn't angry in the least that this happened. In fact, it happened more than once. It happened a LOT.

I was impressed, and inspired.

Here are kids, not just putting a creative idea "out there," but making themselves vulnerable. Truly open to criticism and critique, willing to fall flat on their face and NOT have the right answer - not even have AN answer - wanting to collaborate because they were excited about a topic. Passionate, even.

Wow.

THAT Georgia Tech Speech... Genius Hour, Day 2

So its Genius Hour Day #2. How do I top the EPIC CLASS last week?

How about with an EPIC video?

Then one of my favorite people on the planet (and fellow debate coach) posted a link of a video of her boyfriend (if you can't watch the video you can view it here).

This young man is kind of a celebrity now. He went to the high school I work at, and really, since I have worked there, has always been referenced with a subtle tone of awe and wonder by those that knew him. It's no wonder, given this speech:

My students have seen this speech multiple times, either on Social Media, or on our school announcements. Our whole campus is abuzz about it.

I showed it at the beginning of Genius Hour today.
(Kids were still clapping after the speech. It is THAT epic.)

There are two things that I really want students to be thinking about during Genius Hour today, as we start to brainstorm topics. First, this video was posted on Sunday. As of when I am writing this, this particular version of the speech has reached 1,945,214 views. There are other versions posted have a total of 264,115 combined views. In 5 days. The speaker has been featured in print in Rolling Stone, Inside Ed, Daily Mail, CNN, Fox, CBS, MSNBC, Yahoo news, College Humor, SB Nation, Buzzfeed, Gawker, Mashable, Huffington Post, Daily Digest, Daily Caller, Boston Globe, Ahwatukee Foothills, Local Atlanta papers, and now, this blog. It's also been turned into a number of super hilarious Internet memes (Including one for Subway!) floating around Facebook. So, the first lesson of the day was don't ever doubt that your message, if you are passionate enough, can be heard. Never doubt that you will change the world.

The second message was in reference to the content of his speech. The theme for today was "You can do that!" in his honor. I asked the students to think about something that they are passionate about, and how we could connect Latin, or Roman history to it. Or, if they chose, they could start with a problem, and use what they will learn about Rome to help solve that problem. I was there to guide and suggest, and I want to share some of the project ideas that I remember from today. Because they are epic in their own right.

1. Discussion of Oral Tradition in the Ancient World - what makes stories worth remembering?
Product is a digital storytelling platform to bring the lost art into the 21st Century.

2. Blog where a student will grow his own food (passion about plants) and "eat like a Roman plebian" for a month and reflect, then "eat like a Roman patrician" and reflect.

3. A number of students are choreographing dances inspired by historical events in ancient Rome, and we are having a dance show.

4. Another pair of students are tackling the problem of starvation and nutrition by adapting Roman recipes and attempting to feed a family of 4 (with adequate nutrition and no processed ingredients) for $50 a week.

5. Another pair of students are looking at Roman clothing and modernizing it, creating their own fashion line inspired by clothing worn by Roman women and men.

6. A student is very interested in yoga and veganism - she is studying yoga and creating her own yoga poses inspired by events in Roman history, and hosting a "wellness day" for the community, including a cooking demonstration where she will adapt a Roman recipe to be vegan and teach a class on how to make it.

7. Another student is creating abstract paintings of different Latin phrases, and making a gallery exhibit.

8. Create an Instagram account from the point of view of various important Romans from history.

I'm still in awe of my students' work today.

Thank you, Nick, for telling us we "can do that!" Indeed, we "[are] doing that."

TPRS to Eutropius. My GENIUS hour experiment.

I decided I wanted to have a Genius Hour project too. My Genius Hour project is to follow my passions, both in and out of the classroom. To follow are my reflections and musings of life inside and outside of the classroom. 

It's Sunday night, and I am sitting down to plan for next week... and I have this crazy idea. I've mentioned it before, but the more and more I think about it, as I become more inspired by the observations I have had of my students' learning under the TRPS model, I wonder if TPRS can be used as a way to present and help students master structures so they can begin to read authentic Latin from the first year?

The purpose of Latin, unlike many other languages, is not really to go to a country and speak the language (although, the ATM in the Vatican does have a Latin option...). The purpose is to be able to read the wisdom of the Romans, appreciate it, and apply those lessons to our world today, because they are still relevant.

One of the main problems I have discovered is, however, we do not teach students to READ Latin, we teach them to decode Latin. And most of the time, the decoding comes at the expense of finding real meaning in a text. Also, translation then becomes a slow and painful process. And not all of them understand quite how to do it. It's just unpleasant.

We finished building our first story last week, about zombies, and some other stuff. But mostly zombies. It went well. Like, really, awesomely, well. The kids learned about commands, Indirect Objects, Inflection, all these really cool things... AND I DIDNT WRITE DOWN ONE CHART. Epic. Win.

So this week, I took a look at my end game. The paragraph that I am building to:

[1] Romanum imperium a Romulo exordium habet, qui Reae Silviae, Vestalis virginis, filius et, quantum putatus est, Martis cum Remo fratre uno partu editus est. Is eum inter pastores latrocinaretur, decem et octo annos natus urbem exiguam in Palatino monte constituit XI Kal. Maias, Olympiadis sextae anno tertio, post Troiae excidium, ut qui plurimum minimumque tradunt, anno trecentesimo nonagesimo quarto.

Yes indeed. This is Eutropius. And its unadapted, except that I took out the one clause that will never make sense to a first year Latin student. 

So then I sat, and pondered. Where to begin? 

The first thing I did was identify basic grammatical structures that they would NOT have to know. This seems odd, but I wanted to narrow down the things that I would want them to know right away, vs the things that I could give them: 

Dates

Perfect Passive

Passive

natus + Acc extent

uno partu

Now for the things I want them to KNOW KNOW:  

S+V+DO+PP

sometimes you have to add a prep

Genitive

Family words

Looking at it this way is much more manageable. Less OMG-how-do-I-do-this-without-trying-to-find-the-verb-and-stuff, and more hey-all-I-have-to-do-is-work-on-structures-like-this-with-family-words-and-that's-easy.

WE CAN DO THIS! LIKE, FOR REAL! It's a little more strategic, to be sure, but it can work.

So, we're going to build a couple of stories around these concepts. I'll post my initial questions and the stories, and some examples of how I've circled through the statements at the end of the week, along with a wrap up. 

Game on.

Response to Genius Hour Introduction

After the EPIC day of introducing Genius Hour to my kids, I posted this response to both my personal Facebook page, and to our school "Compliments" page. (yes, I know, I must be crazy for being friends with my kids on Facebook. But my Facebook is for work, primarily, and I only post for work - and that includes personal posts of my hobbies/passions so that kids see what people can learn.)

To all of my current Latin students, 

Today was the best day I have had at school in 10 years. I've loved all of my students from year 0 to year 10, but today was the most inspiring, and the most amazing. Words cannot even begin to describe the amazingness that was today. Seeing your excitement over Genius Hour, talking with some of you about your ideas, and even some fears over the project, has been amazing. I cannot wait to take this journey with you. 

This year in general has been indescribably amazing. I love coming to work everyday because of you, and your amazingness. I am made a better teacher by you - not only from being in the classroom and watching you grow, but by wanting to be the best teacher in the world because that is what each and every one of you deserve. 

I cannot wait to see you all again on Monday! Have a great weekend! 

Geese

And it started this conversation:


STU: Magistra, I think I speak for myself and all of your other student when I say your class period today was the best one we have ever had. You have helped us open our minds and expand our horizons. I only wish that every student had the opportunity to have a teacher as amazing as you: Who knows what the world could look like.

Me: I did very little, other than talk a lot.  However, the world could look like a lot of things... but I believe in you so much, I want to ask, what will the world look like at the end of this year???

STU: It will look like a world with lots of 15 16 and 17 year old handprints and impacts, which is only the start:) oh! And lots of student who have a different view on education who believe in themselves and in what they can do for this world


I am totally NOT trying to toot my own horn here... it isn't about me. It's about a student who was inspired, who wants to make a difference, and now feels like she can.

If I didn't totally believe in the power of this activity before, I think that response alone would have convinced me.

I am so excited!!!!