Colorado AeroLab sounds like a space project. Where did the name come from?
Like a really AWESOME space project I think is what you meant to say. Seriously though…when we started in 2017, targeting Colorado’s aerospace industry was our main focus. We worked with students wanting to pursue this as a career pathway and designed curriculum and programs to make that happen.
Are you saying that aerospace is no longer your main focus?
Hmmm…well, it is and it isn’t. We have done a lot of refocusing and rethinking and reimagining since our early days. Even early on, when we primarily partnered with the aerospace industry, our main goal was still to inspire and encourage ALL kids develop a love for lifelong learning.
Thanks for the Awesome Alliteration. How exactly do you go about doing that?
It starts with the mindset of Reaching the Child who Hungers For Purpose. Everyone has a desire to make a difference…everyone has a desire to be seen for the value they bring to the world. Education can be a wonderful place to make that happen. On a practical level, we design programs and curriculum and educational pathways that can be adapted to the individual student. We simply do not give kids enough opportunity to show us what they are capable of doing. We put them in desks and give them worksheets and make them take tests that don’t….sorry, we didn’t want to go there.
No, please go on…what were you going to say?
Well, we could say a lot of things. But let’s not focus on what is wrong in the world. Let’s focus on what we can control and the change that we can truly make. Kids deserve to be encouraged, kids deserve to be inspired, kids deserve to be happy, and kids deserve to be filled with joy. Giving them a personalized educational experience can make that happen.
You keep using that phrase “personalized education.” What are you talking about?
If you’re my age, you might remember the choose-your-own-adventure novels. They were so much fun!
Turn to page 47 if you want to run and hide from the dragon…Turn to page 32 if you want to stay and fight. What if education could be that way?
What if kids could create their own pathway based on their passions and their interests? The short answer is that it is possible. The long answer is that we are vested in THAT kind of future for education and spend long hours trying to create a system – a NEW system – for that to be possible.
Interesting. What else are you working on?
We have a number of big projects that are in early development stages but they are highly top secret and might actually explode your brains if we told you. At the same time, in addition to our 5th Day programs and our MicroPods, we are creating a network of likeminded parents who want a more better (yes, that’s correct) educational experience for their kids. Pandemic times have exposed a lot – both good and bad – about the state of education and it’s going to take some time to digest what we’ve actually learned in order to emerge better and stronger than we were before. Just like the website name implies, Everything Changes. And as we all know, change is difficult…but if we collectively commit to making the positive change we know we need and want for our kids, we will make a lasting change that produces generations of inspired lifelong learners.
Amen…anything else you want to say?
Like I said, much more to come. For now, explore all that this website has to offer and sign up for our newsletter. If you have specific questions about how to make your own experience better or just want to be part of the bigger picture, send us an email at [email protected]. As the saying goes, it take a village to raise a child, but it takes a village to make effective and sustainable change as well.