Our children are our future. Education is at the heart at developing their skills and abilities and yet year after year we hear about the degrading state of our educational system. Our nation has spent trillions of dollars on failed programs that research and experts had promised would work. Achievement gaps persist, performance declines are accelerating and so it is of paramount importance that we explore novel ideas and solutions. You might not agree with many or any of the ideas below, and we certainly are not endorsing policies – our hope is just to create a space where bright, dedicated folks from the community can share their ideas – so that we can all come together and better understand each others experiences, concerns and how we might move forward together to build a brighter future.

Dominique Ebrpn

Programs for high school students interested in animation, film & television should be introduced to programs like RE:imagine and k-12 should know early on about ASIFA. Read more>>

Joshua Gray

As a Bill & Melinda Gates Scholar, I often excelled in academic spaces, but I found true enthusiasm and excitement in experiential spaces—opportunities to gain real-world experiences around my interests. Read more>>

Mariel Fry

I can go on and on about this but it’s the idea that your “dumb” if you fail a test but why do we grade a student on a grade vs them actually doing work and understanding it. Kids get anxiety like myself and cannot handle a test but it doesn’t mean that we aren’t smart. Read more>>

Christy Whitehead

I feel like kids don’t get enough real world experience. Most of the math in High School and College I don’t use. But I was never taught how to change a tire, check my oil, cook a meal, file taxes, etc. Read more>>

Bryan Kinkade

I am a photographer. I started early when I joined the Army as a photo journalist at 17 years old. When I got out of the military, I tried to start a photography business. It did not go well. Read more>>

Tiffany Munoz, Lindsey Donohue

Although we don’t know the first thing about changing legislation, we dream of our state, South Carolina, embracing an apprentice program that swaps hands-on training hours for those clocking in at a cosmetology school. Read more>>

Cristina Benavides

My childhood was filled with traumatic experiences that affected my worldview as a person. For this reason, I became an educator. I wanted to make sure my pain was not in vain, so I turned that into purpose. Read more>>

Arielle Walker

As a former pastry student and current bakery owner, I have noticed a big gap between students finishing school and the skills required to practice baking/decorating as a career. Read more>>