We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cecilia Rapp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cecilia, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

With lecture-based learning being the most common approach in today’s classrooms, our education system is lacking opportunities for students to engage in practical hands-on learning experiences. With my business, STEAM Central, we’re bridging this gap through our creative, hands-on learning workshops in which learners collaborate and develop applicable skills they can use throughout their lives. Often times in traditional education, subjects are taught very separately. In STEAM Central workshops, we highlight the connections between different subjects especially those in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math). Our education system often focuses on exams to test student’s learning leading to stress and anxiety among students. Alternatively, creative, hands-on learning workshops allow for a more collaborative learning environment where learners can develop skills, and have a more positive association with learning. The education system often teaches students material without highlighting practical applications of this material. STEAM Central workshops demonstrate practical applications of material through activities learners take on, and provide additional practical applications they may encounter. Our approach prepares students for a more fulfilling life and career as they have a more positive association with learning, adopt learning as a lifelong practice, and are equipped with skills they can use throughout their lives.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As an engineer with my M.S in Biomedical Engineering, I spent many years as a student in a traditional, lecture-based classroom. Throughout my time in school, I realized the traditional classroom is lacking opportunities to learn hands-on and develop applicable skills. What’s lacking in the traditional classroom lead me to be the founder of STEAM Central. STEAM Central provides creative, hands-on learning workshops where learners collaborate and develop applicable skills that emphasize the STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, art, math).

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

We’re discouraged from believing that we are creative so I had to relearn that we are all creative. Joining my local chapter of Creative Mornings helped me relearn that each of us is creative. Creativity is something we practice throughout our daily lives. Attending Creative Mornings energizes me, and is a wonderful start to the day.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Reading the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron emphasized for me that we are all creative. Creativity is my entrepreneurial super power and something I practice every day. Creativity allows me to take non-traditional approaches, solve problems, and think in a different way. I’ve recommended The Artist’s Way to many people and look forward to reading it again.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steam.central/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/steamcentral
• Other: Email: [email protected]