The number one thing we hear from entrepreneurs and artists and creatives when we ask them about their education is about how irrelevant it was to their story. Sure, some folks had wonderful educational experiences, but for many their experiences left them feeling ill prepared for life and their careers. So, we wanted to create a space for folks to share their experiences and ideas for how we can improve our educational system.

Yung Frost

**A Call for Curriculum Enhancement** Imagine an education system where every child, regardless of their background, is empowered to reach their full potential. A system where classrooms aren’t just about textbooks and tests, but about igniting a lifelong passion for learning and equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in the real world. This is the vision I hold for our public schools – a vision where we bridge the opportunity gap and unlock a brighter future for every child. Let’s transform our classrooms into launchpads for success, where financial literacy isn’t a privilege but a right, where career exploration opens doors to endless possibilities, and where hands-on learning sparks innovation and creativity. Let’s empower our students to become not just scholars, but entrepreneurs, problem-solvers, and agents of change. Read more>>

Natalie Amir-alvarez

The current education system often lacks practical life skills that are crucial for students to navigate adulthood successfully. Classes like homemaking, financial literacy, and basic tech skills could give students the tools they need to handle everyday challenges—like budgeting, managing time, or even understanding simple household maintenance. One story that comes to mind is from when I was starting out in my career. I remember facing challenges around budgeting and understanding how to save or invest money. I had to learn all of that on my own, without any guidance from my schooling. It made the transition to adulthood and career a lot harder than it needed to be. Having even a basic foundation in financial literacy could have made a significant difference in managing those early challenges and being able to focus more on career growth. Read more>>

Noelan Arbis

Noelan: We need to move away from ideas such as “success” and “failures”. Education is seen by many as a vehicle to success, not ever fully defining what success means for an individual. Personally, I think the subjects we teach in school are very limited. They showcase only a limited amount of skills, knowledge, and career paths for any human being. We test everyone in the same subjects, and if someone is good at them, we consider him/her a success. We then envision that person to have a “successful” life in the future. On the contrary, students who don’t do so well are considered “failures.” But we never truly question what we’re teaching our students. Read more>>

Harena Amanuel

I would change the education system to focus more on people and practical skills – especially financial literacy, emotional intelligence and the ability to adapt in different environments. Too often, students leave school with academic knowledge but little understanding about life and how to navigate through it.  I left school and university with strong academic knowledge, but nothing prepared me for my adult life. A large element of success in the workplace is your people skills and a large element to a happy and healthy level of independence is financial literacy, both of which I developed outside of the education system. Read more>>

Sascha Rossaint

Our whole school system was created to cultivate good factory workers. It was desirable to have a population that abides by the ring of a bell, is kept under control by a grading / casting system and is incentivized to outperform their peers so the corporate mega-owners can grow their revenue. We now live in an age where the majority of our population is sick, obese and afraid and we still put our children in institutions that create obedient citizens – critical thinking, creativity, problem solving skills and independence are foreign words these days. Read more>>

Shavonne Potts

When I think about how we can better prepare students for a fulfilling life and career, the answer always comes back to one thing: money. But not just the idea of making money — it’s understanding how to manage it, save it, invest it, and let it work for you in any career you choose. That’s the kind of financial literacy that schools often miss, but it’s a skill that’s vital for everyone. Read more>>