Education

In contemporary education, moving beyond traditional teaching avenues has become more vital than ever. To truly nurture our next generation, we must foster a learning environment that transcends textbooks, nurturing not just the mind but also the heart and soul of the student.

Bus drivers are back on their routes; teachers are leading classrooms bursting with energy; and parents and guardians are helping young people make the annual summer-to-school transition.

Imagine an 11-year-old boy named Matteo. Matteo is in a new school this year; he lives with his abuela during the week because his mother works both days and nights to provide for him, and he is an only child. Matteo is anxious about making new friends and he is also anxious about math, a subject he has struggled with the last few years.

“What I love about this research is that it is framing up outcomes that are relevant to kids now. Usually, it’s what are the outcomes to be successful down the road as opposed to what is meaningful to kids right now, no matter how old they are,” says Education Reimagined President and Founder Kelly Young reflecting on the recent UNICEF report, “What Makes Me? Core Capacities for Living and Learning.” 

War, environmental degradation, racism—it appears that polarization has a death grip on every aspect of our world, including our democracy.

More than two years into a global pandemic we continue to witness the effects of the Coronavirus, and one of the groups that has suffered most is children.

Humanity and the planet are going through a rite of passage where we’re being compelled to learn to live in new ways and get a sense of what matters most to us.
—M. Rako Fabionar, Program Director,
Innovative Living and Learning Institute

The new report, What Makes Me? Core Capacities for Living and Learning, names nine core capacities deemed essential for learning and the healthy development of children and their societies.

The QUESTion Project is significant because it gives people the opportunity to talk about life questions that are typically internalized, and the chance to interconnect with others. It is also significant because it widens perspectives … it inspired me to expand my wisdom, learn about the ideas and thoughts of people [who] live in my world, and serve … my community in … an extraordinary way. —Karla, QUESTion Project alumnus