We hear, frequently, that the global education system is broken, and as a result, we spend billions of dollar trying to fix it. But the K-12 system isn’t actually broken at all – it’s working exactly as it was designed, 100 years ago, and it’s obsolete. So in Learning Unboxed, we will have a conversation about teaching, learning, and the future of work; we will reimagine, rethink, and redesign our educational system.
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Sep 28, 2026 · 33:25
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Jessica Reid Sliwerski, co-founder and CEO of Ignite Reading, to explore why waiting until third grade to address reading…
Sep 14, 2026 · 28:36
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome back Jason Blair, arts educator and founder of the Agents of Change, to explore what happens when schools are designed around…
Aug 31, 2026 · 30:55
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Chaz Van De Motter, Vice President of Operations at New Reach, to explore how community-based learning can help young people…
Aug 17, 2026 · 30:05
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Garrett Smiley, founder and CEO of Sora Schools, to explore how education can move beyond delivering content and give…
Aug 3, 2026 · 30:56
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Mike Caldwell, founder and CEO of LinkedLeaders, a platform designed to help K-12 school leaders find meaningful support when…
Jun 22, 2026 · 32:17
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Dr. Manfred Stapff, physician, researcher, author of Real-World Evidence Unveiled, and host of The Real-World Evidence…
Jun 8, 2026 · 31:34
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Laura Tavares, Executive Director of the WPS Institute, to explore how learning ecosystems can help schools become more…
May 25, 2026 · 30:43
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Leah Ellis, founder of the Society of Child Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit helping children ages six to 17 build real business,…
May 11, 2026 · 30:39
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Amy Besida, Chief Program Officer at Embarc, a Chicago-based organization helping schools bring learning beyond the classroom…
Apr 27, 2026 · 30:55
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Betsy Potash, former English teacher, curriculum creator, and host of the Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. We explore how…
Apr 13, 2026 · 36:41
In this milestone 300th episode of Learning Unboxed, we celebrate with Ashley Price, Director of Student Experiences and All Things Summer and Out-of-School Programming at the…
Mar 30, 2026 · 30:17
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Hillary Summerbell, founder and CEO of Summerbell, a literacy technology company transforming how visual dyslexic learners…
Mar 16, 2026 · 40:30
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Keith Parker, Colina Bartlett, Tiffany Dudley, and Kelly Cowell from the ECPPS Microschool in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.…
Mar 2, 2026 · 29:57
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Krystal Popov, founder of Futurepreneur, a program designed to help kids ages 6–16 turn creativity and tech skills into…
Feb 16, 2026 · 32:05
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Belén Quellet, Executive Director of The Learning Quest, to explore what it really looks like to turn an entire city into a…
Feb 2, 2026 · 23:56
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Ishan Shivanand, founder of Yoga of Immortals and author of the international bestseller The Practice of Immortality.…
Jan 19, 2026 · 28:52
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re reconnecting with returning guest and “serial school starter” Nathan Gorsch, executive director and principal of the Colorado Springs…
Jan 5, 2026 · 29:33
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Sean Geraghty, founder of Reset Coaching and co-founder of the Center for Teen Flourishing, to explore what today’s teens…
Dec 15, 2025 · 30:22
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Lisa Huffman, Dean of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information…
Dec 1, 2025 · 30:57
What does it look like to build a truly learner-centered school from the ground up—and do it by activating the full power of the surrounding community? In this episode, we…
Nov 10, 2025 · 27:35
What if we taught math facts through understanding instead of memorization? In this episode, we welcome Mike Kenny—Vermont fifth-grade math teacher and creator of MathFactLab…
Oct 27, 2025 · 33:48
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, I’m joined by Jefferson Pestronk, Executive Director at Modern States, to discuss how their free online courses and College Board’s CLEP…
Oct 13, 2025 · 33:57
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Danny Bauer, host of the Better Leaders, Better Schools podcast and a champion for reimagining education through leadership.…
Sep 29, 2025 · 31:26
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, I’m joined by Craig Randall, author of Trust-Based Observations, to explore how great teaching thrives when educators feel psychologically…
Sep 15, 2025 · 29:47
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we dive into reading skills development with Tim Waldron, CEO of Readable English. We explore why so many students—especially in upper…
Sep 1, 2025 · 29:50
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome David Solomon, CEO of Lightspeed Technologies, to unpack “instructional audio”—low-volume, high-clarity sound that makes the…
Aug 25, 2025 · 32:28
When it comes to student behavior, punishment often gets mistaken for progress. In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Nicholas Bradford, founder of the National…
Aug 18, 2025 · 31:03
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome Dr. Aimee E. Ketchum and Dr. Crystal Corle Loose, co-authors of The Early Childhood Promise. With a wealth of experience in…
Aug 11, 2025 · 31:03
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Christie McKelvie, co-founder and director of Rooted & Free Nature School, to talk about the transformative potential of…
Aug 4, 2025 · 34:02
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, I’m joined by Jeff Utecht, co-host of the Shifting Schools podcast and a consultant focused on generational change and AI in education. We…
Jul 28, 2025 · 41:32
Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually, we take the month of July off, but this…
Jul 21, 2025 · 33:48
Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually, we take the month of July off, but this…
Jul 14, 2025 · 38:15
Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually, we take the month of July off, but this…
Jul 7, 2025 · 34:11
Welcome to our special series where we’ll explore four learning sites that are part of the Education Reimagined Ecosystem Lab. Usually, we take the month of July off, but this…
Jun 30, 2025 · 28:06
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we explore the transformative power of internships with Aya Belouadah, a college student at The Ohio State University and PAST Foundation…
Jun 23, 2025 · 33:15
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome Marshall Escamilla, co-host and music creator for the Tumble Podcast, a show that brings the wonders of science directly to kids…
Jun 16, 2025 · 31:37
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Dr. Lisa Strohman, founder of Digital Citizen Academy and author of Unplugged: Raising Kids in a Technology Addicted World…
Jun 9, 2025 · 33:42
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Steven Sell, Assistant Director at MAP Academy, an alternative charter high school in Plymouth, Massachusetts. MAP Academy’s…
Jun 2, 2025 · 30:41
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by David Harris, President and CEO of Christel House International, a global nonprofit breaking the cycle of poverty through an…
May 26, 2025 · 33:52
Welcome to a bonus edition of Learning Unboxed, where we will spend two weeks revisiting innovative case studies of student-centered learning. We know that the one-size-fits-all…
May 19, 2025 · 34:16
Welcome to a bonus edition of Learning Unboxed, where we will spend two weeks revisiting innovative case studies of student-centered learning. We know that the one-size-fits-all…
May 12, 2025 · 34:49
We’re diving into the joy and purpose of play in this episode of Learning Unboxed with Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor, director of Dr. Diane’s Adventures of Learning. Diane brings a…
May 5, 2025 · 34:11
What if your city was your classroom? In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we meet Kalimah Fergus Ayele, Head of the New York City campus of The Winchendon School, a high school…
Apr 28, 2025 · 29:57
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we explore the powerful intersection of summer camp and education with Lisa Gitelson, CEO of the Fresh Air Fund. With over 148 years of…
Apr 21, 2025 · 31:26
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we dive into the transformative power of data in education with Chris Hull, former educator and co-founder of Otus. Otus is a K-12 assessment…
Apr 14, 2025 · 33:04
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we're joined by Nick Salmon, Mar Cano Mesa, and Erin O’Reilly, co-authors of TeamEd, a transformative guide to collaboration in education.…
Apr 7, 2025 · 30:13
Math anxiety holds many students back, but what if we could change the way they experience mathematics? In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Dr. Aditya Nagrath,…
Mar 31, 2025 · 33:12
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing education with Jose Moreno, founder and CEO of Neulight. Jose's company is at the…
Mar 24, 2025 · 29:46
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we explore the transformative power of jazz in education with Stephanie Matthews, Executive Director of A Tribe for Jazz. Stephanie has…
Mar 17, 2025 · 33:57
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we sit down with Ned Johnson, co-author of “The Self-Driven Child” and “What Do You Say?”. Ned’s unique blend of experience as a successful…
Mar 10, 2025 · 31:51
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we explore how Ferris, a facility dog at Upper Arlington High School, is transforming inclusion and leadership for students with…
Mar 3, 2025 · 31:19
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we dive into the transformative power of the Portrait of a Graduate with Shannon King, Chief Learning Officer at Battelle for Kids. This…
Feb 24, 2025 · 34:38
What if education worked for every child, no matter where they lived or how they learned? In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we welcome Carmela Fleury, the creator of the…
Feb 17, 2025 · 32:54
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Dave Hersh, the CEO of InTandem, a groundbreaking organization connecting youth voices with industries to improve products,…
Feb 10, 2025 · 32:27
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we have the privilege of delving into the personal journey of Kapono Ciotti, CEO of the Pacific American Foundation and co-author of the…
Feb 3, 2025 · 32:33
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we’re joined by Alan Tang, co-founder of Collaboration Laboratory (CoLab), an award-winning online program that teaches kids life skills…
Jan 27, 2025 · 31:43
Dr. Maggie Broderick is the Dissertation Chair in the Department of Teacher Education at National University. National University has doctoral students all over the world and…
Jan 20, 2025 · 33:09
Amber Humm Patnode has spent over a decade researching the root causes of chronic absenteeism and how to address them effectively. She joins us today to explain what the data…
Jan 13, 2025 · 28:54
What if instead of pushing every high schooler into Algebra 2, we let them choose a math route that focused more on data science and computers? That’s what Chris Orban and the…
Jan 6, 2025 · 29:21
Kasondra Wilson was a first generation college student and now works at one of the top consulting firms in the world, Deloitte. She knows firsthand what boost students need in…
Dec 16, 2024 · 32:30
Welcome back for the third episode of our four-part series all about our Portable Innovation Labs (PILs). Today, we have a conversation with two community partners who use PILs…
Dec 9, 2024 · 35:38
If assessments measured how a student is smart, not if a student is smart, our education system would be in a better place. That’s the future Sonn Sam and Big Picture Learning…
Dec 2, 2024 · 35:14
Imagine if instead of having to cram for tests and sit through lessons, high schoolers could graduate by navigating six “passages” that prove their practical, creative, and…
Nov 18, 2024 · 30:17
When Jessica Fields carries a PAST Foundation Portable Innovation Lab (PILs) box into a school, kids’ eyes light up. They know they’re about to do something cool and fun. What…
Nov 11, 2024 · 34:40
Microschools are positive disruptors of our modern education ecosystem. Today, CEO of Changemaker Microschools, David K. Richards, joins the show to help us dig a little deeper…
Nov 4, 2024 · 31:54
The most important part of a child’s education is developing a love of learning. That’s Amir Nathoo’s motto and what led him to co-found OutSchool. Amir joins the show today to…
Oct 28, 2024 · 32:29
Welcome to our new mini-series on our Portable Innovation Labs (PILs). Here at the PAST Foundation, we’ve been working hard to make this offering a reality. Now we want to tell…
Oct 21, 2024 · 31:43
Dr. Keeanna Warren, CEO of Purdue Polytechnic High School, says her school is a school without walls. She means that metaphorically of course, but it did physically come to…
Oct 14, 2024 · 29:01
There are lots of conversations today about AI’s role in education. To help us more deeply discuss it, we have invited Ian Zhu on the show today. Ian is the co-founder and CEO of…
Oct 7, 2024 · 33:44
There’s a good chance your state’s policies actually allow for more innovative and student-centered learning than you think. Sonn Sam is the National Director of Partnerships at…
Sep 30, 2024 · 27:48
Andrea Vescelius is a Ohio public school teacher who has eliminated homework and limited grades to just quarterly marks for her students. In this episode, we ask her how she…
Sep 23, 2024 · 28:53
Laksh Dhir’s goal is to revolutionize how informal education is being done in classrooms around the world. Laksh is the CEO and Chairman of Youth for STEM Equity, and he is our…
Sep 16, 2024 · 32:45
Usually, one-on-one coaching is reserved for business executives, but Joel Nicholson’s mission is to bring it to students. Joel is the co-founder of Youthfully, a coaching and…
Sep 9, 2024 · 34:08
Dr. Tyler Thigpen co-founded The Forest School in Fayetteville, GA and from there he also co-founded the Institute for Self Directed Learning. Tyler is our guest on the show…
Sep 2, 2024 · 33:24
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was made almost 40 years ago, yet it still is seen as an accurate representation of education in America. Kevin Stoller is on a mission to update…
Aug 26, 2024 · 30:55
Often game-based learning is treated simply as a hook to get students initially engaged. Today our guest Chris Ramsden explains how game-based learning should instead be deeply…
Aug 19, 2024 · 29:19
All great things start with a podcast! What started out as a podcast by Ryan Pruitt during COVID lockdowns has morphed into his business called Be All You. Ryan joins the show…
Aug 12, 2024 · 34:33
While virtual learning is often associated with COVID lockdowns and isolation, it actually has the power to create more connections than traditional brick-and-mortar schools for…
Aug 5, 2024 · 35:12
Many times we say we value students’ voices and aspirations, but we don’t do the work to truly make them partners in designing and delivering education. Today, Dr. Russ Quaglia…
Jul 29, 2024 · 36:45
Welcome to our special series about shifting to a more student-lead ecosystem! Usually we take the month of July off, but this year we’re going to re-examine episodes with the…
Jul 22, 2024 · 34:25
Welcome to our special series about shifting to a more student-lead ecosystem! Usually we take the month of July off, but this year we’re going to re-examine episodes with the…
Jul 15, 2024 · 33:37
Welcome back to our special series about shifting to a more student-lead ecosystem! Usually we take the month of July off, but this year we’re going to re-examine episodes with…
Jul 8, 2024 · 37:10
Welcome to our special series about shifting to a more student-lead ecosystem! Usually we take the month of July off, but this year we’re going to re-examine episodes with the…
Jun 24, 2024 · 33:57
Humans think in story. Story is not just a way to connect with others, it’s how we connect to ourselves and how we navigate our world. At Just Bloom School, adults and children…
Jun 17, 2024 · 40:40
The traditional educational ecosystem is not built to reflect kids’ lived experiences and development. It has almost arbitrary divisions: School, after school, and summer; school…
Jun 10, 2024 · 33:20
Lesley Slaughter’s job as Senior Vice President of Soliant is to examine how to close the gap between the number of healthcare professionals and the increasing number of patients…
Jun 3, 2024 · 37:13
Getting to see a live wild animal up close beats staring at a screen for just about anybody, big or small. Our guests today have witnessed that firsthand and are building out…
May 27, 2024 · 32:35
Play is powerful. Not only is it critical to the individual development of children, but it can create schoolwide cultures of inclusion, celebration, and healthy conflict…
May 20, 2024 · 31:10
Almost ten years ago, Tom Thorpe wanted to create a learning environment that was embedded in the community and shaped around individual students. Today, REDI Lab, a “school…
May 13, 2024 · 37:32
If a student misses even a single building block in their math education, they will struggle in future lessons. In math, every concept builds on itself. That’s why developing an…
May 6, 2024 · 32:24
Christian Martinez knows firsthand what it’s like to be a young immigrant in America: The language barrier, financial stress, feeling alone and hopeless. That’s why he does what…
Apr 29, 2024 · 33:00
In 2015, Norris School District came to Johnna Noll with a learner-centered educational consultant’s dream request. The tiny school district’s residential population consisted of…
Apr 22, 2024 · 30:21
How do you even begin to create systems change in education? Our guest today is Rob Collins. He manages the Innovative Learning Network in the Kentucky Department of Education.…
Apr 15, 2024 · 33:48
It’s time to get free from oppression, both inside the classroom and out: internalized oppression, interpersonal oppression, ideological oppression, institutional oppression.…
Apr 8, 2024 · 32:04
Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City is the nation's first and the city's largest youth mentoring organization. Chief Program and Innovation Officer Michael Coughlin joins…
Apr 1, 2024 · 33:19
Steve Heath calls himself a “professional confuser.” In a world where kids are defined by grades, test scores, attendance, and behavior, Steve’s organization asks them what they…
Mar 25, 2024 · 34:49
Students often face the double burden of experiencing trauma then feeling isolated and powerless. Educators don’t always know when to step in and what tools to offer. Jenna…
Mar 18, 2024 · 38:54
Fred Rogers was an incredible learning scientist before the term even existed. That’s the basis of Ryan Rydzewski’s and Gregg Behr’s new book, “When You Wonder, You're Learning:…
Mar 11, 2024 · 33:16
Today we’re joined by Quamid Francis, the former Executive Director of City Year New York. His program places and supports Student Success Coaches in 17 New York City public…
Mar 4, 2024 · 36:30
In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we are thrilled to welcome Ellen Erlanger and Kathy Meyer, co-directors of professional learning at the Partnerships for Authentic Learning…
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