June 19, 2025

Dear Educator,

I have had the opportunity and great fortune to be in community with amazing education leaders who are thinking deeply about the current state of the world in the age of AI.

My mind is spinning with the many opportunities and challenges that are showing up in the education context. The focus can too often be on the tool, curriculum, or even project design. But as Tom Arnett, Senior Fellow of Education Research at the Clayton Christensen Institute, highlights in this recent article, it is so much more:

“The real key to motivation isn’t just autonomy or relevance. It’s the opportunity to earn status and respect, to be valued by people who matter, and to contribute meaningfully to a group. That’s what most school systems fail to provide. And that’s what AI, for all its brilliance, can’t replicate on its own.”

Teens are wired for purpose and connection, and that happens in community and with the opportunity to learn, contribute, and do work that matters. Yet, too often we structure schools for compliance and minimize the time and experiences that foster meaningful relationships and work. Or in other words, experiences that enable learners to thrive, a topic I want to explore in this week's Bright Spots.

With Gratitude,

Pathways to Teen Thriving

The illustration below is titled “Pathways to Teen Thriving” and comes from The History Co:Lab. It is a powerful visual representation of how young people can be supported in shaping their identities, developing agency, and connecting meaningfully with the world around them. At its core is the Teen Operating System, which emphasizes forming habits, creative exploration, emotional depth, and relationship-building as foundational elements of adolescent development.

These internal drivers are surrounded by real-world actions like archival research, organizing public discussions, co-designing solutions, and oral histories; all reinforcing that teens thrive when they are empowered to see themselves as capable, valued, and connected to something greater than themselves. Each pathway—marked by affirming messages such as “Who I am matters,” “My past doesn’t define me,” and “I have more potential than people think”—highlights the importance of providing environments where youth are seen, heard, and trusted.

This matters because when young people are nurtured in this way, they not only develop resilience and self-awareness, they also become confident, empathetic contributors to their communities and society at large.

What shows up for you when reviewing the Pathways to Teen Thriving? Share your thoughts by replying directly to this email :)

Learner-Centered Collaborative is co-presenting two sessions at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas at the end of this month! If you're heading to the conference, be sure to stop by our sessions and say hello. Learn more about the conversations we'll be co-leading here.

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 4 Lessons From a Competency-Based Community of Practice. "The work of change is hard, but it’s lighter and more joyful when we share in it with others. Structures like communities of practice sustain and accelerate change." Explore the 4 lessons.

🛠️ Mindsets Reflection Tool: "As we work to create learner-centered environments, examining our culture, assumptions, and beliefs is key to cultivating the mindset shifts needed to change the water we’re swimming in. We can do this by visiting other schools that are implementing learner-centered practices or stepping out of our field and doing analogous experiences." Download this free tool.

👩‍💻 Level Up Your Learner-Centered Practice This Summer. "Our asynchronous online courses offer educators the opportunity to dive deep into learner-centered pedagogical practices and activities—on their own timeline, at their own pace." Start learning today.