What does your education look like? This is a question I am always interested in, as someone who loves (and I mean loves) experiential education, and as someone who built a company with the goal of reshaping how we as a society approach learning. What does your education look like? It's a broad question, because it encompasses formal institutions and informal practice, social constructs and individually-forged paths. It's a complicated question, because our educational systems are highly structured, yet knowledge, when accessible, can be liberating. And now, as we move through the 2020-21 school year, we are constantly faced with redefining education as we know it. At OutGrowth, we are always working to reexamine and reimagine the education space. How can we find new, unique ways to design learning experiences so that we are always educating ourselves for tomorrow? How can we rediscover our strengths and passions in new settings so that we can realize our full potential and purpose? How can we start to look beyond traditional models of growth and development to appreciate the incredible learning that takes place when we simply immerse oursevles in something new? And how can we start to educate ourselves as citizens, with a commitment to exceling in our communities as much as we do in our board rooms? This month, we salute the educators in our country who continue to commit to growing the next generation of leaders, even in the most challenging of circumstances. We also remain dedicated to reimagining how we at OutGrowth can empower and enliven the education of our local communities. Our October issue features two inspirational leaders in the education space, along with a great collection of resources so that you can redefine your educational journey. Happy reading. Grow out with us. |
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OutGrowth Today Our Monthly Blogger Spotlight + OutGrowth's Top Tip for October The En Root Scoop Empowering Your Education Our Top Ted Talk, Podcast and Book for Defining (and Redefining) the Concept |
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I strongly identify as a lifelong learner, and this has guided me throughout my life. Education, creativity, and growth were values and behaviors emphasized in my family growing up. My mother studied abroad in Salzburg, Austria during her college experience and my father was always learning, as he is an airline pilot and construction specialist. Learning from and observing my parents, I also set goals to study abroad during my college years, and I've always felt empowered to learn how to do a lot of things! Some educational highlights: I majored in psychology at James Madison University and minored in French. During my undergraduate work, I studied abroad with the University of Maryland in Nice, France for an academic year. After some prototyping conversations with my favorite educators and higher education professionals, I turned my sights to a Master’s program. Looking for a different atmosphere to build on my college experience, I applied for higher education administration Master’s programs at urban institutions. I was accepted to the George Washington University (GWU) and during my time there, I was able to intern at Johns Hopkins Schools of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). It was there that I did a 10-day research trip in Tokyo and Kyoto Japan with the Kakehashi Project. Professionally, I’ve worked at GWU, University of Kentucky, and Columbia University supporting students from residence life, experiential education, and career advising. |
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There are strengths and opportunities in every industry and workplace, but I’ve always found myself reflecting on how lucky I am to work in the higher education space. We get to have space for conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion and addressing systemic issues. We get to create space for understanding and innovation. We get to practice and try new techniques and approaches. We get the opportunity to have and explore interdisciplinary approaches for problem solving. In summary, I feel that education is a dynamic industry! It’s a microcosm of the world and hosts a lot of different roles, from program management, to instruction, to marketing and finance. Education is a part of everything in the traditional sense (e.g., K-12+) and spans sectors and industries. Maybe considering my story and reflections - how has education played a role in your life? What impact or space do you want education to hold in your personal and professional life? Sarah is an experienced higher education professional who is passionate about creating efficient systems for students to achieve their learning goals (with a current focus in professional development and experiential education). She appreciates interdisciplinary approaches and trying new things in a mindful and sustainable way. Sarah always loves learning and promotes mindful reflection and self-improvement both personally and professionally. |
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Experiential Education has always been part of my personal life - in childhood, university, and later on in my career. Since my parents worked overseas in Germany, I was born and raised as an American in a small German town and had the chance to attend German elementary school. From a young age attending German school as an American girl, I learned best when immersed in a context that grounded my learning in real world experiences. Speaking German with locals only made sense, and speaking English at home to my American parents was also the only natural way to interact with my world. My bicultural upbringing sparked in me a curiosity that the world is really a teacher at all stages of life. This has motivated me to engage with new cultures and learn from real-world experiences throughout my career higher education and in the international education space. My first home in the United States after 18 years in Europe was my dorm room in Southwest Virginia, in the Hokie Nation. This experience alone brought a sense of wonder-- engaging in international studies and foreign language learning was a way to better understand my neighbors and friends who came from all across the world. I dove into a living learning community, participated in cultural clubs in college, and applied for international internship opportunities. A lesson I learned at a young age was that learning doesn’t stop in the classroom- it traverses communities, languages, historical events, and relationships that can be formed with people from all walks of life. After college I knew I wanted to continue to be surrounded by young people who are in awe of the world and its teaching, so the international education space gifted me the chance to travel, take on professional internships in the U.S. and abroad, and eventually serve for a non-profit organization in New York City helping young students conduct international internships in Europe. |
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As I continue to learn and grow through my work, professional relationships and friendships cultivated over the years, these lessons remain true as part of a life-long learning mindset:
1. Build on your strengths:
Learning is fun when you can build on your natural talents - education should build you up, not tear you down. Identifying your strengths, skills, and interests through conversations with a counselor, teachers and friends will help you articulate your strengths and translate those into a meaningful job.
2. Embrace new experiences:
The most learning happens in unchartered territory. For the experiential learner, you must choose the path that’s new, different, and that pushes you outside your comfort zone. The learning and reflection happens on the other side of that new experience, and prepares you for the next one.
3. Be prepared to pivot:
As 2020 alone has taught us, change is the only constant. As a lifelong learner, your education in both the traditional and experiential sense prepare you to change directions and take on new challenges. Education can take on many forms, and it’s important to look up and out at all the educational opportunities that are presented to you. Whether it’s the chance to formally enroll in an educational program, a chance to travel to a nearby city, or even to welcome a conversation with a peer who has a whole different set of experiences from your own, those opportunities expose you to new possibilities. Maggie is an International Education enthusiast that has experience working in educational non-profits and university settings in the US and Abroad. Passionate about enabling opportunities for people to explore new cultures and gain confidence/ independence through new opportunities. Maggie was born and raised in Germany and has lived in the United States for a decade, currently resides in New York City. |
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| | Monthly Blogger Spotlight Just Go For It! by Victoria Doda 'This experience changed the way I view experiences as a whole. It made me realize that the things I know and have experienced are just a small fraction of what this world has to offer. It gave me the drive to want more for my life and my career and honestly gave me the confidence to just go for things, even with the fear of failing. Because even from a failure or a disappointment, you learn something.' Victoria Doda is a fun-loving, go-with-the-flow city girl born and raised in South Baltimore, with a passion for all things creative. She loves learning new things, meeting new people, and wholeheartedly believes in the power of positive thinking. | | |
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| | OutGrowth's Top Tip On Education: Diversify At OutGrowth, our entire message is around building new, different and fulfilling ways to learn, work and live. How and where we find our education is a key component of this. True learning happens when we view issues and subjects through multiple lenses. We cannot limit our understanding of a life devoted to education by reducing it to degrees and courses alone. How we apply what we learn, how we teach what we discover, how we venture out and experience a new field - these are all essential components to a well-rounded education. So today, find those moments of learning in your life, and figure out how, in a socially-distant world, you can shine a new light on them. Think of your education as an opportunity to grow and expand out, as much as it is a chance to delve deeper. By more broadly defining it for ourselves and others, we begin to build access. | | |
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We can't talk about Education without showcasing our all-time favorite Ted Talk on the topic. In honor of the recent passing of Sir Ken Robinson, we feature this poignant talk. In it, Sir Ken Robinson 'makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.' | | |
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'You’re probably confident in a lot of things that either have no rational basis or are just plain wrong. Not convinced? Have a listen to this podcast from David McRaney, and you may just change your mind. This show explores issues like overconfidence and irrationality, issues that are fundamentally human yet detrimental to our learning, progress, and well-being in many situations. It makes a nice complement to Rationally Speaking.' | | |
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'Being a lifelong learner is one of the secrets to happiness, success, and personal fulfillment. But what’s the best way to become one? Kay Peterson and David Kolb have the answer. They offer deep, research-based insights into the ideal process of learning and guide you in identifying your dominant style. You’ll discover how knowing your learning style can help you with all kinds of everyday challenges, from remembering someone’s name to adding a crucial professional skill to your repertoire. This book is a guide to awakening the power of learning that lies within each of us.' | | |
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