Embark Education

“Will you try our iced lavender matcha latte with Earl Gray cold foam?” “This is our mango agua fresca. We ran out of mango syrup, so we added some raspberry syrup instead!” “What do you think of the mascarpone cold foam I added to my honey latte?” Sitting at the bar at Pinwheel Coffee this week, these are just a few of the things we overhead our learners sharing with the shop’s leadership team. Learners were preparing to pitch the final iterations of the drinks they created to a panel of judges, who would ultimately decide which drinks might be added to the coffee shop’s spring or summer seasonal menus. Meanwhile, across the street, another set of learners worked diligently to design, build, and install Little Free Libraries for our surrounding community. And just the week prior, learners sold over $1,283 at a Pop-Up Book Fair they hosted with a local indie bookstore. These moments of authentic, learner-centered education occurred in just the last five weeks.   Looking back on 2024, we are sitting in great gratitude and abundant awe at the privilege we have to do this work. We have always been of the belief that the work of radically exploring the limitless possibilities in youth education is work we cannot do alone. To each and every one of you who has supported our mission in any capacity, we are so eternally grateful for you. This video beautifully shows a peek into the first half of the 2024-2025 school year, and was created by none other than an amazing Embark alum, Josh F. Josh, who is currently a freshman in high school, was always capturing and creating magic during his time at Embark. We are so incredibly proud and grateful to see his legacy live on in this video he created as a year-end gift to current learners and educators. We wish you and your loved ones rest and ease, joy and health as we end 2024 and welcome 2025. We’ll see you in the New Year!

As we begin a brand new week, we have a BIG new endeavor to announce! 💥 On behalf of RESCHOOL, Moonshot, and Embark Education, we are beyond excited to share the Denver Learning Ecosystem digital tool, a collaborative project designed to bring visibility to, elevate, and connect vital learning partners and providers in Denver who educate, support, and inspire youth across the city. Our trio of organizations has been actively resourcing and building Denver’s Learning Ecosystem alongside a diversity of community-based organizations, learning providers, youth, families, and funders across the city. We joined forces to shift the narrative from building a brand new ecosystem to better resourcing and coordinating the one that exists today - all in an effort to better serve the youth of Denver. Last week, we unveiled our new Denver Learning Ecosystem website at a soft launch event graciously hosted by Moonshot at their new co-working space. Together with an intimate group of leaders, movers, and shakers, we took a tour of the digital Learning Ecosystem while engaging in great conversations about how we can amplify and maximize impact and reach. There is so much more we will share, but for now, what better way to get to know the Denver Learning Ecosystem than by jumping right in and experiencing it for yourself?! It is with boundless energy and excitement that we invite you to explore the Denver Learning Ecosystem digital tool, right here: https://lnkd.in/dSx3VtCV Dive in and take a look around! Here are a few invitations as you navigate through the site: 🔍 Explore! Check out the amazing summer programs, after-school programs, homeschool, learning pods, and microschools abundant in the city of Denver. ➕ Add your organization! Are you a part of an organization that provides educational experiences for youth outside of the traditional K-12 school experience? Submit your organization and get on the map! ✍️ Edit your organization! See your organization on the map, but need to make an edit? You can submit changes right on the site. 📣 Stay tuned! We’ll be sharing more in the days, weeks, and months to come. This work would not have been possible without the dedication and brilliance of Moonshot CEO, Kat Ling and RESCHOOL Executive Director, Amy Anderson. Nor would it be possible without multitudes of incredible organizations that design experiences for youth, intentionally outside of the traditional educational system, as a way of disrupting system barriers, and open up more expansive opportunities that center young people, in particular those who have been historically marginalized from our education systems. #denverlearningecosystem #education #educationinnovation #learning #community

Fridays are for unadulterated #middleschooljoy. And, some seriously persuasive salesmanship. 😉 We couldn’t resist sharing this silly, unedited version of a video of learners in their element at this week’s Pop-Up Book Fair. This Wednesday - Friday, learners hosted a Book Fair at our enterprise, Pinwheel Coffee, with books provided by a well-known indie bookstore, Second Star to the Right Books. In preparation for this week’s community event, learners spent weeks: 🤝 Collaborating with the experts at Second Star to the Right Books 📚 Curating the selection of books to be featured at the Pop-Up Book Fair. They did this by picking a book they love and reflecting on it in different ways, as well as by critically thinking about different audiences. 🔍 Analyzing book recommendations ✍️ Writing synopses of select books to be featured And this week, learners worked in shifts providing customer service and support. The two learners in this video even took it upon themselves to “gamify” the flow of customers, creating a grid of “buyers, nonbuyers, sales, and current shoppers” to help manage traffic flow and provide support accordingly. Authentic learning rooted in hosting a community event benefiting a beloved local business - just another week at Embark Education. #authenticlearning #learnercentered

Hey, Denver community! 👋 Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the book lover in your life? Look no further than our upcoming Pop-Up Book Fair! In partnership with the incredible local, indie bookstore Second Star to the Right Books, we are hosting a Pop-Up Book Fair at our enterprise, Pinwheel Coffee, next week! This community event is a brilliant opportunity to shop small this holiday season. Second Star to the Right will be featuring books for all ages, from children, to young adults, and adults. We’ll also have toys, fidgets, and games available for purchase. And of course, our favorite part: it is organized by our learners! Learners will be providing customer service and support, as well as providing their recommendations. This book fair is a part of our Book Besties learning experience, which focuses on fostering two of our competencies: communication and growth mindset. If you are local, we'd love to see you there! Swing by Pinwheel, grab a coffee, and peruse our creatively-curated selection of books and goods! We hope to see you there! ☕ 📚 #authenticlearning #bookfair #shopsmall #shoplocal #denverholidaymarket

Middle school joy. It’s something we talk about a lot. Perhaps more importantly, we’re grateful to say middle school joy is something we experience a lot. There are the anticipated moments of joy, like World Kindness Day, which happened to coincide with a recent learning experience called Be the Spark. Learners spent nine days completing their own acts of kindness and activism, from collecting and donating toys to writing and delivering letters to elderly community members. There was our November Iterative Space Residency Alumni Dinner, which brought together alumni of our past five Residencies for shared laughs and stories over a shared meal. And while this may not technically be middle school joy, it was a gathering of a group of education professionals brought together by a common thread of knowing that more is possible for our youth, and the relentless pursuit of living into that possibility. There were also the less eventized but just as joyful moments, like an impromptu game of hacky sack - which is harder than we remember it to be, we might add - with learners at lunch. And a trip to a beloved local book store as part of a current learning experience called Book Besties, all about sharing our love of choice reading with adolescents and educators. A throughline to these moments of joy has been us standing in awe of the truly revolutionary company we are privileged to keep in both our youth and our adult learning communities. The Revolutionary trait in our Learner Profile reads: “I make a difference. I fearlessly challenge the status quo and advocate for dramatic change.” We see this in our middle school learners, and they see it in themselves, too. In the 2023 Transcend Leaps Student Voice Survey, 100% of Emabrk learners said they have the agency to develop their own ideas. And 83% said that what they learn at Embark is connected to life outside the classroom. Our mission has always been to support learners of all ages to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self. How truly humbled we are to see our mission come to fruition in the revolutionary way our learners - youth and adults alike - move through the world around them. It grounds us in the innate knowing that radical change is not only possible, but that it’s happening right before our eyes, even in the seemingly smallest of moments. As our learners and our team head into a week off for Thanksgiving break, we are rooted in deep reverence for this community. We are so grateful to be in this work with you, and we wish you a restful and restorative holiday full of joyful moments to savor.

Calling all coffee lovers and proponents of authentic learning 📣 We’ve got a little something to fill your cup. Last week, two brand new roasts hit the shelves at our enterprise, Pinwheel Coffee. But, these aren’t any ordinary bags of coffee beans. These bags of beans are the product of our first ever eighth grade apprenticeship. Over the course of eleven weeks, two of our eighth grade learners worked with Pinwheel’s roasting team to learn the ins and outs of creating a delicious and unique coffee roast. After working closely with the Pinwheel team and several sessions at our co-roasting space, First Crack Coffee, our eighth grade learners facilitated a tasting session for a panel of judges to determine which of their roasts would make it onto the shelves at the shop. The judges spoke and Pinwheel debuted two new, limited edition roasts for guests’ sipping enjoyment! 🇨🇷 Cruzer’s single-origin Costa Rica roast, with tasting notes of toasted marshmallow and milk chocolate. 🇬🇹🇹🇱 Walden’s Traveler’s Blend of Guatemalan and Timor-Leste coffees, with tasting notes of Dark Chocolate and Cherry The goals of our eighth grade apprenticeship are skill acquisition, mentoring, and resume and communication building. Our eighth grade learners not only hit these goals; they surpassed them and created two truly incredible roasts in the process. We couldn’t be prouder of these learners or these coffee beans! If you’re local to Denver, stop by and pick up a bag! You’ll feel great not only about the quality of coffee in your cup, but in the knowledge that the #coffee in your cup is the joyous product of #learnercentered #education.

Looking for an inspiring listen to start your week? 🎧💡 Check out the latest from The School House 302 FocusED School Leadership Podcast featuring RESCHOOL Executive Director Amy Anderson. This dynamic conversation centers around the importance of collaborative partnerships in education. Tune in to hear Amy share her thoughts, and also to hear about an exciting new endeavor we have been working on with RESCHOOL and Moonshot! There are few things that get us as fired up as exploring the power of community to fuel innovation in education. Thank you, Amy, for sharing your insight and wisdom! You can find the podcast right here: https://lnkd.in/gnN7JA6q #education #innovation #educationpodcast #learnercentered

Join us in cheering on this guy, Embark Educator Jimmy McCue, as he prepares to present today at the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools Schools of the Future Conference! 👏 If you are in Honolulu at the conference, don’t miss Jimmy’s workshop, “Discover, Explore, Connect: Transforming Middle School Learning through No-Walled Exploration.” Check out the details below! 📍 Where: Hawaii Convention Center, 323C ⏰ When: 10:25 - 11:55AM 💡 Workshop Description: Experience life at Embark Education, where we redefine education through captivating, high-quality project-based learning, focusing on six pillars: Intellectual Challenge, Authenticity, Collaboration, Inquiry, Reflection, and Student Agency. Picture intellectually stimulating projects rooted in real-world relevance and authenticity, based on community needs, showcased in our coffee shop, Pinwheel Coffee. Highlighting collaboration and diverse perspectives, we ignite inquiry-based exploration, fostering self-management, growth mindset, and reflection. Witness community partnerships enriching Learning Experiences, equipping learners with skills and mindset to thrive. #SOTF24 #education #educationconference #learnercentered #middleschooljoy

Today is World Kindness Day! Our learners are celebrating all week by completing their own kindness and activism projects, like: ✍️ Writing and delivering letters to elderly community members 💌 Writing encouraging letters and curating encouraging quotes to share with neighbors 🤝 Connecting guests at Pinwheel Coffee to positive online communities 🧸 Collecting and delivering donations to Toys for Tots 🎨 Painting inspiring rocks to place throughout our neighborhood We were so privileged to spend time today with Kindness Rocks and the City, an incredible organization that’s all about creating positive moments for those who need it most. With inspiration and guidance from Kindness Rocks and the City, our learners painted rocks with uplifting words of encouragement and joyful messages to plant throughout our community. These community-driven moments are part of our Be The Spark learning experience, where we’re covering topics like the science of kindness, how art can change the world, social activism, and paying it forward. We hope some #kindness has found its way to you this #worldkindnessday! As always, we are so inspired by our middle school learners who continue to #bethespark for us, and for so many in our North Denver community ✨. #middleschooljoy #communitylove

We love cheering our team on as they do incredible things, like creating #middleschooljoy for our adolescent learners and traveling across the country to represent Embark at conferences nationwide, like this week’s Schools of the Future Conference in Honolulu, Hawai’i! Embark Educator Jimmy McCue is in Honolulu gearing up for his workshop Friday at Schools of the Future 🙌. In his workshop “Discover, Explore, Connect: Transforming Middle School Learning through No-Walled Exploration,” Jimmy will share how we redefine education through captivating project-based learning rooted in community needs and showcased in our enterprise, Pinwheel Coffee. If you are at the conference this week, don’t miss it! 🌴 We would love the opportunity to connect, show you what we’re all about, and share how we support learners to courageously inquire, engage, and discover a sense of self. Learn more about the conference and peruse the full program right here: https://lnkd.in/g_XV8WMx #SOTF24 #education #educationconference #authenticlearning