The infrastructure that
makes belonging possible.
For every student. By design.
The ideas that shape the work.
Building equitable career-connected learning requires more than good intentions — it requires a foundation. This page collects the videos, conversations, books, and research that inform how we think about belonging, identity, agency, and the structural changes schools need to make. Some of it will affirm what you already believe. Some of it will challenge you. All of it is worth your time.
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Rita Pierson
Every kid needs a champion
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.
Edutopia
Solving Real-World Problems: Bringing Authentic Context to Learning
The perfect problem connects content, student interest, and an authentic context.
Michael Jr.
Know Your Why
Comedian Michael Jr. goes Off the Cuff at live comedy show and uses this completely improv moment as a great illustration for knowing your why and purpose in life. See what happens after he asks if he can sing…
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What if school felt different?
Enlightened Practitioners invites educators, leaders, and bold thinkers into honest conversations about reimagining education—moving beyond assignments to help students discover themselves and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Hosts Drs. Julie DiPilato and Jonathan Page explore the real work of building inclusive cultures, designing future-ready learning, and strengthening connections between identity, purpose, and opportunity. Each episode brings forward stories, insights, and practical ideas from educators and partners who are transforming school communities from the inside out. This is for anyone who believes education can reflect who students are and who they’re becoming.
Middle School Walk and Talk Podcast
This podcast series offers heart, hope, and health to members of our middle school communities. Hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire model wellness as they walk and talk while recording each episode. Listeners are encouraged to take a walk, too, as they listen to discussions on self-care, student well-being, school culture, and more.Middle School Walk and Talk is designed to support the concepts found in the book, The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, and is a production of the Association for Middle Level Education. Learn more about The Successful Middle School Program.
Co-Hosts David Virtue and Andrew Maxey highlight recent research and discuss its implications for the education of young adolescents in middle grades schools and classrooms.
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Chris Unger
A Revolution in Education: Scaling Agency and Opportunity for All
Written by Dr. Chris Unger at Northeastern University, A Revolution in Education confronts a hard truth: our education system is designed to perpetuate a factory model of schooling, even as better alternatives — ones that foreground students' agency, interests, passions, and opportunity — already exist. Amazon
George S. Perry, Jr.
Equity Warriors: Creating Schools That Students Deserve
Written by George S. Perry Jr., Equity Warriors is a call to action for educational leaders who are willing to fight for equity for all students Equity Warriors — offering practical, realistic, and strategic approaches for navigating the roadblocks of systemic change and making the system work for every student. Amazon
