Open Way Learning

08/27/2026

We envision middle school as a time when young people find their voice, build confidence, discover what they care about, feel a strong sense of belonging, and begin to see themselves as capable of shaping their own learning and future.

For many middle schoolers, that vision can still feel pretty far away. But in Muskegon, Michigan, it’s getting closer.

Through the Third Coast Learning Collaborative , educators are working together to strengthen student agency, interdisciplinary PBL, portfolio-based assessment, and the relationships and systems that help this work last.

Open Way Learning is grateful to partner with the Human Restoration Project in supporting this work and learning alongside the educators making it happen.

Read Ben Pendarvis’ latest field update on the OWL blog:
https://www.openwaylearning.org/post/third-coast-learning-collaborative-student-agency-michigan-middle-school

Open Way Learning and the Human Restoration Project are helping Michigan middle schools build student agency through interdisciplinary PBL, portfolio-based assessment, teacher collaboration, and sustained coaching. Early results point to stronger engagement, belonging, and student well-being as the....

08/13/2026

How might we ensure every student leaves high school with meaningful options for what comes next?

As fewer young people choose a traditional four-year college path, schools are rethinking how they prepare students for life after graduation. This story from The Hechinger Report explores how one district is expanding career pathways and helping students connect learning to real opportunities.

The goal isn’t to steer students toward one path, it’s to make sure they have the experiences, skills, and knowledge to choose the path that’s right for them.

Read more via The Hechinger Report : https://hechingerreport.org/as-fewer-young-people-choose-college-this-district-wants-to-ensure-they-have-career-options/

In Niagara Falls, New York, a town with shrinking job options, students are encouraged to consider their careers in ninth grade

08/12/2026

Mountain music, big ideas, and learning together.

The WNC Resilience Project Summer Convening brought educators and partners from across Western North Carolina together to connect, create, and keep building what’s possible for students.

We opened with mountain music and movement with Heidi Kulas, a reminder of how social interaction, shared experiences, and traditions like dancing can help build belonging.

Through a World Café, we explored educator practices connected to the essential conditions that help learner-centered ideas take root and grow.

Then teams used the Pathway to Resilience framework to make their thinking visible—mapping student-centered goals, current realities, barriers, milestones, and locally developed Change Ideas they can carry back into their schools and communities.



The convening may be over, but the learning isn’t.

WNC teachers: keep going with us through the WNC Resilience Project Learning Lab. Bring an idea, test it in your context, learn alongside other educators, and help build a more resilient, learner-centered Western North Carolina.

Join the Learning Lab: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VImKPsBUIvNNQrSVfR9cq58D_Nx8ZO6HMGLe8Vxsvo4/edit?usp=sharing

07/24/2026

How might we move beyond surveys and truly listen to students?

Our partners at the Human Restoration Project are exploring that question through empathy interviews and creating space for students to share authentic experiences that can shape more learner-centered schools. Their new conversation with Getting Smart highlights how listening deeply can strengthen belonging, build trust, and turn student voice into meaningful action.
It's a powerful reminder that lasting change begins by understanding the people we serve.

Listen here: https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/chris-mcnutt-on-the-power-of-empathy-interviews/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Explore Getting Smart podcasts featuring conversations with educators, innovators, and leaders reimagining learning for the future. New episodes weekly.

07/23/2026

How do we turn strong change ideas into meaningful action?

Usually, the problem is not a lack of committed people or creative ideas. The bigger challenge is creating the time, structure, and shared support needed to move an idea forward.

The WNC Resilience Project Learning Lab will support six district teams as they test a locally designed change idea, such as a classroom practice, curriculum, student support model, a community partnership, or broader systems change, learn from what happens, and decide whether to adapt, adopt, or abandon it.

The goal is to build a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement that helps good ideas turn into action that benefits WNC students and their communities.

If you are in Western North Carolina, join us at the 2026 Summer Convening on July 28–29 to begin building your own pathway from idea to action.

Outside WNC? Reach out to learn how Open Way Learning can support your team in doing the same: www.openwaylearning.org

We will share 2026–2027 WNC Resilience Project Learning Lab application details at the Summer Convening and through our social channels afterward.

07/16/2026

How might we redefine the purpose of school for the world our students are inheriting?

This thought-provoking piece from School of Thought challenges us to look beyond test scores and compliance and ask a deeper question: What experiences will help young people lead meaningful, connected, and purposeful lives?
It's a conversation worth having.

Read more via The School of Thought : https://schoolofthought.substack.com/p/the-true-purpose-of-school?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

and the human revolution

07/06/2026

There is meaningful work happening across Western North Carolina schools and communities. This summer we are bringing people together to build on that momentum.

Western North Carolina educators and community partners are invited to the WNC Resilience Project Summer Convening on July 28 and 29 at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.

Together, we will explore the conditions that support student wellbeing, engagement, and academic growth, learn from bright spots emerging across the region, and help local changemakers develop ideas they can put into action during the coming school year.

Come connect, contribute, and help shape what comes next. Click here to learn more and RSVP:https://www.wncresilienceproject.org/eventscontent/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-3zaa9-zlxng-82jf5

07/02/2026

As we prepare for the WNCRP summer convening, we are reflecting on a year of strong momentum and important learning across our work.

One clear celebration: through the WNC Resilience Project, we have engaged 160 educators and community members, including 125 Western North Carolina educators. Together, those educators serve an estimated 7,500 students across the region.

This year also helped us see where the next layer of support is needed: helping promising Change Ideas move from early testing into stronger implementation, evidence, reflection, and shared learning.

In response, we are refining the project alongside educators and partners. Our next phase includes a focused Learning Lab that will help school teams complete and share improvement cycles while continuing to build a broader regional learning ecosystem.

WNC educators and community partners are invited to join us at the WNC Resilience Project Summer Convening on July 28–29 in Sylva. We still have space for people who want to connect, learn from work already happening across the region, and co-design practical pathways for strengthening student wellbeing, engagement, and academic growth.

Learn more and register: https://www.wncresilienceproject.org/events

06/29/2026

What if one of the simplest ways to regulate your nervous system was sitting right in front of you?

Coloring isn't just for our students! Repetitive, creative activities like coloring can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system ( the body's "rest and restore" response) by slowing breathing, reducing stress, and giving the brain a chance to reset. While coloring doesn't directly "calm the vagus nerve," it can support vagal regulation by creating the conditions for relaxation and mindfulness.

As educators, we spend so much time caring for others that we often forget to care for ourselves. Taking just a few minutes to pause can make a meaningful difference in how we show up for our students, colleagues, and communities.

If you're looking for more practical strategies to support both educator well-being and student-centered learning, we'd love to have you join us at the WNCRP Summer Convening. Together, we'll explore ideas, build connections, and learn alongside educators from across Western North Carolina.

We hope to see you there: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2E0OwtyXpBA2jSWHeTS2CR8N_gJDNTQX9scf8Vxb0dIxwuw/viewform?usp=header