OCT 16th, 2025 TOPIC: GETTING KIDS TO LEARN ____________ (LIVE- IN PERSON)

Meetup is LIVE on our deck (weather-permitting), or in our LR (if cold, or rainy) in West Orange, NJ
(street address sent to NEWBIES 3-7 days ahead of the event)
We gather at 7:30 for 30 min of refreshments (and wine), and chit chat, and then spend 90 min in an informal, facilitated discussion based on the assigned podcasts
Please listen to the 3 podcasts below before the meetup
(these are a bit longer than usual but super interesting.... fast forward through the advertisements and you'll cut off some time)
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The school year is off and running.... whether you teach, or have kids or grandkids or nieces/nephews in school, or you are simply concerned about getting the next generation ready for the real world , this topic is relevant for you.
-- In the world of social media and video games and social isolation, how can kids be motivated to want to be in school and want to learn?
-- In the world of AI where every answer is a click away, what will make kids want to learn the basics that we all had to learn?
-- Is there a "secret sauce" for all schools to be successful at teaching students, or does the approach change with geography, socio-economic background, family structure?
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1. A Bit of Optimism
What we can learn from a rural school in Kenya (40 min)
Kenya's Maasai Mara is rugged, beautiful, and tough. Values are everything for the people who live in this rural countryside,
On a trip to Kenya, I had the opportunity to visit The Mara. The intelligence and grit of the young people there blew me away! I met incredibly driven young women determined to uplift their families from poverty. Carol Moraa is giving them that opportunity. She's the founding principal of Kisaruni Girls High School and Provost for Legacy College.
I wanted to ask Carol where her kids find the motivation to willingly sign up for 18-hour school days. It turns out when learning is a choice, not an obligation, it's possible to build schools where cultural values and community are at the heart of what people do.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-bit-of-optimism/id1515385282?i=1000675736891

2. Reveal
Teaching Kids to Read: How One School District Gets it Right (50 min)
The schools in Steubenville, Ohio, are doing something unusual—in fact, it’s almost unheard of. In a country where nearly 40 percent of fourth graders struggle to read at even a basic level, Steubenville has succeeded in teaching virtually all of its students to read well.
According to data from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, Steubenville has routinely scored in the top 10 percent or better of schools nationwide for third grade reading, sometimes scoring as high as the top 1 percent.
In study after study for decades, researchers have found that districts serving low-income families almost always have lower test scores than districts in more affluent places. Yet Steubenville bucks that trend.
“It was astonishing to me how amazing that elementary school was,” said Karin Chenoweth, who wrote about Steubenville in her book How It’s Being Done: Urgent Lessons From Unexpected Schools.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669?i=1000704989463

3. Remarkable People
Revolutioning Math Education (60 min)
In this episode of Remarkable People, join Guy Kawasaki in a fascinating conversation with Shalinee Sharma, CEO and co-founder of Zearn and author of Math Mind. Together, they challenge common myths about mathematics education and explore how everyone can develop a math mind. Sharma shares groundbreaking insights on making math accessible and enjoyable for all learners, drawing from her experience leading an educational platform that reaches one in four elementary school students in America. Discover how reimagining math education can transform lives and unlock potential in every student.
Guy Kawasaki is on a mission to make you remarkable. His Remarkable People podcast features interviews with remarkable people such as Jane Goodall, Marc Benioff, Woz, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Bob Cialdini. Every episode will make you more remarkable.
With his decades of experience in Silicon Valley as a Venture Capitalist and advisor to the top entrepreneurs in the world, Guy’s questions come from a place of curiosity and passion for technology, start-ups, entrepreneurship, and marketing. If you love society and culture, documentaries, and business podcasts, take a second to follow Remarkable People
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guy-kawasakis-remarkable-people/id1483081827?i=1000677598381

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For newbies (and we love new people/ new voices):
the street address will be sent to you ~3-7 days before the event (lots of street parking)
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Only sign up if you plan to show up (or risk being tarred and feathered).

• If you can't make it-- please change your RSVP from YES to NO as early as possible so that others can get in
• $2 on-site for refreshments/cover the annual fees for the meetup site.