For decades, schools have been designed around achievement—grades, test scores, and carefully mapped pathways to success. But the world our students are entering no longer rewards compliance or perfection. It rewards agency.

In this episode, Stephen Carter explores the growing shift from the Age of Achievement to the Age of Agency, drawing on research from the National Association of Independent Schools, David Yeager’s Mentor Mindset framework, and emerging insights about learning in an AI-driven world.

You’ll hear why high expectations alone are not enough, why struggle is not a sign of weakness but of growth, and why the Mentor Mindset—high expectations paired with high support—is essential for developing resilient, adaptable learners.

We’ll unpack the difference between Resisters, Passengers, Achievers, and Explorers, examine why so few students are given real opportunities to explore, and challenge the assumption that a perfectly mapped path is the best preparation for life.

If we want students who can set meaningful goals, navigate uncertainty, ask for help, and thrive in a rapidly changing world, we must intentionally design for agency.

Because when schools shift from maps to compasses, real learning begins.

Join the movement - sign up for the 2026 Entrepreneurship Symposium today by visiting https://www.seedtreegroup.com/2026-entrepreneurship-symposium

Entrepreneurship is often celebrated for creativity, innovation, and problem-solving—but at its core, it requires something deeper: courage.

In this episode, we explore why the entrepreneurial mindset is inherently a mindset of courageousness. Real entrepreneurship involves risk—real risk—where loss is possible, failure is visible, and outcomes are uncertain. And if there’s no chance you could lose, it’s not truly a risk at all.

We unpack how schools often unintentionally design learning environments that reward comfort, compliance, and safety, while entrepreneurship calls students to step into uncertainty, take meaningful risks, and act even when success is not guaranteed. Courage, it turns out, is not a personality trait reserved for a few—it’s a skill that can be developed through intentional experiences, supportive cultures, and real-world laboratories like student-run businesses.

If we want to form resilient leaders, creative problem-solvers, and students prepared for life beyond the classroom, we must stop protecting them from risk and start preparing them to face it.

Courage isn’t optional.
It’s the curriculum.

Reach out to Stephen Carter at Stephen@seedtreegroup.com or by visiting https://www.seedtreegroup.com/

Join the movement - sign up for the 2026 Entrepreneurship Symposium today by visiting https://www.seedtreegroup.com/2026-entrepreneurship-symposium

McKinney Christian Academy is stepping into a bold season of growth—and Heath Nivens is leading with a coach’s mindset and a Christ-centered mission. In this episode, Stephen Carter sits down with the Head of School at MCA to talk about building a new STEM center, launching an entrepreneurship program, and weaving innovation, mission, and durable “human skills” into one cohesive ecosystem.

Heath shares lessons from coaching and leadership, why “fail forward” matters for educators and students, how mentorship can reshape student development, and how Christian schools can prepare graduates for a future where many jobs don’t even exist yet—without losing their biblical foundation.

Learn more about the school by visiting https://www.mckinneychristian.org/

Learn more about Seed Tree Group and Entrepreneurship Education by visiting https://www.seedtreegroup.com/

Join the movement - sign up for the 2026 Entrepreneurship Symposium today by visiting https://www.seedtreegroup.com/2026-entrepreneurship-symposium