Stephanie Malia Krauss returns to the Getting Smart Podcast for a conversation with Tom Vander Ark about her new book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World. Together they explore why so many adults and young people feel overwhelmed and depleted—and what it looks like to "rehumanize" school and home by protecting the essentials that help humans thrive. The discussion walks through body, mind, heart, and spirit essentials—from food, sleep, movement, and nervous system regulation to play, wonder, flow, connection, belonging, and contribution—offering practical, research-backed insights for educators, leaders, and parents navigating modern life.

• (00:00) Introduction
• (02:02) The Journey Through Three Books
• (11:30) Body Essentials: Food, Sleep & Movement
• (21:38) Mind Essentials: Play, Wonder & Flow
• (29:32) Heart Essentials: Connection, Love & Belonging
• (35:18) Spirit Essentials: Celebration & Contribution

• Watch the full video here
• Read the full blog here
• How We Thrive
• LinkedIn

Learning doesn't happen "in rows," and Kevin Stoller has seen firsthand how the right environment can change everything. In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Mason Pashia talks with Stoller—author of Creating Better Learning Environments and host of the Better Learning podcast—about designing learner-centered spaces that support movement, choice, collaboration, and community connection. They explore why the term "classroom" can limit our thinking, how districts can better align facilities with instructional vision through a "learning space integrator," and what microschools, team-teaching models, and even museums and hospitality design can teach us about the future of learning spaces in an AI-enabled world.

• (00:12) Introduction to Learning Spaces
• (05:09) The Power of Intentional Design
• (11:26) The Learning Space Integrator Role
• (18:59) Transforming Existing Spaces
• (26:30) Inspiration from Beyond the Classroom
• (30:12) AI, Flexibility, and the Future

• Watch the full video here
• Read the full blog here
• LinkedIn
• Kay Twelve

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Victoria Andrews sits down with student leaders from Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technology (NEAT) to explore what happens when a Portrait of a Graduate becomes more than a poster on the wall. Kaylyn Rosado, Connor Mawhiney, and Anna Montero share how student voice shaped their school's learning model—from a student ambassador program and community interviews to classroom practices that build collaboration, empathy, and confidence. The conversation also highlights NEAT's flexible STEM-focused pathways (including aviation, biotech, robotics, coding, and advanced manufacturing), dual enrollment opportunities, and a clear message for school designers everywhere: involve students early, often, and authentically—because agency changes everything.

• (00:00) Introduction & Student Introductions
• (04:06) Student Ambassadors & Community Engagement
• (09:54) Pathways & Career Exploration
• (16:55) Personal Growth & Student Development
• (20:44) Advice for School Leaders

• Read the full blog here
• Watch the full video here
• Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies