Mount Vernon Upper School eSports A team joins us on the podcast to discuss their experiences in competitive gaming. They highlight the strategic depth they use, including data analysis and team strategy, particularly in playing Super Smash Bros. They also share personal stories on how eSports facilitated significant social connections and personal growth, underscoring the community and inclusiveness of their program. The conversation reveals how the skills acquired through eSports, like strategic thinking, handling pressure, and finding friendships, are valuable beyond gaming and applicable in real-world situations.

In this episode, host Ann Marsh Rutledge and guest Krista Fancher from Mount Vernon School delve into the Innovation Diploma program's "Future of" course, revealing how it instills a future-ready mindset in students. Students tackle ambitious, real-world, industry projects and surpass expectations, fueled by intrinsic motivation. The Innovation Diploma program champions experiential learning and forward-thinking skills, employing tools like design matrices to navigate future trends.

In this episode of "Start with Questions," host Ann Marsh Rutledge and guests Jared Colley from The Mount Vernon School and Josh Clark from The Landmark School discuss changes in the conversation around AI in schools. Listen as they discuss trends, pressing issues, exciting opportunities, and practical advice for leaders for implementing AI in schools.

In this episode of "Start with Questions," host Ann Marsh Rutledge and guest Bo Adams from the Mount Vernon School highlight "Collider," a professional learning event at Mount Vernon School. It brings external conference benefits in-house, fostering collaboration among faculty and staff. Themes like purpose-based learning and artificial intelligence emerge. The event encourages idea-sharing and innovation. Listen and learn how your school can explore similar models for internal professional development.

In this episode of "Start with Questions,"  host Ann Marsh Rutledge and guest Matt Nealon from the Mount Vernon School discuss their winter R&D report, "A New Kind of Leader: Managing Talent and Experience for a New World of Work." They discuss the evolving workplace and the importance of managing talent post-COVID. They highlight strategies for nurturing a regenerative work culture, emphasizing the need for a compelling vision, agility, and effective storytelling in leadership.

In this episode of "Start with Questions," we're sharing curated episodes of our most popular and enlightening conversations from 2023. Join Ann Marsh Rutledge, the Executive Director of MV Ventures, as we take you on a journey through the standout episodes of the year that are sure to ignite your excitement, inspire new ideas, and help you anticipate the opportunities in 2024!

During this episode of Start with Questions, the Ventures team answers the question, “How can schools leverage their communities to fuel innovation?” and discusses their recent Council on Innovation event. Listen as Ann Marsh Rutledge, Executive Director of MV Ventures, interviews Brad Droke, Dean of Students for the Upper Campus at The Mount Vernon School, and Herris Fentress, Innovation Diploma student class of 2025 at The Mount Vernon School, about the impact of Council on Innovation and ways that schools can leverage their own communities to spark innovation.

During this episode of Start with Questions the Ventures team answers the question “How do we foster total health within our organization?” and discusses their new R&D Report, Total Health: The Wholeness of People in an Age of Technology, which was just released in early October. Listen as Ann Marsh Rutledge, Executive Director of MV Ventures, interviews Jared Colley, Head of Learning and Innovation for the Upper Campus at The Mount Vernon School and editor of the Ventures R&D reports, Ben Potter, Dean of Students for Mount Vernon Online and lead write for this fall R&D report, and Hiro Kariya, Head Athletic Trainer at The Mount Vernon School, about this new research, its importance for organizations, and how to leverage new technologies for total health within your organization.

During this episode of Start with Questions the Ventures team answers the question “How does maker education benefit students and schools in today’s context?” and discusses their new book, Leveling Up Maker Education, scheduled to be released in late September. Listen as Brett Jacobsen, CEO of The Mount Vernon Organization, interviews Bo Adams, Chief Learning and Innovation Officer at The Mount Vernon School, and Ann Marsh Rutledge, Executive Director of Ventures, about the evolution of the maker program at The Mount Vernon School and benefits for students, the why behind releasing a maker book now, and advice for schools considering implementing or leveling up their maker programs.

During this episode of Start with Questions the Ventures team celebrates the launch of a new toolkit, Little Learners with Big Ideas: A Field Guide for Design Thinking. Listen as Ann Marsh Rutledge, Ventures’ Head of Learning and Innovation, interviews Molly Hudson, Director of Lower School, and Kevin Day, Impact Design Lab Coordinator, about why Design Thinking, especially with young learners, how Design Thinking benefits students and schools, and strategies for how to implement Design Thinking.

Ventures welcomes Bradley James Davies to the pod to discuss his latest book. Bradley is a celebrated school leader and after a two-decade career in education that included teaching, coaching, and leading across all grade levels, he founded Falkor, a leadership and life consultancy dedicated to helping clients lead better and live better. In 2022 he fulfilled his long-held dream of writing a book. That book is School Leadership from A to Z: How to Lead Well Without Losing Your Way. It’s a book about the ups, downs, and all-arounds of school life and leadership.

We’re excited to kick-off Season 2 of the Start with Questions podcast with the celebration of Ventures’ launch of Activate Agency: Empower Your Students to Own Their Learning, a curriculum guide that takes a deep-dive into Mount Vernon’s Innovation Diploma, our school-within-a-school model. Listen as Ventures’ Executive Director, Kalen Curtis, interviews Brad Droke, Upper School Dean of Student Life and Experience, as he details the why behind the creation of the iD program and this book.

Are you AI ready? In this episode Jared Colley, Upper Campus Learning & Innovation, and Dr. Brett Jacobsen, CEO, at Mount Vernon sit down to discuss the recent acceleration of artificial intelligence and the profound implications for an organization’s people, protection, and programs. As leaders, how might we take inventory of the myriad implications we should anticipate in order to steward and support our schools in a moment when there are no prefigurative frameworks to fall back on?

Ventures is honored to welcome Will Richardson to the Start with Questions Podcast. Will is a former public school educator of 22 years. He has spent the last 15 years developing an international reputation as a leading thinker and writer about the intersection of social online learning networks, education, and systemic change. Most recently, Will is a co-founder of The Big Questions Institute which was created to help educators use "fearless inquiry" to make sense of this complex moment and an uncertain future.Dr. Brett Jacobsen, CEO, sits down with Will to discuss his article, Five Themes for Educators in 2023.

Ventures is honored to welcome Michael Horn to today’s podcast, discussing his latest book, From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child. In addition, Michael has authored Disrupting Class, Choosing College, and even a children’s story, Goodnight Box. Michael is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. He co-hosts his own podcast, Class Disrupted and Future U. He also serves as an executive editor at Education Next.Dr. Brett Jacobsen, CEO, sits down with Michael and discusses the progress we have made in education since his first book, Disrupting Class, the most urgent questions confronting education today, 6 domains every school should consider, signals we need to be paying attention to, and strategic next steps for school communities.

Any conversation about measuring learning usually starts with assessment. We’re all familiar with taking tests as students and most of us are also familiar with administering and grading tests as teachers. We have personal histories, emotions, and opinions all tied to these testing experiences. But what is the purpose of assessment? And is assessment synonymous with grading? Join Ann Marsh Rutledge and Jared Colley to explore more.

Workplace well-being has become a buzz-phrase but, at its core, it is a deeply personal and unique set of conditions, needs, preferences and values that differ for each individual. Kalen Curtis and Matt Neylon weigh-in on Episode 3!

What is your innovation intention? Is it to optimize, transform, or disrupt? Your answer likely depends upon your organization’s unique story. As such, leading change invites different approaches in a myriad of settings. And, innovation is accessible to you regardless of size or financial portfolio.Join CEO Brett Jacobsen and the Mount Vernon Ventures team to explore more.

On today’s episode, we will answer the questions, what is Mount Vernon Ventures and why does it exist? We will also introduce you to our incredible team and hear a little bit of their inspirational stories.