CFL Wrapped 2025: Possibility at Work

CFL
Dec 11, 2025
6 min read

Every year tells a story, but this one felt like the first page of a brand-new book.

Across Nevada, young people stepped forward with bold ideas, educators and leaders linked arms around a shared vision, and our team continued building the kinds of learning experiences that light up futures. Consider this our CFL Wrapped, a joyful look back at the moments that shaped us and the possibilities that moved us forward.

1. A Public Launch Filled with Possibility

We opened the year with an unforgettable milestone. At the Beverly Theater, surrounded by educators, young people, artists, partners, and community champions, we officially introduced the Center for the Future of Learning to Nevada.

It wasn’t just a celebration. It was a declaration that learning in our state can be joyful, imaginative, and rooted in possibility.

From Sean Parker, CEO and Co-Founder:“Standing on that stage and looking out at our community, I could feel the momentum building. People came not just to celebrate something new, but to stand together in imagining what learning could be. CFL was built to spark that conversation, and this launch was the beginning of something powerful.”

2. Futurescapers Dreaming Boldly

This summer, we launched our Youth Futurescapers program, inviting 13 young people to spend four weeks with CFL, exploring, questioning, designing, and imagining what the future of learning in Nevada could be. Their ideas came to life in the Almanac for the Future of Learning, a first-of-its-kind collection of youth perspectives, prototypes, and provocations that challenge us to see learning through fresh eyes.

But the almanac was only one part of their work. The Futurescapers also advanced the ongoing design of the IAN Hub, building on iterations shaped by young people over the past two years. They explored what it looks like for learning experiences to truly center purpose, passion, and curiosity, and how the IAN Hub can become a place where purpose meets possibility for young people across our state.

Before the almanac was published, the Futurescapers presented their early drafts and IAN Hub concepts in a public showcase. It was a moment that captured the heart of our work: young people doing real work, for a real audience, in ways that shape their futures.

As we look to 2026, the IAN Hub will begin piloting programming directly with young people, offering experiences driven by their interests and designed in partnership with them. Much of that foundation was laid this summer.

From Andy Lott, Managing Director of the IAN Hub:“Watching young people map out big ideas with so much imagination reminded me why this work matters. They weren’t just dreaming. They were designing. Their vision continues to guide the evolution of the IAN Hub and is shaping how Nevada thinks about what’s possible.”

From Kim Izumo, Operations & Impact Manager: “Watching the Futurescapers stand up and share their ideas publicly was one of those moments that stays with you. Their work wasn’t theoretical. It was real, grounded in their hopes for their future, and offered with so much courage. When young people get to design something meaningful and then present it to their community, you can feel their sense of belonging grow. That is the kind of learning that changes everything.”

3. Elevating Youth Voice at the Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum

This year, CFL was honored to sponsor the iconic Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum, one of Nevada’s longest-running spaces for civic dialogue among young people. We offered scholarships, listened to powerful discussions, and witnessed firsthand the leadership rising across our state. Our Co-Founder and CEO, Sean Parker, recently published a blog, including his three key takeaways from the event, which was repurposed in an article by the Las Vegas Sun.

From Sean Parker, CEO and Co-Founder:“The energy of the Sun Youth Forum is unmatched. Young people show up ready to lead, and it is our privilege to invest in their ideas and futures. Their voices are shaping Nevada in real time.”

From Marc Hosana, Youth Innovator:“Watching Sean award a scholarship reminded me how important it is for young people to be seen and valued in spaces like this. When adults make room for the perspectives of young people, it signals that our ideas matter and that we’re part of shaping what comes next. Being there made me even more proud to be a part of the team at CFL and hopeful for the work we are doing.”

4. Amplifying Community Voices Through The CFL Podcast

This fall, the Center for the Future of Learning Podcast made its debut. Our first episodes lift up stories of innovation, belonging, and community across Nevada, with more conversations on the way as we enter the new year.

For us, the podcast isn’t just content. It’s a continuation of a belief we hold deeply.

From Jeanine Collins, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer:“Change begins when we talk to one another. Every shift in how we think, act, and imagine what’s possible starts with conversation. Whether we’re exploring new pathways through the Portrait of a Nevada Learner, building momentum across the state through the Nevada Future of Learning Network, or shaping experiences in the Ian Hub, it is dialogue that moves us forward. When people talk, listen, and make meaning together, our collective capacity expands. This podcast widens that circle, bringing more voices into the conversations that will shape Nevada’s future.”

5. Nevada Future of Learning Network: A New Chapter for the State

As 2025 comes to a close, the Nevada Future of Learning Network is stepping boldly into the next stage of innovation. Facilitated by the Center for the Future of Learning in partnership with the Nevada Department of Education, the Network brings together districts, educators, young people, families, and community organizations from across Nevada. Together, this growing coalition is building learning opportunities that are learner-centered and future-ready, grounded in the belief that every young person deserves experiences connected to who they are and who they hope to become.

Since the launch of the Portrait of a Nevada Learner in 2022, this work has steadily expanded into a statewide movement powered by connection, creativity, and shared purpose. What began as a vision is now becoming a community-driven ecosystem, inviting partners who support superintendents, school leaders, educators, and families to help shape the direction of learning innovation across Nevada. The Network is growing into a space of collective ownership, where ideas flow freely and the future of learning is co-designed with the people it serves.

From Jeanine Collins, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer:“Ever since Nevada launched the Portrait of a Nevada Learner in 2023 we’ve watched this work advance in ways that continue to inspire us. Each year, more partners join the conversation, more ideas take root, and more young people are engaging in learning that matters to them. The Network is becoming a force for connection and relevance, helping our state build learning relationships, experiences, and environments that truly meet young people where they are and where they’re headed.”

This year, we also welcomed a new team member to help guide the next chapter: Joe Kennedy, whose collaboration and commitment to possibility strengthen the Network as it continues to evolve.

From Joe Kennedy, Managing Director of Networked Learning:“It’s rare to join a team that believes so deeply in possibility. The network is bringing people together around a vision that is both grounded and ambitious. I’m excited to support partners across Nevada as we explore what learning can become when communities lead the way.”

Looking Ahead

If this year was any indication, the future is bright and being built hand in hand with communities across Nevada. We are grateful for every partner, young person, educator, idea shared, and leap taken. As we turn the page to a new year, we carry with us the belief that learning can be joyful, connected, and full of possibility.

Here’s to everything we created together, and everything still ahead.

Keep the Momentum Going

If this year taught us anything, it’s that possibility grows when we stay connected. Dive deeper into the stories, ideas, and people shaping Nevada’s future of learning.