How the Almanac for the Future of Learning Sparked Real Innovation

Marc Hosana
Mar 10
4 min read

Last summer, I had an opportunity to work on the Center for the Future of Learning (CFL) Futurescapers team, alongside 12 other innovative young people, where we helped to create the Almanac for the Future of Learning.

I saw it as a powerful collection of ideas: a shared vision of what the future of learning could be. While our ideas lived on paper, we hoped the Almanac could empower other young people to dream boldly, harness their creativity, and pursue a future they want to belong in.

I didn’t completely understand the impact of the Almanac until I presented it to my former high school teachers and the current students at my high school. It was the perfect opportunity to give back to the school that helped shape many of the creative and bold ideas that led to the co-creation of the Almanac.

What followed this presentation to my peers wasn’t just a discussion about the future, it was a shift in mindset. The Almanac didn’t feel like an assignment or a report. It felt like permission to think differently about learning.

What is the Almanac?

The Almanac is a youth-led publication that explores where learning in Nevada could be headed and where it should go. Much like a traditional almanac forecasts trends, the Almanac for the Future of Learning predicts what we believe the future of education might look like. It combines youth voice, research on emerging trends like artificial intelligence, and bold design ideas for new learning environments, schedules, and legislation, all crafted by 13 young people, including myself.

More importantly, it frames education as something that can be redesigned through collaboration between young people and the community. Instead of focusing only on problems within the system, it highlights possibilities and asks readers to imagine learning spaces that are hands-on, career-connected, technology-integrated, and centered on belonging and agency.

It’s not just a document to read; It’s a vision to respond to.

What Happened When I Shared It?

Other young people responded!

Following the release of the Almanac, I decided to share it with as many people as I could: college peers, alumni network, former high school teacher, and most importantly, current high school students at the high school I had just graduated from a year earlier.

When I shared it with my college peers, many thought the ideas were exciting, but their reactions were often mixed with a sense of longing. Several said they wished they had experienced a K–12 system designed in that way. For them, the Almanac felt like a glimpse into what school could have been and what it still has the potential to become.

Interestingly, when I gave the Almanac to current high school students, who are currently experiencing the K-12 system, the conversation immediately shifted and a different response was given. They were immediately engaged with the ideas showcased in the Almanac, finding it inspiring and something to strive for. Instead of talking about stress, grades, or deadlines, they began talking about design, innovation, and solutions.

Students started asking bigger questions:

How could AI actually help us learn better?
What would learning look like if it connected more directly to careers?
How could we make projects feel more meaningful?

As learners in the Computer Science CTE program, they began brainstorming ed-tech tools and software program ideas inspired by what they read in the Almanac. Leveraging their expertise in AI, programming, and software development, they are seeking to create solutions that are meaningful and have a real impact on the future.

Within this group, they began to ideate and create platforms that they hope will be true in the near future. One example of the many ed-tech programs they are working on is a Centralized Industry Feedback Platform called “Feedback”.

What it would do:

Connect specific classroom units with local professionals in related fields
Allow students to submit real project drafts for feedback
Turn assignments into mini client deliverables

Upon hearing their ideas, I was in awe of the initiative and creativity and how the Almanac was able to instill these ideas in them. It is inspiring to see fellow young people taking concepts from our publication and turning them into actionable, real-world solutions. Sometimes, all it takes is a vision to showcase what is possible, and they can begin working towards it themselves.

Some of the learners, now juniors in high school transitioning into seniors, will soon take Advanced Studies, a course designed for student exploration. With this course, young people will be able to create and guide their own curriculum. Some students have shared that, thanks to the Almanac, they will begin to integrate more real-world applications during this course.

As a recent high school graduate who prioritized real-world application in the same course, it is safe to say that their experience will be meaningful, relevant, and help them develop life-long durable skills. The Almanac did not just inspire ideas, it created momentum towards an active tangible goal.

Why the Almanac Is Empowering in Use

1. It shifts young people from passive participants to active designers.

It is apparent in history that most of the time, learners experience education as something delivered to them. The Almanac changes that narrative. When young people see their peers contributing to system-changing ideas, it signals that their perspective does matter and has an impact, allowing them to take control and design the future they want for themselves.

2. It connects imagination to action.

The Almanac is not limited to just predictions and hopes. It grounds those ideas in practical examples and real-world relevance. It makes innovation in our space feel real and within reach.

3. It makes the future feel immediate.

Instead of treating the future of learning as something distant, it frames it as something we are building now. With topics like AI, a student Bill of Rights, and classports included in the Almanac, these are topics that young people are currently experiencing and that sense of immediacy creates ownership and urgency.

The Big Takeaway

The truth is that the Almanac does not derive its power from its pages, it is in how it’s used. When shared in classrooms and with young people, it becomes a catalyst for reflection, creativity, and innovation. It encourages both learners and educators to rethink what learning can look like.

It proves something simple but powerful: The future of education isn't something learners wait for. It is something we help shape and actively work on and I’m excited to have had an opportunity to work on it alongside my fellow Futurescapers.