What Young People and Educators Envisioned: Insights from the Dream Session

The room grew louder as conversation erupted among all the attendees: learners, educators, legislators, and community members. The topic of conversation? What innovations could take place to make education a more impactful experience for both youth and teachers alike.

In late January, I had the honor of attending the first Community Dream Session, which was hosted at Rancho High School. The Dream Sessions allow learners, families, and employees to contribute their perspectives to a strategic plan aimed at turning Clark County into the Destination District for learning. The insights gained from the sessions will be taken into account for future planning. 

It was fascinating to hear ideas from a range of people as a current student in CCSD and a Youth Innovation Associate at the Center for the Future of Learning involved in the new innovation initiative. I got the chance to hear from a myriad of people including Superintendent Jhone Ebert and members of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ).  

The main highlight was the chance to converse  with a wide variety of people and share ideas. Here is what I heard as I collaborated with other attendees: 

1. “Community Not Hierarchy”

The last activity of the Dream Session was creating a collage of what we thought was most important to innovating education. I sat with two others and we created the poster shown on the left. 

They had a lot of ideas like reducing educator burnout, better communication with families, more dynamic activities for learners, and identifying unnecessary policies, with a common thread of supporting educators and reducing their workload. 

I heard many similar ideas floating about as I talked with my group: more hands-on learning experiences, more career opportunities, more field trips, and more communication. Many of these ideas were contributed by. 

2. “Redefining Stressful Environments”

As I walked around, I heard many students speak about feeling stressed in school. They also spoke about what they would like to see changed about classwork. There were a few common points:

• Students feel rushed to complete assignments. 

• Teachers give busywork, rather than impactful projects.

• Students don’t see the connection between what they’re learning and the real world application of the content. 

• Students want career counseling. 

The common thread was that students wanted more purpose-driven lessons that they feel are important to their future. Many educators expressed similar views from a more experienced perspective. Both groups got to share and gain insight from one another.Therein lies the importance of the Dream Sessions: they give all parties a chance to listen to others and have their voices heard. 

How This Connects to Real-World Experiences 

It's important to acknowledge that there are glimpses of what we envisioned in the dream session already happening across Nevada. I can personally attest to that. Here are a few examples: 

Career-Related Opportunities 

Being a part of the medical magnet program at Rancho High School has given me the chance to travel to different medical schools in Nevada, including the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine. We got to ask doctors questions about their profession and use ultrasound machines at the facility. Not only was it fascinating, it gave me a chance to explore what my future could look like. 

Hands-on Experiences

We used play-doh in AP Calculus to understand volumes of solids with known cross sections. Being able to visualize the math I was doing contributed to my understanding of the topic immensely. A seemingly boring topic turned into an interactive lesson that was entertaining. I believe a lot of students would find learning more enjoyable if it was taught in a creative way like this.

Real-World Applications

I had the opportunity to visit the State and Federal Courthouse to learn more about the court system. This was in my AP Language class when we had finished a book called Just Mercy. The book taught me a lot about the inequities present in the justice system and about different youth court cases. 

After we finished Just Mercy, my teacher managed to schedule this field trip to show us real cases. It was one of the highlights of my junior year. It felt like what we were learning actually had relevant real-world applications. 

He was always brilliant at tying what we learned to the real-world, which made everything we learned feel meaningful. His class was always something to look forward to. 

Reflections & Takeaways

The Dream sessions were a chance to envision the future of learning and plan for the actions that need to be taken to achieve it. I’m really excited to see what this future holds based on what I heard during the session. CFL, alongside so many other organizations, are working hard to bring this future to life. 

I encourage you to explore CFL’s website to see how we are contributing to an innovative future. The Dream Sessions are just one facet of how we are factoring community into our efforts.  

We are at the forefront of a change in education. Through the Dream Sessions, we’re not just imagining a better future for education, we’re building it.