Why do some schools seem to innovate without losing who they are… while others lose their identity in the process?

In this episode, we explore the Jim Collins concept behind the necessity of preserving the core (holding tightly to your mission, values, and distinct identity) while also stimulating progress (relentlessly pursuing new ideas, methods, and programs to stay relevant and effective).

Innovative programs like entrepreneurship, STEM, or design thinking make learning feel exciting, real-world, and future-focused. These aren’t just electives — they are powerful vehicles for students to apply knowledge, solve real problems, and discover their unique strengths. When students build a business prototype, code a solution, or tackle a design challenge, the walls of the classroom expand — suddenly, learning has purpose and relevance. It’s in these moments that students aren’t just preparing for the future — they’re actively shaping it.

The caution is if we only preserve the core without progress, we get stuck. If we only chase progress without preserving the core, we lose trust and clarity.

There are four ideas for how to do this in the school setting:

1. Redesign Learning Spaces for Collaboration

2. Integrate Real-World Partnerships

3. Shift from Content Coverage to Competency Development

4. Empower Student Voice and Choice

And all of this matters because the future belongs to schools—and students—that know who they are and where they’re going.

Dr. Joel Hazard, the Head of Academic Collaboration and Culture at Fellowship Christian School in Roswell, Georgia, has amazing insights when it comes to transforming the school experience around true collaboration. On a mission to provide the best possible Christian education, Dr. Hazard explores how we, as teachers and school leaders, need to get used to being uncomfortable.

He recommends implementing After Action Reviews (AARs) for a culture of continuous improvement that focuses on 1) what went well, 2) what didn't go well, and 3) what can we do to enhance going forward?

Additionally, Dr. Hazard explores how true collaboration is different than cooperation, and schools need to step into this space to make sure true collaboration is taking place. This means learning to "fail cheaply" through trying new, innovative things in the classroom. It also means getting feedback, providing differentiated learning, creating physical movement in the classroom, and given choices to students.

With an emphasis on "relationship first," Dr. Hazard has fantastic content that can e immediately applied to K-12 schools across the nation.

You can follow him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-joel-hazard-797703126/ and you can learn more about Fellowship Christian School by visiting https://www.fellowshipchristianschool.org/

Connect with me, Stephen Carter, at Stephen@seedtreegroup.com

After a chance encounter with Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference and CEO of the Black Swan Group, I walked away with a valuable lesson around negotiation tactics.

Voss suggested that the key to a negotiation is to get what you want with the other person saying "no." The reasoning is that it feels considerably safer to say "no" than to say "yes" and therefore you are more likely to close the deal or make the sale if you can get what you want while the other person feels they can say "no."

Ready to fully engage your students around transformative education? Weston Kurz, executive director of Dayspring Christian Academy, breaks down key leadership thoughts in a discussion around creating synergistic wins for students.

In a day and age where students have more choice in education, schools need to see students as customers, and when this happens, students will begin to flourish through a whole child outlook.

Real engagement involves students (and teachers) stepping out of their comfort zones to grow in new and exciting ways--after all, healthy growth is contagious.

Dayspring Christian Academy worked with Seed Tree Group to launch an entrepreneurship program this year that results in a student-led pitch and the start of an official coffee shop on campus. And the program is just getting started.

To learn more, please visit:

www.dayspringeagles.org

www.seedtreegroup.com

Email Weston at weston.kurz@gmail.com

Email Stephen at Stephen@seedtreegroup.com

People who have developed an entrepreneurial mindset tend to have a few things in common including an insatiable sense of curiosity.

This sense of curiosity causes us to ask "Why?" with a true desire to understand, with a quest to get to the root cause. Part of this drive is due to entrepreneurs seeing problems as opportunities, so getting to the root of something is equated to opportunity seeking.

One of the best ways to practice this is through the "5 Why" technique where you ask the question why over and over to get to the root issue.

What happens when you take a group of students, many of whom struggle with a disability, and you put them in an Educational Service Center that is launching an entrepreneurial initiative? In a word: engagement.

Tom Isaacs, superintendent of the Warren County Educational Service Center, brings his over 40 years of experience in public education to this episode where he explores a range of themes related to reaching students with disabilities while supporting the staff who provide their care.

Tom explores the need for ongoing positive affirmation, the need to give students real-life experiences where they have ownership, the need for a career-ready education, and the need for schools to teach durable skills.

The Warren County Educational Service Center is about to launch its third year of integrating entrepreneurial mindset education into its programs and the results have been incredible.

Let's face it - of all the things we CAN teach our students, one of the most practical is how to manage their money.

Poor management of money is a clear formula for anxiety, stress, and broken relationships. A strong sense of how to properly manage money, however, creates pathways and opportunities for success.

When we teach financial literacy from the perspective of the entrepreneurial mindset, we give students a clear of understanding of not only how money works, but how it can work FOR them.

This involves four steps:

1) Create a revenue stream

2) Have a spending plan

3) Have a savings/investing plan

4) Apply Compound Interest

Ask students at First Baptist Academy in Houston, Texas what they are most excited about and chances are, their answers will be related to entrepreneurship. Two years ago, Teresa brought an entrepreneurship program to her campus and engaged her 8th grade students in launching a student-run venture at the school. Now they are developing a certificate track, certifying their teachers in the entrepreneurial mindset, and digging into deeper parent engagement.

Teresa's story is an inspiration to any head of school who is wondering how to start a meaningful entrepreneurship program--if you want to learn more about her school, visit their website at https://www.fbahouston.org/

For those wanting more information on what starting an entrepreneurship program at K-12 school looks like, reach out to Stephen Carter at Stephen@seedtreegroup.com