I research, design, and construct new learning systems with a belief that we need to re-imagine our world and build lasting foundations for the future. We must enable new ways of learning for all and allow human imagination to flourish amidst the extreme currents of our time in order to proliferate human agency. I have been fortunate to work with this intention for my adult life and believe that now more than ever before we are at an extraordinary moment for human development, cooperation and creation.
Over the last 5 years, my work has encompassed all aspects of the design and launch process for dynamic new schools. My portfolio has also included company-wide foresight research and planning and the design of future focused education projects that benefit core business.* I have also been part of a global investment team researching educational technology for a large network of schools and a team evaluating new locations and business ventures for a global education portfolio.
In 2019 I will be working on a range of global projects focused on education. More will be posted here soon!
From late 2017 to late 2018 I designed a complete replacement for the secondary school system with partners GEMS Education, The Executives Office, Dubai Future Foundation in Dubai and The Education and Human Resources Council of the UAE Cabinet. The Global Future Campus - Dubai, is designed with themed and personalized pathways of formal and informal learning that lead to credentials and preparation for university and/or work. The project operationalizes new systems for teaching and learning, personal learning with AI, online, project and field based learning.
Prior to the Future Campus, I designed and co-launched the comprehensive learning plan for GEMS Dubai American Academy after it merged with Nations Academy in 2016. Specifically, I visualized, co-designed, hired and guided the school reform group working to blend curriculums and fulfill the goal of scaling the Nations Academy offering to 2600 students. DAA features an extensive interdisciplinary curriculum, robotics, computational thinking and AI architecture.
From 2015, I designed and co-launched GEMS Nations Academy in Dubai. Nations was a project and studio based school that remapped skills and standards for k-12 American Curriculum and the IB. The school integrated robotics and computational thinking into core subjects across the curriculum and into every classroom. The design included a new vision for personal technology environments using 1 to 1 iPad Pro, a comprehensive futures teacher training program in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University and multiple companies that is now a standard for training future focused teachers throughout GEMS Education.
In late 2013, I co-designed and co-launched the North American Operation for GEMS at GEMS World Academy — Chicago. This school is a first-of-its-kind technology rich field school pushing the boundaries of integrating mobile learning across the curriculum. The school pioneered a 2-1 Macbook Pro, iPad Mini(field studies)system and was an early adopter of gamification, robotics, computational thinking, maker education, and new forms of project based learning.
From 2010, I designed a series of schools and projects focused on next generation education. The Bridge Year at Kieve-Wavus, is a 21st Century Boarding School with an almost ubiquitous experiential learning framework, a mixture of technology rich personal learning plans and standards aligned student directed project based learning and extensive field studies. Networked Learning Ecology North America (NLENA) is a participatory and networked vision for the future of learning featuring a mesh network of learning centers and hubs and Global Civ was a two-year design-based research project and learning partnership between Shoshana Zuboff and Jake and Jim Maxmin (d.2016).
Prior to 2010 I consulted on the design of multiple schools and projects and held multiple positions in school administration, technology directorships and was a secondary teacher and university instructor.**
Even further back, I co-led groups of service projects for high schoolers in the most remote wilderness settings of North America. I particularly enjoyed working in remote bear country settings and facilitating educational experiences in extreme places.
My path has been full of inspirations, hard work and much laughter, taking me around the world to work on meaningful projects. I have moved thousand pound boulders to build trails in some of the most remote areas in the world and have also moved institutional thought and practice in education in modern cities. I still do not know which is harder. What I do know is that the work we do to contribute to the world is essential for us all. I work with individuals and groups who want to ask hard questions and design meaningful solutions that bridge history today and the future.
I share my life with an incredible wife, Lisa (Author and non-profit consultant) and two sons, Duncan (16, The Putney School'20) and Thatcher (14, Maine Coast Waldorf School '23). I live on the coast of Maine and work globally. I hold a BA in History from University of Puget Sound, an MA in Education from University of Maine and have completed work toward a Ph.D at the University of Maine.
I am an avid hiker, backpacker, and boater and hopeful sailer who is very comfortable in remote wildlands and believes wholeheartedly that they should be kept wild. My deepest inspiration is derived from my family and the individuals I work with who are dedicated to problem-solving for our collective human futures.
(*)2014-2018 Future Focused Education Projects include
GEMS Virtual School(contributing researcher and designer) (2018)