Proposals, Perseverance, and Powerful Voices: Heroes Take the Lead (Sep 15–19)

September 19, 2025•3 min read

Highlights: Learners Take the Lead

This week, heroes began experimenting with driving their own learning. They:

Explored the idea of setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, tough) goals and each set three for themselves.
Learned the “recipe” for Curious Conversations, equipping them with a template and rubric for meeting new people.
Took initiative—one learner wrote a proposal for a freedom they felt strongly about, while another proposed introducing a new tool to Forest School, complete with a plan for teaching everyone how to use it safely.
Extended Socratic debates beyond launch, with two learners choosing to create a presentation on the eternal “cats vs. dogs” question during their free time.
Chose, on their own, to work on projects or core skills instead of chatting or playing before launch on Friday morning.
Even led their peers—one learner stepped up to guide the Rules of Engagement discussion before a Socratic.

Heroes onboarded to Lexia to demonstrate and build mastery in reading, working through the five badges for Discovery Studio.
They were equipped with instructions for navigating the school’s Google Drive, one learner led the editing effort, and the group successfully submitted their contest entry on time.

The Lip Dub mini-quest has taken the heroes three weeks of practice, collaboration, problem solving, conflict resolution, creativity, and planning. After many hours of hard work, they achieved their goal of producing their Lip Dub mini-quest video in one take and submitted it by the deadline.
Learners adjusted their strategy for Lip Dub around a looming submission deadline and absent teammates.
Work on drafting their own studio contract pressed on, with launches and impromptu conversations prompting reflection: What promises truly matter to our tribe?

Learners faced a tough challenge: one hero blocked the others from working on a group project. The group devoted time to negotiation and understanding but didn’t reach resolution in time to keep working during the allotted quest-time. Guides then hosted a reflective launch: What will we do if this happens again—tomorrow, next session, or with someone else? Do we need a new guardrail?
At Town Hall, heroes debated and voted on what matters to them: reintroducing D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read), scheduling peer presentations, and adding a dedicated Peace Table to the studio.

Discussions this week pushed learners to wrestle with big questions:

What does perseverance look like? (Stories of the Canadian Pacific Railway and Richie Parker)
When a teammate doesn’t contribute—or even blocks progress—do you spend time persuading them or move forward without them?
How do ants model cooperation, and what can we learn about balancing individual freedom with the needs of the group?
What makes a respectful discussion? (practiced through the lighthearted “cats vs. dogs” debate)

Learners recognized that while bloopers were fun during Lip Dub filming, they wanted more focus next time—and set SMART goals to help them get there.
Safety procedures, rules of engagement, and contract games were reinforced as part of their growing systems.
Everyone—including guides—is practicing using these systems. For example, when someone has an idea, an announcement, or a recommendation, the natural next step is now: bring it to Town Hall.

Memorable learner quotes from the week:

“It’s okay, I can help you.”
“Next time, I really want to focus.”
“Everybody: we’re doing a vote on which dance moves for which part.”
“I said no and it feels amazing.”
“Why don’t we get to do core skills on outdoor education days?”
“I think we need to talk about what we're going to do before we do it.”
“Can I use my Chromebook to work on my presentation before launch?” (answered with a chorus of “I don’t see why not.”)

Ipshi R

Discovery Guide, Founder