Our Education Needs a Makeover
Written by: Bianca Bonomolo
In my very strong personal opinion, I can truly and easily observe that one, if not the only component of our culture, society and government that hasn’t differed one bit, is our education system. When you really think about it, a great majority of the world is relying on their government funded education system to help them achieve their goals, push their limits and explore their creativity and appetite for innovation. Do you trust your government-aided, 100+ year old education system to provide you with the intelligence, skill and determinism that is required in order to grace the modern world today?
In late November of 2016, Complex Media created their very own Complex Con, which is essentially a large selection of current sports, fashion, music, taste and culture innovators gathered under one roof. During this stimulating convention, they also hosted sit down chats (complex conversations) about various topics that can have a great effect on younger people today. One conversation that caught my attention was dedicated to the future of the American education system and how vital it is for them to make a drastic change in its current state.
One factor that I easily picked up from the conversation was how the education system was being described; drab, conforming, old, unrealistic and genuinely unpractical. Everything in today’s culture that was already around 100 years ago has drastically evolved, yet our education system is the same 7 hour/per day obedient program that we had 100 years ago.
My biggest both question and concern for my generation after we finish grinding for our diploma is how are we going to change the system? Are we going to provide our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with the education that we hoped, dreamed and prayed for but were never able to receive without paying thousands of dollars a year for? Or are we going to take a stance, make a change and compose a difference for generations to come?
Uchenna Academy recognizes this deficit and their teachers are continually & mindfully evolving their curriculum to meet the needs of the ‘post-millenial’ students. Uchenna Academy is paving the way for a novel kind of an educational experience that focuses on building meaningful relationships with teachers through small class sizes, incorporating STEM and cross-curricular approaches to learning with their collaborations with highly respected organizations including University Health Network (UHN) and Ryerson University. In addition, they utilize sport-centric learning models where athletics & mathematics come together, on the gym floor.
Our future education is in our hands and it’s our job as creators, influencers and trailblazers to change the way that we view going to school everyday and mold it into something that building a feeling of excitement, rather than boredom.