What if your city was your classroom? In this episode of Learning Unboxed, we meet Kalimah Fergus Ayele, Head of the New York City campus of The Winchendon School, a high school program that reimagines education through experiential learning and citywide engagement.

Kalimah shares the origins of this innovative school model and the intentional design behind its iLab and CoLab programs. These programs push students beyond the walls of the classroom and into the streets, museums, pantries, and research centers of New York City. It’s all about cultivating agency, belonging, and real-world problem-solving—equipping students not just with knowledge, but with purpose.

From the power of design thinking to the importance of mindset shifts and community healing, Kalimah reflects on her global teaching experiences and how they shaped her leadership. As she guides students toward a future where uncertainty is the norm, she’s helping them discover their voice, creativity, and capacity to lead right now—not someday.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

The city-as-classroom model at The Winchendon School NYC
How real-world learning cultivates student agency and belonging
The role of design thinking in education transformation
Why mindset shifts matter more than strategies
Responding to student needs in times of social and political change
Creating future-ready learners through curiosity and choice

Resources:

The Winchendon School
Books by Ruha Benjamin:
Race After Technology
Viral Justice
NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC)
The Winchendon School NYC Instagram: @winchendon_in_the_city

Produced by NOVA

Episode 155 - Developing Leadership with Chris Zablocki