Silver Lining for Learning

It has been a couple of years since the team from Silver Lining for Learning (SLL) explored the status of online learning. In Episode #260 of SLL, we will hear about the targeted growth of online learning at Indiana University (IU) across eight campuses; including the flagship campus in Bloomington. In the state of Indiana, only Ivy Tech Community College enrolls more online students (over 12,000) than IU at around 10,000. The annual growth has been brisk at around 12 percent per year involving over 200 different programs, around 25 percent of which are collaborative in nature across all campuses and the rest are individual on a single campus. More information is available about the collaborative approach: “IU Online: A Collaborative Model for Online Education at Indiana University” and “Moving Forward 2.0: IU Online Implementation Plan.” In this episode of SLL, Dr. Chris Foley, Associate Vice President and Director of Online Learning at IU will detail recent trends in online learning at IU and outline the university targets and his predictions of the future. As he observes, 'Expanding Access: Higher education is a life-changing experience for most students. It’s not just about imparting knowledge. It brings personal growth, opens doors, and grows self-confidence. The more students who can experience this, the better . . . for them and for everyone." By the end of this episode, you will realize that Indiana University has not just become a major college football powerhouse but is also now an online learning dynamo.Chris Foley, Associate Vice President, IU Online, Department: Office of Online Education, cfoley@iu.eduHomepage: https://rcoe.iu.edu/about/leadership/foley-chris.htmlTeaching Online at IU: https://teachingonline.iu.edu/about/staff/foley-chris.htmlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-foley-7b629619/Chris J. Foley is associate vice president and director of online education for IU. He leads the development and implementation of online programs across IU’s seven campuses, servicing 30,000 students involved in online education. In addition, he is an adjunct assistant professor of organizational leadership at IU Indianapolis and teaches graduate courses in leadership, organization change and ethics. Foley has served IU for more than 20 years; before his current role, he worked in admissions and enrollment management at both IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis. He has presented and published extensively on enrollment management, marketing and recruitment.Mark Baer joined the IU Online team in May 2024 as Interim Assistant Vice President for Online Academic Affairs and transitioned to Assistant Vice President of Online Academic Programs in October 2025. In this role, Baer oversees new online program development across Indiana University and leads a team that supports proactive management of existing online and hybrid collaborative programs, including curriculum evolution and assessment support. Since stepping into this leadership position, Baer has expanded collaborative partnerships across an increasingly interconnected university, fostering relationships that enhance program quality and delivery.Baer is an Associate Professor of Performing Arts with tenure at IU Northwest, bringing a strong faculty perspective to his administrative work. With a robust record of faculty leadership, Baer served as President of the IU Northwest Faculty Organization from 2020 to 2023 and has long contributed to intercampus collaboration through the University Faculty Council and Regional Faculty Caucus. He holds an MFA in Theatre Direction from Illinois State University and a BS in International Business and Theatre from the University of Findlay. More information on Mark can be found at: https://rcoe.iu.edu/about/leadership/baer-mark.htmlWhitnie Powell was appointed Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services in November 2023, following three successful years as the Director of Enrollment Management and Student Services. In her current role, Whitnie leads the Enrollment Management, Online Student Services, Online Undergraduate Advising, Online Graduate Support, and EM&SS Operational Systems teams within IU Online. Together with her team, she collaborates closely with all IU campuses and University Administration units to create a seamless and supportive online student experience, enhance operational efficiencies, drive online enrollment growth, and positively impact student persistence, retention, and completion.Before joining IU, Whitnie served as the Senior Associate Director for Graduate Studies and Adult Learning at the University of Indianapolis, where she developed and led a centralized recruitment and enrollment team serving graduate, adult, and online students. Her leadership roles also include serving as Enrollment Manager at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she oversaw recruitment, enrollment, and student services for three central Indiana regional campuses. At Chamberlain College of Nursing, Whitnie was the Interim Director of Admissions, where she led the development of recruitment strategy, admissions processes, and student services during the initial startup of the Indianapolis campus.Whitnie's career also includes roles as a high school recruiter, online admissions counselor, online student services coordinator, intake coordinator, and student admissions recruiter.She earned both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from the University of Indianapolis and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Administration with a focus on Higher Education Leadership at Indiana State University. Whitnie is actively involved in councils, steering committees, and task forces across IU, representing IU Online. She has earned national recognition for the IU Online Enrollment Management and Student Services model through conference presentations and national association awards, including being honored with the UPCEA 2024 Dorothy Durkin Strategic Innovation Award. More information on Whitnie can be found at: https://rcoe.iu.edu/about/leadership/powell-whitnie.html Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Can AI transform education systems in the Global South? with Fernando Reimers, Zainab Azim, Maria-Renee Palomo and Callysta ThonyThis episode of Silver Lining for Learning features a deep dive into a new book on artificial intelligence and education systems, with a special focus on the Global South—where most of the world’s young people live and where educational challenges are most acute. Rather than taking a techno‑optimistic stance, the book adopts a systems perspective, examining how AI intersects with curriculum, teaching, assessment, school organization, and governance under real‑world constraints of resources, capacity, and policy. Framed around three guiding questions—whether education systems can build broad AI literacy, whether AI can actually improve foundational learning, and whether it can make curricula more relevant to 21st‑century social and economic needs—the conversation explores what it would take for AI to support genuine transformation rather than isolated pockets of innovation.Drawing on international evidence, case studies, and early implementations of AI in classrooms and systems, the episode highlights both the possibilities and the serious risks of deepening inequality if AI is adopted without attention to access, teacher support, cultural relevance, and ethics. We’ll discuss how current AI applications tend to benefit more privileged groups, what a truly systemic approach would look like in the Global South, and why teacher development, educational leadership, and coherent regulation (on issues like data privacy and algorithmic bias) are non‑negotiable. We will discuss what a critical, human‑centered roadmap for leveraging AI as a tool for equity, dignity, and the full development of all students, rather than as a new driver of division. Readings and Resources:Artificial Intelligence and Education in the Global South https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-11449-5Episode GuestsFernando Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor at Harvard University, USA and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative. He is an elected member of the US and the International Academies of Education. His research focuses on 21st-century global education, sustainable development, and responses to educational challenges such as COVID-19.Zainab Azim is a Teaching Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA. Her work bridges. education policy and learning science with AI in global development. She’s led AI training for STEM educators in LMICs, evaluated AI in Uganda and Canada, and founded the Harvard AI and Education Conference. Zainab has a background in neuroscience, formerly worked at the Ministry of Finance in Canada and was an Oval Office Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, USA.Maria-Renée Palomo holds degrees from Harvard University, USA and Sciences Po Paris, France. Born in El Salvador, she spent a decade in France working in public sector consulting. She is assistant director of the Education Lab for Latin America and a teaching assistant at Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA, she was also in the founding team of the AI and education in the Global South conference at Harvard.Callysta Thony is a graduate and Teaching Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA where she focused on global education policy. She formerly worked with GovTech Edu Indonesia supporting the Indonesian Ministry of Education in nationwide digital transformation. She is interested in exploring how the effective use of technology can address key challenges in education. She was part of the leadership team which initiated the inaugural Harvard AI & Education Conference. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

“A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed.”AI literacy is perplexing, everyone seems to want it taught, but few people can adequately describe or define it. AI is also different than the arrival of previous learning technology; it did not enter schools and university as the result of deliberate institutional plans and policies; instead, students and teachers simply began using it. As a result, institutions of higher learning as well as K-12 schools are scrambling to adjust; many are rapidly adopting policies and designing courses, events, and resources intended to make learners fluent or proficient in AI literacy. Fortunately, Justin Reich and his colleagues in the Teaching Systems Lab (TSL) have provided a vision of how K-12 schools can design a rich ecosystem for a more AI literate populace. See their new guidebook, “A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed. MIT Teaching Systems Lab.” Available: https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/  and https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdfAs part of these efforts, they have produced books, films, podcast shows, and other timely resources to promote a more active and engaging pedagogical approach with AI tools and platforms. In fact, Justin and his colleague Jesse Dukes recently designed a 7-episode podcast series called “The Homework Machine.” As schools continue to grapple with the arrival of and experimentation with generative AI, “this timely series explores how the technology is reshaping the daily lives of K–12 teachers, staff, and students.” In Episode #259 of Silver Lining for Learning, you will discover how The Homework Machine takes listeners inside real classrooms and conversations to get a reality check in terms of generative AI in education. As Dr. Reich details with candid interviews and stories from K-12 students themselves, the series lays out both the promise and peril of this new tech in education.Justin Reich is an associate professor of digital media in the Comparative Media Studies/Writing department at MIT and the director of the Teaching Systems Lab. He is the author of Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools and Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education, and he is the host of the TeachLab Podcast.  In addition, Justin is the co-host of The Homework Machine, a limited series podcast about AI in schools. Justin Reich earned his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was the Richard L. Menschel HarvardX Research Fellow. He is a past Fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society. His writings have been published in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other scholarly journals and public venues. He started his career as a high school history teacher, and coach of wrestling and outdoor adventure activities. Follow Justin on Twitter or Google Scholar. More about Justin can be found at:https://tsl.mit.edu/team/justin-reich/Jesse Dukes is a veteran journalist, podcast producer, and researcher. He was a senior producer of podcasts at WBEZ, Chicago for seven years, serving as the longtime audio producer at Curious City, and producing Season 4 of Motive. He has taught audio storytelling at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, and Denison University. Jesse is the co-host of The Homework Machine, a limited series podcast about AI in schools.Resources:Justin Reich (PI and MIT Teaching Systems Lab Director), Jesse Dukes, Josh Sheldon, Julie M. Smith, Manee Ngozi Nmani, & Natasha Esteves (2025, November). A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed. MIT Teaching Systems Lab. Available: https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/  and https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdfJustin Reich (2025, November 5). Stop Pretending You Know How to Teach AI; Colleges are racing to make students ‘fluent.’ One problem: No one knows what that means. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Available: https://www.chronicle.com/article/stop-pretending-you-know-how-to-teach-aiMIT Teaching Systems Lab: https://tsl.mit.edu/  Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Rehearsing Reality through AI: How Simulations Build Better Teaching with Rhonda Bondie, Julie Cohen, & Lisa DeikerPurpose statementHow can teachers rehearse the toughest moments of teaching—without real students in the room? This episode explores how authentic simulations, powered by new technologies and AI, are transforming teacher preparation and professional learning. Guests Lisa Dieker, Julie Cohen, and Rhonda Bondie discuss how simulation can personalize feedback, deepen reflection, and build more effective educators.DescriptionHow can teachers learn the art of teaching in the same way pilots learn to fly or nurses learn to save lives? This episode of Silver Lining for Learning explores how authentic simulations are transforming teacher preparation and professional growth. Advances in technology now allow teachers unlimited opportunities to practice the hardest moments of teaching, with immediate feedback and opportunities to try again. For example, teachers can rehearse listening and responding to caregivers during difficult conversations. They can also practice responding to a wide variety of students’ learning needs, in the moment, on their feet.. However, simulations are not risk-free, this episode explores the opportunities, benefits, and dangers of simulated teaching practice with and without AI driven tools.Our guests, Rhonda Bondie, Julie Cohen, and Lisa Dieker, share their insights on the design, research, and implementation of simulated practice in education. Together, they trace the evolution of simulation technologies, discuss how these tools can be personalized to educators’ needs across their careers, and examine the opportunities and risks posed by AI-driven teaching simulations.Join us to imagine how simulation could reshape what it means to practice teaching.More about our guests below the videohttps://youtu.be/yIMSgs4AoScReadings and Resources: Dieker, L., Hughes, C., & Hynes, M. (2023). The Past, the Present, and the Future of the Evolution of Mixed Reality in Teacher Education. Education Sciences, 13(11), 1070. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111070Bondie, R., Zusho, A., Wiseman, E., Dede, C., & Rich, D. (2023). The potential of differentiated and personalized teacher learning through mixed reality simulations. Technology, Mind, and Brain, 4, (1) Spring 2023. Special Collection: Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality. doi: 10.1037/tmb0000098 https://tmb.apaopen.org/pub/4gk68milCohen, J., Wong, V., Krishnamachari, A., & Berlin, R. (2020). Teacher coaching in a simulated environment. Educational evaluation and policy analysis, 42(2), 208-231.https://doi.org/10.3102/016237372090621Episode GuestsRhonda Bondie is an associate professor in special education at Hunter College, Deans Fellow, and the director of the Hunter College Learning Lab. Rhonda spent over 20 years in urban public schools as both a special and general educator. Rhonda’s co-authored book, Differentiated Instruction Made Practical, was recently translated into Portuguese, is used by teachers in more than 30 countries to ensure all learners are thriving every day. Rhonda’s research examines how teachers develop inclusive teaching practices through new technologies available at https://agileteacher.org/.Julie Cohen is the Charles S. Robb associate professor at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on teacher learning and skill development. For the past nine years, she has led the TeachSim lab at the University of Virginia where her team has designed over seventy simulation-based learning experiences for teachers. Her published work has documented the benefits of mixed reality simulations as both a practice space and assessment platform for beginning teachers.  With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, she is working with Mursion to design a curriculum of AI-driven simulation modules for teachers.Lisa Dieker, Ph.D. is Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education at the University of Kansas and Director of FLITE (Flexible Learning through Innovations in Technology and Education). Her research examines inclusive education, teacher preparation, and the use of technology, including AI and mixed-reality simulation, to support students with disabilities in STEM. She co-founded the TeachLivE™ simulator and holds six patents in education and technology. She has authored seven books and over 100 scholarly publications. She has received numerous awards, has provided over 200 keynotes, and served as editor for four academic journals.   Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Welcoming 2025 with hosts Chris Dede, Lydia Cao, Punya Mishra & Curt Bonk  Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

We all know the story by now. When schools fail to engage their students, it results in student boredom, and, ultimately, chronic absence and feelings of learned helplessness. As would be expected, the effects of students not attending school is that test score gaps are widening. Such scenarios are particularly acute in high-poverty schools and among historically marginalized youth. In response, during the past five years (since 2021), the state of California has made an unprecedented investment of over $4 billion to try a new approach called community schools. The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) is committed to offering a whole-child, community-engaged approach filled with richer and more meaningful learning experiences in a climate that is welcoming and provides a sense of belonging. The instructional strategies of a CCSPP school support learner motivation, sense of learning competence, and ability to engage in self-directed forms of learning, The pillars of CCSPP include (1) Integrated student supports; (2) Family and community engagement; (3) Collaborative leadership practices; and (4) Extended learning time and opportunities. But what are the results of this investment, you ask? Well, on September 16, 2025, Walker Swain and his colleagues at the Learning Policy Institute published an initial report on the evidence to date. To find out the results, you can download the report at the links provided below. You can also attend or listen to Episode 255 of Silver Lining for Learning and find out more specifics about the Impact and Outcomes of the California Community Schools Partnership Program. It promises to be a most important and interesting show.Walker Swain is a Principal Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute, where he specializes in developing equity-oriented policy research and advising state and federal education policy. Currently, he works with LPI’s Educator Quality and Equitable Resources and Access teams. He has coauthored studies in academic journals including Educational Researcher, Sociology of Education, Economics of Education Review, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and the American Educational Research Journal on a range of education and broader public policy issues.Before joining LPI, Swain served as an American Educational Research Association/American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Fellow in the United States Senate working on education and labor policy for Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He was also previously Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Georgia, where he was honored with the Mary McCleod Bethune Educator Award for efforts to advance social justice in the classroom and beyond. He began his career as a middle school science teacher and basketball coach in Louisville, KY. Swain holds a PhD in Leadership and Policy Studies from the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, an MPP From Duke University, an MAT in Secondary Science from the University of Louisville, and a BA in Political Science and Biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Anna Maier is a Senior Policy Advisor and Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute and co-leads the Whole Child Education team, with a focus on community schools. She is the lead author of Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A Review of the Evidence and Technical Assistance for Community Schools: Enabling Strong Implementation. Her policy work and research focuses on federal, state, and local investments in community schools, with a particular focus on California. Maier has experience with a variety of roles in K–12 education. She began her career managing an afterschool program for elementary school students in Oakland and went on to teach 2nd and 3rd grade in the Oakland Unified School District and Aspire Public Schools. She was also a member of the research and evaluation team at Coaching Corps, a youth sports nonprofit in Oakland. As a graduate student fellow with the Center for Cities & Schools at UC Berkeley, she worked with West Contra Costa Unified School District on implementing a full-service community schools initiative. Maier received an MPP from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, a Multiple Subjects CLAD teaching credential from the New College of California, and a BA in Psychology and Education Studies from Carleton College.Melanie Leung-Gagné is a Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute. She is a quantitative researcher focused on school discipline and the educator workforce. Her analyses combine complex survey data sets to identify high-leverage opportunities for federal and state policy interventions that will improve education quality and equity. Her specific issue areas include discipline disparities, school climate, teacher shortages, teacher diversity, principal professional learning, and curricular access. Prior to joining LPI, she worked as an education journalist in Hong Kong and as an education researcher in India and the United Arab Emirates. She was also an English and music teacher at an elementary school for migrant workers’ children in mainland China. Leung-Gagné holds an MA in International Education Policy Analysis from Stanford University and a BSc in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.Cassandra Rubinstein is a PhD Candidate in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University and works as a Research and Policy Consultant at LPI. At LPI, she supports a range of projects dedicated to school and system redesign, including strengthening systems to support community schooling as a strategy for school transformation. She has years of experience managing district intervention programs and serving as a district grant coordinator in California public schools. Her research explores topics such as school segregation, equity-focused principal preparation, curricular interventions, and programs for multilingual students in public schools.Some relevant links:Learning Policy InstituteCommunity Schools Impact on Student Outcomes: Evidence From CaliforniaThis report can be found online at https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/ca-community-schools-impact-student-outcomes.Swain, W., Leung-Gagné, M., Maier, A., & Rubinstein, C. (2025). Community schools impact on student outcomes: Evidence from California. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/541.498 Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

In this engaging discussion, guests Marie K. Heath and Stephanie Smith Budhai explore the critical role of AI in K-12 education. Marie, an expert in dismantling oppression, highlights the biases embedded in AI algorithms and their potential to harm marginalized students. Stephanie emphasizes the need for a justice-centered approach to technology in schools. They discuss the historical context of AI, the ethical dilemmas it poses, and practical strategies for educators to navigate this complex landscape with equity in mind.

When the Alekain Foundation launched the Claim Your Diploma Initiative in November 2024, they received 831 applications within two weeks. These applicants came from across 22 provinces and six ethnic groups in Afghanistan—a powerful testament to hope, resilience, and an unquenchable thirst for education.In this episode, we'll take you inside a journey of transformation that started over a year ago as a quest to provide an accredited, asynchronous, and self-paced high school education to young women and girls in Afghanistan. The program is funded by the Alekain Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in the State of Arizona, offered by Smart Schools International, an accredited private high school that provides high-quality academic programs and curriculum paired with the flexibility and support students outside the U.S. need to be successful, and complemented by group therapy education sessions to help students process stress, strengthen emotional well-being, and build the resilience to keep growing.Today, the program supports 29 bright, resilient girls in its inaugural cohort, representing five ethnic groups and nine provinces. Through this initiative, Alekain provides no-cost secondary school classes between grades 9 and 12, culminating in an internationally accredited high school diploma that opens the way for higher education. The program follows a fully asynchronous model, allowing students to complete courses and milestones at their own pace, based on their availability. Each student is paired with a female American college student who provides academic, personal, and psychological support through a robust peer mentorship program. And because access to technology is a significant hurdle, the Foundation provides each girl with a laptop and a monthly internet plan.But the support goes deeper than academics and technology. Parents are engaged from the outset—they attend interviews to express consent and elaborate on their hopes and dreams for their daughters, then sign a parental agreement during onboarding. English as a Second Language courses are offered to ensure inclusion of students who don't initially qualify, facilitating their potential entry in future admissions cycles. In June 2025, the Foundation launched mental health support through two professionals who provide group therapy education to students, along with mentorship and training for peer mentors. This focus on mental and emotional well-being is a necessary innovation that ensures students achieve academic success and meet program milestones. After graduation, the Foundation intends to offer advising and assistance with college admissions to help students pursue higher education abroad.The Foundation is committed to supporting 30 students annually between 2026 and 2029. And the need is urgent: for over four years now, nearly 4 million girls have been barred from secondary schools in Afghanistan, with the number denied access to higher education remaining unknown. This isn't a COVID-like loss of learning—it's a denial of basic human rights and a crisis for the future of an entire generation.The theory of change driving this work is simple yet critical. When girls can access secondary education, they can build better, more stable, and resilient futures for themselves, their families, and societies. They are less likely to marry young, more likely to lead healthy and productive lives, they earn higher incomes, and they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.In today's episode, you'll hear how this initiative is working to turn that theory into reality—one laptop, one mentor, one diploma at a time.More about our guests belowNasir KaihanNasir Kaihan is the founder and president of the Alekain Foundation. He is a Ph.D. student in Education Policy and Evaluation at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, where he also serves as an Assistant of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning for the Education for Humanity Initiative. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University and was a distinguished Fulbright program fellow in 2018.Nasir has over eight years of experience working in programming, program reviews, monitoring and evaluation, and policymaking focused on migrants, IDPs, returnees, and host communities with UNESCO; advancement in higher education with the American University of Afghanistan and International University partnerships with USAID, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mexico. His career and research interests lie in the access, success, retention, and graduation of refugee and bilingual learners, girls, and other disadvantaged segments of society. Nasir has led, attended, and presented at more than ten conferences and workshops in Afghanistan and internationally.Laura PayneAt Smart Schools International, academic manager Laura Payne transforms the lives of students across the globe by helping them earn their American high school diplomas. Her role is more than academic support—it’s a cultural exchange that bridges differences and inspires learning for both her and her students.Laura works with students from diverse cultures, languages, and life experiences, which she describes as the most enriching part of her job. “Speaking with my students is educational for me,” she says. “I learn through them and discover how vast and varied the world truly is.”This mutual learning also opens the door for her students to better understand American culture and customs. For Laura, this exchange is vital to their growth. She encourages them to ask questions freely, no matter how simple or unfamiliar the topic may seem. “What may be common knowledge for Americans can be entirely new to them,” she explains. “That’s why I always say: Ask, ask, and ask again.”Laura’s mentoring style goes beyond academics. Many of her students dream of studying at American universities or working in the U.S., and they rely on her as a trusted source of guidance. She takes pride in being more than an advisor—she’s a mentor, a cultural guide, and a problem-solver for their aspirations.Her students span the globe, from Saudi Arabia to Latin America, England, and beyond—anywhere with access to the internet. For many, the program is a practical and affordable way to achieve their American diploma. Some even pursue dual diplomas, completing Smart Schools’ program while continuing their education in their home countries.Laura’s dedication ensures that each student, regardless of their background, feels supported, informed, and empowered to reach their goals. Her advice? “Make the most of me as your advisor—ask anything and everything. I’m here to help you succeed.”Through her commitment and curiosity, Laura Payne exemplifies what it means to be a mentor in a global education program, enriching lives one student at a time: I have worked in education for over 20 years and found this to be my passion. I have pursued psychology in my undergraduate and postgraduate work. I am ABD with a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and I am working on a Master’s in counseling. I find motivation as an area that I strive to help build in students and people. Motivation can be tricky, as what motivates one does not motivate another.Ginger SmithI am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in Indian, Ohio and Kentucky.  I have a Bachelor's Degree from Johnson University in Knoxville, TN and a Master's Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.  I am grateful for the training and passion that both of these schools instilled.I spent several years in Owensboro, KY working with the International Center to help resettle and provide mental health support for refugees who have found safety from their country of origin.  It changed my world view, more than any missionary work I have ever been a part of.  I have learned so many beautiful lessons and experienced some of the most powerful reminders of  hope from the men, women, and children that I have worked with.The funding provided curriculum and the opportunity to help newly resettled individuals and families in Owensboro find hope in the idea that their experiences in the resettlement are in many ways universal to the experience of fleeing from a home that has become unsafe to a new home that feels anything but that. Using the curriculum, we formed groups that  focused on the common phases of resettling to expect, the common mental health and physical challenges that are seen, and ways to manage and seek help when they  need more support in finding emotional wellness.  I was fortunate enough to find ways to continue supporting families in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area when we relocated in 2021.I have spent nearly 20 years working with families who need support to improve their marriages, their parenting, and their view of self. I have also spent nearly 20 years working with children, teens and adults who have experienced trauma.  I have seen the ways these memories and experiences have affected relationships, mental health, view of self and others.I love my work and feel so honored to get to participate in any way that I can in supporting and learning from families who have experienced such traumatic circumstances that fleeing from their homes was the only option. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

What happens when young people refuse to be passive consumers of the future being built around them? The Youth Futures Studio (YFS) at Quest Alliance is flipping the script on how we think about youth, technology, and the future by asking a crucial question: How are megatrends like climate change and AI shaping young people's lives—and what futures do they want to inhabit?Rather than accepting predetermined futures, YFS empowers young people to imagine and articulate alternatives. The studio operates on a simple but radical premise: futures exist only in our imagination, making them a powerful tool for understanding how megatrends will affect us. And crucially, no trend is destiny—at any moment, multiple possible futures exist, waiting to be shaped by the choices we make today.More about the YFS program and our guests below the videohttps://youtu.be/SweZpYX_iisYFS focuses on three pillars:Understanding how young people are experiencing megatrendsBuilding capacity of young people to imagine alternate futures through futures thinking pedagogyBring youth voices to the decision making tableThe studio began with climate change, developing an emancipatory climate futures literacy pedagogy that helped young people move from individual understanding of climate issues to systemic thinking—and from there, to imagining their preferred climate futures. Now, YFS has turned its attention to another force reshaping young lives: artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. The team recognized something urgent: AI is already laying the foundations of the world young people will inhabit, yet these young people feel they have no agency in influencing that change. They feel trapped into passively accepting futures being decided for them.YFS engaged with over 200 young people in government secondary schools and vocational training institutes to understand their digital lives. The results were striking: 2 out of 3 young people couldn't clearly define what Artificial Intelligence was—yet AI is already reshaping their education, employment prospects, and daily lives. Without reliable information or critical engagement tools, young people were making meaning of these technologies entirely on their own terms, filling the knowledge gap with whatever they could piece together.The Response: Critical AI Futures PedagogyThis gap led YFS to create a Critical AI Futures pedagogical framework that goes beyond simply teaching young people what AI is—it empowers them to engage critically and imagine differently. The framework enables young people to understand AI and situate it within their social context rather than seeing it as an abstract or inevitable force, articulate their anxieties about probable AI futures not to dwell in fear but to transform those anxieties into critical questions, challenge and reject dominant AI narratives that position them as passive users, imagine and articulate alternate community-centered AI futures, and ultimately claim agency to create their preferred futures rather than accepting what's handed to them.This engagement culminated in something unprecedented: India's first Youth AI Charter: A Critical AI futures pedagogical framework that helps young people to:Understand AI, engage with it critically and situate it in their social contextEnables them to articulate their anxieties about probable AI futuresUse anxiety as a site of transformation to challenge and question and reject the dominant AI narrativesEmpowers them to imagine and articulate alternate AI futures which are community-centeredEmpowers them with agency to imagine and create their preferred AI futuresIn this document, young people refuse their assigned role as passive consumers of AI and instead articulate how AI should serve their communities and shape their lives. They propose a reversal of priorities—prioritizing care over efficiency, focusing on human and environmental wellbeing, centering labor dignity. Their vision is building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) with a genuinely human, environment, and labor-centric approach to AI—not despite artificial intelligence, but by reshaping how it's developed and deployed.The Youth Futures Studio's work reminds us that the future isn't written yet. Young people aren't just subjects of change—they're architects of possibility. By giving them the tools to think critically, imagine boldly, and articulate clearly, we're not just preparing them for the future but ensuring they have a hand in creating it.Our guestsBhawna Parmar: Bhawna is a researcher-designer working at the intersection of youth, digital cultures and participatory futures. She has set up and currently leads the Youth Futures Studio at Quest Alliance, India.Tanvi Negi: Tanvi is the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Research at Quest Alliance. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Paul Kim, the Founder and President of Seeds of Empowerment and former Associate Dean at Stanford, shares transformative insights on education in an AI-driven era. He discusses AI Coaching and his innovative SMILE program for marginalized communities. Kim introduces the six C's—collaboration, compassion, and more—crucial for today's learners. Highlighting AI's potential, he describes interactive educational robots and emphasizes the importance of empowering all students. Kim also explores global initiatives, including Kazakhstan's youth-led AI ecosystem, encouraging a shift towards inquiry-based learning.