Teenage Takeover with Sam LevinToday Sam Levin is the 29-year-old Oxford PhD CEO of a biotech company. Thirteen years ago he was a high school junior exasperated at his friends’ disengagement and unhappiness at school. So he did something about it! Now students, teachers, and parents are taking note of his bold vision.We cover a lot of territory including:3:11 The seeds of Sam’s discontent with school4:28 Sam’s mom puts forth a challenge5:11 A community garden reveals that teens can love learning and hard work6:34 How teachers unfairly label students8:46 Sam’s vision for a  student-run school meets resistance10:37 The teacher that shattered Sam’s illusions12:04 The remarkable vision of the Independent Project13:39 Parents' fears about the Independent Project14:15 The relationship between pedagogy and tracking/ability grouping15:40 The foundational reasons we should stop tracking kids16:58 The remarkable design of the Independent Project19:07 Every student creates an “individual endeavor” around a passion19:39 Getting into college20:29 A “collective endeavor” to promote powerful collaboration21:32 Practicing 21st century skills22:50 The life-changing impact of the Independent Project25:17 De-orientation to break bad school habits26:30 Sam’s PhD. and the creation of Melonfrost28:04 How the Independent Project planted the seeds for Sam’s CEO success30:02 Sam’s advice to educators31:30 Steve poses a thought experiment Independent Project documentary (14 minutes)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RElUmGI5gLcSam and his mom’s book about the Independent Project https://thenewpress.com/books/school-of-our-ownSam’s biotech company- Melonfrost https://www.melonfrost.com  If you liked this podcast, here are some other episodes you can check out:A portrait of an exhausted, dispirited high school student: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/a-letter-to-my-younger-self-with-emmy-huefnerA mini version of the Independent Project for middle school students: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/suzannegoldsmithhirschHarvard thought-leader on 21st century learning Tony Wagner on why our kids need schools like the independent project: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/tuned-in-to-the-future-with-tony-wagnerNYTimes bestselling author Daniel Pink on how autonomous learning transformed his brain: https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/the-epiphany-with-daniel-pink  About Experience MattersExperience Matters with Steve Shapiro invites guests to reflect on the most profound learning experiences of their youth and to consider how we can reform American schools. Each episode provides clues about how parents and educators alike can engage young people in powerful, sometimes transformational experiential learning. Education can take many forms, but whatever form it takes- experience matters. 

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