How can we create learning environments where curiosity, passion, and human connection thrive amidst a standardized system? What would education look like if it truly nurtured the whole person—lifelong, life-wide, and life-deep?

Today’s guest is Dr. Vera Michalchik, the Associate Director and Senior Researcher at the Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine. With a career spanning decades in exploring how people learn across settings and times, Dr. Michalchik focuses on interest-driven and value-driven learning pathways. Her work emphasizes the integration of technology and community connections to transform the traditional educational landscape.

In this episode, we dive into the profound ways education can shift from focusing on grades and metrics to fostering curiosity, collaboration, and personal meaning. Dr. Michalchik shares her insights on flipping the conventional learning model by starting with students’ interests and values, enabling them to build skills and knowledge that serve their personal missions. From discussing the beauty of hands-on explorations like the Reggio Emilia approach to reimagining evaluation systems through portfolios, she paints a picture of an educational future rooted in equity, creativity, and connection.

Dr. Michalchik also sheds light on how digital tools, like the Foldscope microscope and platforms like Community Share, bridge gaps in learning access, linking students with passionate mentors and rich opportunities. With her deep passion for reforming education systems, she inspires educators and learners alike to think beyond grades, embrace the joys of discovery, and remember that the current system is just a starting point—one that can, and must, evolve.