"We just need a full redesign on our educational system, because it's...falling short," says Unlimited Awesome Co-Founder and COO Julie Smithson.
She's speaking from her own experience, even as she designs a better future through her revolutionary new entrepreneurship education platform, Unlimited Awesome.
The program
With a scheduled launch this autumn, Unlimited Awesome maps students' goals and strengths through an AI Mentor. Students then master life skills through "6 Castles of Success", earn interactive badges in gamified learning experiences, and collaborate globally on a virtual campus.
And they'll be guided by mentors--more than 175 of whom have volunteered to coach the students in their entrepreneurial journey.
The program, Julie estimates, will take students about two years to complete.
"At the end of (the entire program), the result that we want is for that student to come up with a business," Julie says.
"We truly believe in the solopreneur."
Reinventing education for a future world
Julie, who is the co-founder of both METAVRSE and nonprofit XR Women, began working on Unlimited Awesome, in tandem with her partner and husband, futurist Alan Smithson, more than twelve years ago. The catalyst: the disparity she saw between her then-nine-year-old daughter's experience with traditional education, and her daughter's talents as a budding entrepreneur.
While attending inventor's camp, her young daughter came up with an imaginative and marketable product. But upon her return to traditional classes, the curriculum didn't match the skills she would need as a future innovator.
"My daughter is about to graduate high school, and I'm frustrated to say that she hasn't been taught how to manage money," Julie comments.
"Today, in (this) day and age, let's start asking, why aren't we teaching this? This is such a fundamental (skill)."
Far more than a classroom
But Unlimited Awesome is about much more than, simply, "school".
Julie describes it as an ecosystem, with a goal of having every student thrive. The ultimate goal: a community of inventors, creators and entrepreneurs who can flourish in a future unpredictable marketplace, as well as mentor other students following graduation.
The "6 Castles of Success" in Unlimited Awesome's personalized-learning program go
beyond simple business skills--to cover areas including ethics, money management, purpose and health and wellness.
"...We have built this curriculum that we feel will accelerate (students), in a way that they will benefit back to society," Julie says.
"And these are the people we want around us. They're the ones that we want to build our future."
Julie shared the story of creating Unlimited Awesome, offered a closer look at what students will experience, and discussed some of the ways the life skills in the program will prepare them for the careers of the future.
POWERED BY BLUBRRY
