The primary goal of our formative years is often seen as figuring out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Why, then, do we focus so much on what we want to *be* instead? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Matthew Jaskol to explore the importance of cultivating and recognizing academic curiosity.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
- What is the development process for a curious but undecided student?
- Why does fostering intellectual curiosity get overlooked in traditional education systems?
- What are ways to encourage students to explore or engage in big problems?
- What’s the most important shift in mindset needed to help students pursue authentic growth, rather than just building a polished resume?
- Why is it important to not give up on exploration too quickly?
MEET OUR GUEST
Matthew Jaskol is committed to empowering young scholars from all backgrounds to think critically and create meaningful change. In 2012, he co-founded Pioneer Academics, a public benefit corporation that delivers rigorous and cutting-edge academic initiatives and is also committed to eliminating financial and geographic barriers for high-achieving, low-income students worldwide. Its two flagship institutes are: the Pioneer Research Institute—the world’s only fully accredited online research institute for high school students—and the Global Problem-Solving Institute, a virtual innovation lab where students tackle complex global challenges through interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative design.
Matthew believes that when intellectual curiosity is nurtured with structure and academic rigor, it sparks extraordinary growth. His work is driven by the belief that education should be transformational, not transactional, and he remains inspired by the creativity, purpose, and depth students bring to their work.
Matthew can be reached at matthew.jaskol@pioneeracademics.com.
LINKS
The Global Problem-Solving Institute | Pioneer Research
Why ‘Find your passion!’ may be bad advice
The Newest College Admissions Ploy: Paying to Make Your Teen a “Peer-Reviewed” Author
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
RELATED EPISODES
WHAT DOES UNHOOKED MEAN IN ADMISSIONS?
FITTING IN AND STANDING OUT
FINDING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IN THE PATH TO COLLEGE
ABOUT THIS PODCAST
Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS
Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. Get in touch with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, consulting, or anything podcast related through our contact page. We’d love to hear from you!