To what degree are we helping kids? Pun intended.

One topic that recently bubbled to the surface when applying for a grant is whether we are helping kids navigate the cost/benefit of higher education. This was intriguing especially in light of the recent article by Bryan Caplan, an economist who challenges the premise of the game many of us play in mainstream America--getting and keeping access to privilege the academia way. He (link below) makes a case that playing-it-in-earnest isn't actually paying off...even at the game it's trying to win.

It seems pretty clear that college readiness isn't one of the top goals of a CSW. As Dan mentioned in the last post, there is an element of connectedness we cultivate. Call it spirituality, call it soul, whatever you call it it involves consciously feeling and being in the physical world. The currency at a CSW seems to be: the endless supply of fresh senses on new phenomena, a sandbox/junkyard/playground to push, tweak, bend, cut, build and explore our agency on things, and all of the above with the additional high that the shared-experience brings.

But aren't we ultimately setting kids up for failure--or at least a swim against the stream--if this connectedness isn't what society wants from us?  At some level, being good at jumping through someone else's hoops--what classrooms provide excellent training for--is what most of the workforce is looking for. Ain't a whole lotta soul in that but it'll get the bills paid.

Here is a bite-sized chunk for now (try to suffer through the 15 second advertisement), email me if you want to borrow the book.

What's so great about a CSW?

The mission of this platform is to promote the proliferation of dedicated physical spaces known as Community Science Workshops. With multiple perspectives, we hope to articulate what motivates a CSW, what it looks like in action, how it feels, and importantly--how it differs from other STEM spaces and programs.

If all goes well, the contributions to the online discussion will ultimately be distilled into a "how-to" guide...fast forward a couple years...millions of copies, in various languages, will be loaded onto a B57 and dropped, airborne leaflet propaganda style, over inhabited areas around the world.

This first post is intended to cut to the heart of the matter. What, to you personally, is the #1 thing that a CSW provides, especially for kids, that isn't adequately provided by any other aspect of most neighborhoods today ?