Advocate for innovation in education

Last year I resolved to be open to new ideas - to listening, learning, and advocating for this region to be on the leading edge of change in education. As we continue to learn how to think of ourselves as a unified region as opposed to merely a collection of communities, I think we are still struggling to find our aspirational and unifying goal. Many leaders in the region have been working to this end and there seems to be a growing consensus that education and entrepreneurship could be the defining characteristics behind our brand, Iowa's Creative Corridor.

So I resolve again to keep advocating that we pull together and figure out how to rethink the very framework of what the educational model for today's world needs to be. My goal is that one day we can honestly say, 'Iowa's Creative Corridor: Where we have the most innovative educational systems in the world.” If we could truly make this a reality and not a slogan, it would be transformational for the region in so way ways, including economic development. What parent would not want to move their family to the area to be part of such a powerful movement? This would increase our workforce and attract more companies to locate and start here, further growing our ability to enhance the region and improve the quality of life for all.

Our collective goal should be to prepare young people to be confident, resilient, collaborative, empathetic, caring, productive members of our communities, reaching out to the world. Education should not be seen as a finite process which ends with a diploma or a degree, but a lifelong process. We need to help students be able to adapt in a rapidly changing world. There are models emerging around the world where early childhood education curriculum has expanded to include mindfulness, conflict resolution and similar areas of personal development which encourage creativity but also grit, determination and self-empowerment. Then with this solid base of what it means to be a strong person, learning in the traditional academic subjects is accelerated.

If there is agreement that the purpose of public education is to prepare young people for a life of health, happiness and success in whatever form a person wishes to choose, then we must have the courage to accept that our systems were not intrinsically built for this purpose. This is not a lack of resources issue, but a test of our collective courage to make profound and fundamental changes in the intent of our system. The educators and administrators I speak with understand the potential we could unlock if given the opportunity. That courage has to come from the community and I will continue to keep pushing this idea in hopes that in 2017 we start to see tangible movement toward an enhanced model of what it means to prepare our children to thrive in their lives.

' Mark Nolte, president and CEO of the Iowa City Area Development Group, wants to see people live happy lives. Comments: MNolte@icadgroup.com