Learning on purpose

Are we preparing kids for the world as it is -- or the world as it was? 🤔

I’ll never forget watching Noriko Arai’s TED Conferences talk in 2017. She’d trained an AI to pass Japan’s notoriously tough university entrance exam—essays included. It was a lightbulb moment: If machines can ace our tests, what is the purpose of school? ⚡

Seven years later, we’re still clinging to an outdated system that pits kids against technology instead of cultivating the qualities that make us uniquely human.

But we’ve reached an inflection point: everything is about to change.

🔥 Facing the Challenge Head-On

Last week, I joined Kim Smith, LearnerStudio and 100+ education innovators at LoneRock to explore this opportunity. We worked within the Three Horizons Model—a framework mapping out where education’s been, where it is, and where it must go:

⤵ Horizon 1 (H1): Status Quo

Today’s system is optimized for efficiency, standardization and predictable outcomes (ie. preparing kids for factory jobs). It was designed for a world that doesn't exist, and can't meet today's needs.

↔ Horizon 2 (H2): Reform

In H2, we see small improvements (ie. tech-driven personalization)—but still within the constraints of an antiquated system.⤴ Horizon 3 (H3): ReinventionH3 requires a leap beyond old structures to start building what comes next. Getting there requires the courage and faith that unleash real innovation.

[Real Talk: This disrupter in me feels so seen by this model! A colleague at the convening said, “Abby, you were born on H3!” No disagreement here. 😉]

🎯The Growing Consensus

What’s thrilling is that ideas once considered radical now have widespread support. A new Populace report found that 64% of parents believe education is on the wrong track and:

☑ College is no longer the end goal of K-12.

☑ Practical skills and real-world outcomes should take priority.

☑ Individualized education is the future; one-size-fits-all is the past.

☑ The goal isn’t “better”—it’s different.

🔭 What Does H3 Look Like in Practice?

At The Flight School, we’re building an unapologetically H3 model, leading by example in shifting from:

☑ Hard skills ▶ Regenerative skills that foster wisdom and purpose

☑ Standardized tests ▶ Portfolios showcasing what you can do (vs know)

☑ Learning in classrooms ▶ Unbundling learning from time and place

☑ Pathways to jobs ▶ Portals to opportunity

Imagine a world where we prepare kids for life, not just exams; where students graduate high school knowing their gifts and how to use them. Imagine parents emphasizing agency over achievement, creativity over conformity, and teachers guiding journeys of self-discovery.

The crisis in today’s education system is real, but so is the opportunity.

There’s a growing force of dreamers, donors and doers ready to take the leap to H3. Are you?