Two big things happened at Partnerships in Summer 2026 that capture the possibilities for authentic learning! We celebrated our fifth annual Summer Institute for Authentic Learning and Leadership, convening hundreds of passionate educators and industry experts from across Ohio and beyond to engage in and explore dynamic keynote experiences, 50+ breakout sessions, and plenty of collaborative dialogue about authentic learning and leadership. We leveraged our experience togeth

Last spring, eight Galion City High School students signed up to be part of a design thinking team with Mr. Sean Maguire, a teacher who was learning how to design and facilitate authentic learning experiences. The students' enthusiasm quickly won Mr. Maguire over. Sean recalled, “After the initial Cohort meeting, I was thinking to myself, ‘What did I get myself into?'" But at lunch duty that day, he described the idea of design thinking to the students, and without hesitation

How can service become more than an activity—and instead become a powerful vehicle for academic, social/emotional, and spiritual growth? That question was at the heart of our August 12 professional learning experience with the faculty and staff of St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic School in Gahanna, Ohio. Designed to support the school’s accreditation process, the day focused on “Service-Learning: Building a Legacy of Caring.” Along with Ellen and Kathy of Partnerships, educat

Partnerships for Authentic Learning and Leadership is seeking a Professional Learning Coordinator to help design, support, and facilitate professional learning experiences that empower educators, leaders, students, and communities.

Please join us July 15-16, 2026 at Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, OH, for a one-of-a-kind professional learning experience that will serve as a “call to action” that will fuel your energy and passion for teaching and leading throughout the coming year. The Institute is a place of innovation, inspiration, joy, gathering, and renewal …a place where you’ll “find your people” and rekindle your passion and sense of purpose…a place where you’ll connect, reflect, create,

We extend our sincere thanks to all veterans and to the teachers who, each November, ensure their students understand the importance of honoring those who have served. This month, we’re proud to spotlight two Partnerships classrooms whose teachers connected authentic learning to Veterans Day in meaningful and creative ways. At Fairbanks Local Schools in Union County, Ohio , Rachel Jones’ 6th-grade ELA students explored the themes of patriotism and service through writing cont

This month, 20 teachers and school counselors are participating in a workforce and career readiness design workshop at the Delaware Area Career Center (Delaware County), learning how to teach core subjects in new ways by integrating authentic learning and community partnerships into current units. Our focus this time around? Partnering with local businesses and non-profits. We’re proving that teaching with a workforce/career readiness lens is not “one more thing,” it’s rethi

Your emotions are like a shelf that holds up the “items” of your thinking. That idea is paraphrased from Mary Helen Immordino-Yang’s recent research in neuroscience, summarized in the text, Emotions, Learning, and the Brain (2016) , and it reminds us how much emotions matter for deeper learning. We put this research into action at St. Mary School in Lancaster, Ohio, on September 18, 2025. Nearly 40 teachers and staff gathered for a makerspace challenge we called “Kind Heart J

What if the annual “school year” welcome back and convocation felt like a class you never wanted to leave? This August, incoming Superintendent, Janel Chapman, Fairbanks Local Schools, wanted to inspire the school year in an innovative way. So Kristin, from the Partnerships team, and roughly 180 teachers and staff from Fairbanks , a Partnerships school, dove into a real-world design challenge in order to feel authentic learning in action, to experience the district mission,