Supporting innovative leadership that accelerates emergence, team development that brings together diverse perspectives for creative and equitable design, and positive, reflective organizational transformation.
Inquiry & Learning for Change works with clients to create networks of democratic, adaptive, and values-driven schools, districts, and organizations that are deeply and organically connected to their communities. We believe that transformation for a more equitable, socially and racially just, and thriving society is possible through emergent new ways of being and co-designing together, iterating shifts in systems towards these values we hold, “rewilding” for more biodiverse human ecosystems, and designing for radically inclusive, compassionate, and reciprocal relationships in communities that focus on learning, healing, thriving, and accomplishment. Come adventure with us!
Recent Projects
-
Co-Director, Deeper Learning Dozen
Co-directed the Deeper Learning Dozen, a community of practice of senior school and district leaders from school districts across North America (US and British Columbia) focused on district transformation to support equitable deeper learning for each and every young person and adult. Read More
-
Coaching Linked Learning Pathway Teams for College and Career Readiness
As a coach with ConnectEd, the California Center for College and Career, and later, as the Pathway Coach Coordinator for the Linked Learning Office in the Oakland Unified School District, I worked with a number of high school "Linked Learning Pathways" in Oakland, CA. Linked Learning is a promising approach to the redesign of high schools... Read More
-
Mandela MarketPlace & Foods Cooperative
Moving from a powerful Mission to "work in partnership with local residents, family farmers, and community-based businesses to improve health, create wealth, and build assets through cooperative food enterprises in low income communities" to systems and structures to make that happen is hard work! Inquiry & Learning for Change was honored to work with Mandela MarketPlace and Mandela Foods Cooperative on clarifying their Mission and Vision, and refining the ways that the two organizations work together to achieve that Mission. Read More
Latest Blog Articles
The Beginning of the Year: Two Ways of Thinking that Just Might Transform Your Classroom
We have to start with small steps and build from there. Activities that involve interactions with other students with low cognitive load (low stakes) create pathways back into engagement that enable everyone to be successful. These activities also build social learning capacity and contribute to weaving the web of the routines, rituals, and habits of... Read More... Read More
Adult Project Based Learning (PBL): Our Summer of Joyful Hard Work!
When adults experience project-based learning, they can see what it’s like for students to engage in learning that's meaningful, complex, sustained, and open to many solutions. Read More
What Does Italian Cooking Have to Do with Strengths-Based Learning?
Stories of learning approaches that tap into students’ strengths, gifts, interests, passions, and future goals We need to slow down, stop this incessant, instinctive, and frenzied reaction to double down on more and more content. That is, we need to be constructivist teachers, not consumerist teachers. We need to recognize where our learners are now as whole people who actually want to learn, and recognize their assets, their strengths, gifts, interests, and passions as well as their needs for emotional support and connection. And slowly, slowly, we need to build the learning ecosystem from the foundations up; that is, we need to do it right from the beginning, or we’ll just have to do it all over again later. As adrienne maree brown says, “There is always enough time for the right work.” Read More
A Little Essay on How Communities of Practice and Dense Networks can result in high quality learning and outcomes for ALL students: Collaborative Capacity and System Symmetry
What we need for systemic transformation is an emergent and qualitatively different learning and leadership experience of participants (teachers, students, community members, school leaders, district people) that results in emergent and qualitatively different practices and actions. Read More
Recommendations
-
John is a highly talented conceptual thinker who can take theory and turn it into down-on-the-ground, practical interventions and approaches. He develops highly effective processes for organizations and groups that lead to new ways of accomplishing desired outcomes.Juli Quinn
Director, Regional System of District and School Support
LA County Office of Education -
I have been continually impressed by John's effortless ability to understand our fairly complex organizational model and culture, and to craft tools, meetings, and methods that complement and strengthen our existing efforts...He believes in his work, and approaches me and our staff with respect, humility, and a sense of humor. In my opinion, you could not find a better evaluation consultant, coach, or 'critical friend.'Melissa Meiris
Director of Education
Headlands Institute