Connect
Podcasts

Episode 40: The Power of Joy in Learning with Dr. George Philhower

Katie Martin
Authentic LearningReal-World LearningCulture

By loading this video, you agree to the privacy policy of Youtube.

Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Watch on YouTube

Episode Summary:

Dr. George Philhower, Superintendent of Eastern Hancock Schools in Indiana, shares his journey as an educator and leader dedicated to creating school environments where students wake up excited to learn each day.

George reflects on his early struggles as a student, how they shaped his passion for education, and his path from special education teacher to superintendent. He discusses how his district prioritizes student engagement, personalized learning, and strong community connections to ensure all students feel valued and prepared for life beyond high school.

Key topics covered include:

  • 🎓 Meeting individually with every junior and senior to support career exploration and post-graduation planning
  • 🏫 Creating a learner-centered culture through four core promises: Joy, Connection, Growth, and Success
  • 🤝 Building strong community partnerships to provide real-world learning experiences
  • 🛠️ Developing career-connected pathways, including hands-on programs in healthcare and construction
  • 📊 Rethinking traditional measures of success to focus on student well-being, engagement, and long-term outcomes
  • 🎉 Hosting “Joy Jam,” a professional learning conference centered on creating joyful, engaging schools

Related Resources:

  • Blog: Building Community Partnerships: A Strategy for Sustaining Learner-Centered Education
    When we forge partnerships with our local community, we expand learning and assessment beyond the classroom. These connections tap into an organic network of resources that provide real-world contexts where students can develop and demonstrate lasting competencies.
  • Course: Promote Anytime, Anywhere Learning
    Explore ways to connect learners with the local and global community through learning experiences that happen both in and outside of the classroom. Create opportunities for real-world learning experiences with community members through mentorships, internships, and community-based projects
  • Strategy: Connect Learners to Mentors
    While your school might not yet have a formal internship or mentorship program, there are still many ways to ensure learners get connected with local community members and with work-based learning experiences. Discover some of these strategies using the link above.

How About Another?

No results found.
Related Posts
Blog
What an 8th-Grade Defense Taught Me About Competency-Based Learning
Written by Maysa Dadmun Have you ever watched a student light up when they get to learn about something they truly love? That spark is what shaped my entire 8th-grade defense project, and now, as a freshman in high school, it’s shaping the way I approach learning every day.  I attended Sussex School, a…
Blog
If No One Was Telling Us What To Do, What Would We Build?
For decades, K-12 educational leaders have worked within a system and structure of someone else’s design. We’ve generally been operating with an “outside-in” policy model where Federal rules, funding, accountability systems, and compliance requirements have shaped what we do and how we think about what is possible. State Departments and local education agencies have…
Blog
Looking Back to Move Forward: Our Year of Redesign, Renewal, and Relentless Hope
As 2025 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a season marked by uncertainty, rapid change, and a growing chorus of voices calling for something better for our kids, educators, and communities. From the fluctuating role of the federal government to the dizzying acceleration of AI, the context around education has shifted…
Blog
5 Tips for Launching Internships and Apprenticeships in Your District
Every year, thousands of students graduate high school without stepping foot into a professional work setting. In today’s rapidly changing world, this lack of exposure is not providing students with the experiences and skills they need to thrive beyond graduation. So, what if school was not separate from the “real world,” but an active…

It’s Your Journey

Explore More Topics

Blog
Writing a New Chapter in Educational Leadership
With each passing day, the challenges educational leaders face have fewer and fewer straightforward solutions. The leadership handbook is being rewritten, requiring a shift in mindset, behavior, and identity. Many of the structures and systems in education were built to solve predictable problems. Originally, the aim was to develop an educated citizenry capable of…
BlogWebinars
Webinar Recording: How to Redesign Your School Through a Learner-Centered Lens
In this webinar, Carmen Sanders (Executive Director of Instructional Support, Alexandria City Public Schools) and Michael Anderson (Principal, West Campus, Colorado Springs School District 11) join Jesse Ross of Learner-Centered Collaborative to share how they are leading learner-centered school redesign within very different contexts—one a large, diverse comprehensive high school system and the other…
Blog
What Learners Really Experience: Reflections from the LiftOff Design Sprint
I recently had the opportunity to participate in the LiftOff Design Sprint, where 75 leaders from education, technology, research, philanthropy, and civic sectors came together in Silicon Valley. Over three days, we worked in teams to rapidly prototype 10 innovative learning models designed to help young people build the habits, skills, and mindsets they…
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, you agree with it. Privacy Policy