A great number of people don’t like to begin the day with problems, but the students that work in the House of Technology at USM seem disappointed with there is nothing going wrong, blowing up, and they can’t dive headfirst into solving a real, complex problem that they know will directly improve something at school. While there are a great deal of other activities the kids can engage in when iPads are not broken, Smart technology and laptops are working, and everyone can get their work done with technology, there is something inherently engaging for the kids when they know their work is real, that it matters, and will require critical thinking, and higher-level problem solving. If they have to research, contact experts, take apart systems, and price parts to put something together in a way that improves outcomes, they really come to life. Sure this is messy and difficult to grade. Yet it is real and challenging and full of the twenty-first century skills we know our graduates will need when they leave school. It is what I see my college graduates doing in occupations that are evolving before their very eyes.. The question in my mind these days is, “How can every student participate in an applications model where they solve real problems on topics that matter?” Content is vital to solving the problems these kids face, but does it need to be memorized and spewed back on tests? We have got to stay the course and continue to press for better demonstrations of learning to prepare students for a world that is dramatically different than the one most schools are preparing them for.
Nikki Sweeney
It is difficult to fully express my gratitude for the journey I have had in education and the deep sense of purpose that continues to guide my work. After serving as Assistant Head of School and Head of Upper School at The Village School of Naples, I have transitioned to continue my life’s work through Pay It Forward Enterprises. While the setting has evolved, the mission remains the same: advancing the lives of young people through leadership, innovation, and meaningful human connection.
My path has been shaped by more than two decades at the University School of Milwaukee, where I served as Director of Innovation, Educational Technology, and Entrepreneurship. It has been strengthened by graduate studies in Educational Leadership and Technology in Education. But the true foundation of my work has always been the students themselves. Their curiosity, their questions, and their desire to lead lives of purpose continue to inspire everything I do.
That inspiration led to my earlier book, The Virtue Code: A Guide to Flourish for the AI Generation, which reflects a generation’s desire to navigate a rapidly changing world with both wisdom and integrity. More recently, it has shaped my newest work, The Quiet Crisis and the Future Worth Building, where I explore a deeper and more urgent reality: why educators are leaving, how the structure of schooling is being challenged, and what must come next as we rethink learning in an age of artificial intelligence.
Together, these works represent both a belief in human potential and a call to action. One focuses on the development of young people. The other examines the systems meant to serve them.
At Pay It Forward Enterprises, I am building on this foundation by helping students, educators, and leaders unlock potential, strengthen connection, and design more human-centered approaches to learning. I am especially energized by the opportunity to explore how technology can elevate, rather than replace, what matters most: relationships, purpose, and the cultivation of a meaningful life.
The journey continues, and I could not be more energized to keep growing, learning, and paying it forward.
Nikki B. Sweeney 