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There once was a school of shapes.
Not like a school of fish that flow together,
but an actual place where squares, and circles, and rectangles
could learn to be the shapiest shapes ever.
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For some reason, I never grew too old for children’s stories. I love the whimsy…the imagination…the adventure. I’ve been curious about creating a kid’s book of my own, but I’ve never been quite sure enough of my creative ability to pull it off. But as Leap Kits begin to ship this week, I’ve decided to finally pursue a project over the next 90 days as a Leap of my own and the words above are a rough start to the story.
I’ll share how I’m designing and pursuing the project along the way, but I’m curious: What is it for you? What have you hoped to learn, make or change?
This Spring might be your chance to begin.
Here’s a look at the tool that the Ei team and I designed to help you take those Leaps and how you can participate with a project of your own:
A Simple Process | Discover, Prepare, Act, Share
Discover: Leaping begins by exploring what moves you. Reflect on your past, examine your present, and brainstorm different leaps worth taking.
Prepare: As soon as you have a Leap in mind and a place you hope to land, take inventory of the resources and skills that will keep you in the air and the people who you’ll invite into your project.
Act: Leaping may seem like a grand endeavor; but, like all great things, it’s really just a series of small and thoughtful steps. Use this section to make your plans, set your goals, and roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Share: Each phase of your Leap will provide you with a set of valuable lessons, newfound skills, and new friendships. Documenting and sharing your journey will help keep you accountable to your goals and give others a chance to participate in the journey with you.
A Few Delightful Tools
If you’ve ordered the kit (or are considering ordering the kit), here’s a quick video about what you’ll receive and how to get started.
(note: try to do this first piece with a partner!)
A Growing and Caring Community
While making Leap Kit, we learned that nothing is more valuable than the people who support you. As soon as you choose a Leap, find 2-5 friends and set a regular time and place to work on your projects together.
Ei is also working to support and connect Leapers in different cities. You can share a tweet, Facebook update, Instagram, etc with the hashtag: #MyLeapand our team will reply. It’s also a great way to document your own Leap. Click on the image below to see what other Leapers are up to!
We’ll also be hosting “Leap Nights” on the 29th of each month to gather people in local communities. If you’re interested in hosting a Leap Night in your area, just send a note to hello@expinstitute.com
What happens when I complete my Leap?
There will be three submission dates for your Leap Stories: June 15, September 15, and December 15th (roughly every 90 days). We’ll compile stories into a publication to share with students, friends, families, companies, and Leapers in all corners of the world. Someday, we hope to host Leap Talks to give you a stage to teach what you’ve learned and share stories of how you grew along the way.
Why does any of this matter?
For the past few years, a couple of friends and I have come to believe that education isn’t just something you consume, it can be something you create. It should be rooted in how you see the problems around you and the vigor by which you pursue learning how to solve those problems. If we think about education in that fashion – as something that can be made through thoughtful experiences – then anyone from any background can have access to a world-class education at any season of life.
Yes, it takes a different kind of thinking, a larger community, and a nudge to move beyond our uncertainties; but we have to start somewhere. Leap Kit might be that starting point for you.
If you have any questions feel free to send a message online and we’ll be here to help. In the meantime, I’m back to writing about shapes.
Keep Leaping,
Victor
PS: Order your Leap Kit at leapkit.expinstitute.com