You Have Arrived!

        A Note from Jess Burnquist, VP of Impact Education

Welcome to CV Changemakers. Perhaps you’re a teacher or youth leader. Maybe you are working at a like-minded organization or searching for meaningful enrichment for the youth in your life. No matter how you find your way here, there is something to be gained by showing up. I know this firsthand. 

A little over seven years ago, I taught English at a high school in an unincorporated town outside the Phoenix metro area. My students were, like many, unlimited in their potential but performing below their ability. I noticed how siloed they were from one another and the world around them. Over the winter break, I discovered the Creative Visions curriculum, formerly known by a different name but with the heart of our CV Changemakers lessons front and center. I used the lessons with my students, and the effects were profound. 

Why? 

The learning was student-led and relevant. Students were tasked with becoming storytellers for change and to be heard beyond the four walls of our classroom. I’ll never forget the students who presented a film about the adolescent brain’s need for later school start times to the school board. They were successful, but they also began to relate to one another with more generosity of spirit and empathy. 

As my students became unified around an issue and utilized their individual talents to illuminate others about their cause, something shifted their perspectives of one another and their own ability for the better. Their writing improved. Their research skills improved. Their speaking and listening skills improved. Their sense of where and how they belong in the world improved. Most noticeably, their overall desire to learn improved. 

After using this approach, I reached out to Creative Visions to speak with and thank the originators of the changemaking curriculum, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. It is an honor to lead the Impact Education department and link arms with others who believe in the power of meaningful education.

We invite you to explore our site. Check out the lessons and resources, and spend time with our newly featured projects section, which amplifies creative responses from youth about the pressing issues of their lives. We will continue to share opportunities to connect with one another, tricks of the changemaking trade, and respond to current events with meaningful resources. One such opportunity is #CreateConnectCare, our youth mental health initiative that calls for youth ages 11-18 to submit their creative expressions regarding their experiences with mental well-being.

I still vividly recall how connected and supported I felt after using the educational resources and spending time with the team at Creative Visions. You’re here now, too. Welcome– you’ve found your people. 

Jess Burnquist VP, Impact Education

Be sure to reach out with any questions, submit your student’s work, and bookmark this space to hear from other teachers and partners in the field of changemaking.