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Transformative Learning Experiences with Kyle Wagner is a show created for DISRUPTORS and INNOVATIVE EDUCATORS looking to create more socially, globally, emotionally aware citizens and student-centered classrooms through transformative project- based learning experiences. Through 1:1 interviews, Kyle dissects learning experiences from EDNOVATORS just like you, and unpacks the simple strategies and structures that allowed them to happen. To date, over 1,000 classrooms have been transformed through 1,000 + learning experiences.

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  2. Afraid to Step Back in Project-Based Experiences? Former Student Shares What Happens With Independence

Afraid to Step Back in Project-Based Experiences? Former Student Shares What Happens With Independence

Aug 4, 2026

Wondering if your students will succeed in projects when you stop leading every step? Or worried that giving them more independence will lead to less learning?

In this episode, I reconnect with Nikola, a former student from High Tech High who is now a mechanical engineer, to reflect on the student-centered experiences that continue to shape his work nearly two decades later.

From designing an interactive science exhibit for a local museum to leading engineering projects today, Nikola shares why authentic projects, student choice, and real-world audiences taught him far more than content alone.

You'll learn:

  • How stepping back helps students step up
  • How authentic projects build lasting problem-solving and collaboration skills
  • Why student choice creates deeper engagement and ownership
  • How failure and iteration prepare students for life beyond school
  • How to use AI as a thinking partner—not a replacement for thinking

If you are an international educator and have ever wondered whether student-centered learning is worth the time and trust it requires, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: students often grow the most when we create the conditions for them to lead.