Last month, Envision students Daijon Jackson and Kiere Garrett represented the Envision community at the 2019 Deeper Learning Conference (DLC) in San Diego. The DLC is an annual conference of thousands of educators from across the country who come together to dive into deeper learning and equity. Each year the conference aims to highlight student voices, and this year they did that by having students give presentations of learning.

Both Kiere and Daijon rocked it. They each presented about a project that has deeply impacted them during their time at Envision. Kiere, a senior at City Arts & Tech in San Francisco, presented on “Good Food vs. Bad Food,” highlighting the difference in the quality of food in low income neighborhoods of San Francisco, versus the healthy options in more affluent sections of the city. He was motivated to do this project after his younger sister was diagnosed with diabetes. Through his research, Kiere discovered that stores like Whole Foods are plentiful in affluent neighborhoods, while low income neighborhoods are flooded with liquor stores and fast food options. With his sister’s diagnosis, this issue is personal for Kiere and he talked about it eloquently in his presentation.

Daijon, a senior at Envision Academy in Oakland, dove into his Workplace Learning Experience (WLE), where he did an internship with the California Charter Schools Association. Through his WLE — a key element of the Envision model — Daijon has honed his leadership and advocacy skills and is now interested in pursuing a degree in political science. His internship helped him discovered his passion for politics and uncovered the leader that has always been within him.

Both students illustrate what is so powerful about the Envision Portfolio Defense model. It delivers the essential things students need in order to succeed in college: rigorous academic content plus leadership skills and deeper learning competencies like communication, reflection and growth mindset. Portfolio Defense makes learning deeply personal for every student.

We are immensely proud of Daijon and Kiere, and excited to share their learning with you: click their images above to watch their presentations!