Engines for Education

VISTA (Virtual International Science & Technology Academy)

"I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught."
- Sir Winston Churchill -

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
- Albert Einstein -

Latest News

Development of the VISTA project is underway, with the first full-year of curriculum on Health Sciences now available. VISTA's Year in Health Sciences was made possible by a generous grant from The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Visit VISTA's Year in Health Science home page for more information on this offering, including descriptions of the ten rotations within the Health Sciences curriculum.

Then, learn how you can participate in the VISTA curriculum and experience the Story-Centered Curriculum alternative to education firsthand.

Background on VISTA

On February 17th and 18th, 2006, a group of people from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, who have in common a deep interest in changing the nature of how education is conceived, and what kind of education is delivered around the world, met to discuss an action plan. These people are not, for the most part, high profile names nor academics. They are people who have worked in business, training, e-learning, and schools and understand what will work in their countries and are ready to lead in making change.

The group was convened by Roger Schank, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University and currently the CEO of Socratic Arts. Present were Sebastian Barajas of Learning Works in Spain, Magali Jurado of the City of Knowledge in Panama, Hans Konstaple from the Netherlands, Zaheer Kidvai of BITS in Pakistan, Dimitri Lyras of Ulysses Systems from the U.K. (and Greece), Steve Wyckoff from ESSDACK in Kansas, Bob Daugherty from Knowledge Investment Partners, and Mike McGarry from Socratic Arts.

The purpose of the meeting was to develop a game plan for going forward with the creation of the Virtual World Academy (VWA), which will encompass many smaller academies with a specific focus, such as the science- and technology-focussed VISTA (Virtual International Science and Technology Academy).

The group agreed that at least six things need to be changed in order to create school settings that work for those who have difficulties in traditional school settings.

The role of the teacher
The contextualization of what is learned
The relevance of what is learned to children’s goals
The relevance of what is learned to society’s goals
The possibility of real choice for students
The measurement criteria

Frequently Asked Questions

What is VISTA?

The Virtual International Science & Technology Academy will ultimately be a wide range of virtual technology- and science-focused year-length high school curricula designed so that students can experience real choice, try out careers before leaving school, and learn life skills (how to be an informed patient, how the medical system works, etc.) in an exciting learning environment. The first four years of this curricula are listed below:

Year 1: Scientific Reasoning
Year 2: Health Sciences (Complete)
Year 3: New Technology
Year 4: Engineering (Aerospace focus)

Beyond VISTA: See the full list of proposed curricula for our Virtual World Academy.

What is the status of the VISTA project?

Thanks to a generous grant from The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the first full-year curriculum in Health Sciences is complete and now available. Design of the Scientific Reasoning year was also made possible. We have held initial design meetings with learning and subject matter experts from around the world to outline the New Technology and Engineering years as well. We are seeking additional funding to develop the Scientific Reasoning, New Technology and Engineering curricula.

There is already significant interest among educators from Kansas and New Mexico to adopt and implement the Health Sciences curriculum (and the other curricula, once they are developed).

Why are we starting with Health Sciences?

We chose to begin with Health Sciences in particular because it brings purpose to science education while opening doors to students in career areas that are needed and beneficial to the public.

Who is the intended audience for VISTA?

We are willing to work with any school system or group that offers professional training to deliver the curricula we build. Home-school students and others who are interested in an education alternative are also encouraged to participate.

What is the long-range vision for VISTA?

We plan to set up and run our own Virtual World Academy (VWA) which will offer VISTA and other curricula that lead to certification after enough of these curricula have been built. We see VWA as an international school serving the needs of those students who do not have good schooling available to them (because they live in places where there are no good schools) as well as those who cannot find curricula that satisfy their needs in the way that ours can. This will take some time to set up.


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Home Our Story Philosophy & Mission Roger Schank's Latest Column Success Stories VISTA Get Involved	VISTA (Virtual International Science & Technology Academy) "I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught." - Sir Winston Churchill - "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein - Latest News Development of the VISTA project is underway, with the first full-year of curriculum on Health Sciences now available. VISTA's Year in Health Sciences was made possible by a generous grant from The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Visit VISTA's Year in Health Science home page for more information on this offering, including descriptions of the ten rotations within the Health Sciences curriculum. Then, learn how you can participate in the VISTA curriculum and experience the Story-Centered Curriculum alternative to education firsthand. Background on VISTA On February 17th and 18th, 2006, a group of people from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, who have in common a deep interest in changing the nature of how education is conceived, and what kind of education is delivered around the world, met to discuss an action plan. These people are not, for the most part, high profile names nor academics. They are people who have worked in business, training, e-learning, and schools and understand what will work in their countries and are ready to lead in making change. The group was convened by Roger Schank, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University and currently the CEO of Socratic Arts. Present were Sebastian Barajas of Learning Works in Spain, Magali Jurado of the City of Knowledge in Panama, Hans Konstaple from the Netherlands, Zaheer Kidvai of BITS in Pakistan, Dimitri Lyras of Ulysses Systems from the U.K. (and Greece), Steve Wyckoff from ESSDACK in Kansas, Bob Daugherty from Knowledge Investment Partners, and Mike McGarry from Socratic Arts. The purpose of the meeting was to develop a game plan for going forward with the creation of the Virtual World Academy (VWA), which will encompass many smaller academies with a specific focus, such as the science- and technology-focussed VISTA (Virtual International Science and Technology Academy). The group agreed that at least six things need to be changed in order to create school settings that work for those who have difficulties in traditional school settings. The role of the teacher The contextualization of what is learned The relevance of what is learned to children’s goals The relevance of what is learned to society’s goals The possibility of real choice for students The measurement criteria Frequently Asked Questions What is VISTA? The Virtual International Science & Technology Academy will ultimately be a wide range of virtual technology- and science-focused year-length high school curricula designed so that students can experience real choice, try out careers before leaving school, and learn life skills (how to be an informed patient, how the medical system works, etc.) in an exciting learning environment. The first four years of this curricula are listed below: Year 1: Scientific Reasoning Year 2: Health Sciences (Complete) Year 3: New Technology Year 4: Engineering (Aerospace focus) Beyond VISTA: See the full list of proposed curricula for our Virtual World Academy. What is the status of the VISTA project? Thanks to a generous grant from The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the first full-year curriculum in Health Sciences is complete and now available. Design of the Scientific Reasoning year was also made possible. We have held initial design meetings with learning and subject matter experts from around the world to outline the New Technology and Engineering years as well. We are seeking additional funding to develop the Scientific Reasoning, New Technology and Engineering curricula. There is already significant interest among educators from Kansas and New Mexico to adopt and implement the Health Sciences curriculum (and the other curricula, once they are developed). Why are we starting with Health Sciences? We chose to begin with Health Sciences in particular because it brings purpose to science education while opening doors to students in career areas that are needed and beneficial to the public. Who is the intended audience for VISTA? We are willing to work with any school system or group that offers professional training to deliver the curricula we build. Home-school students and others who are interested in an education alternative are also encouraged to participate. What is the long-range vision for VISTA? We plan to set up and run our own Virtual World Academy (VWA) which will offer VISTA and other curricula that lead to certification after enough of these curricula have been built. We see VWA as an international school serving the needs of those students who do not have good schooling available to them (because they live in places where there are no good schools) as well as those who cannot find curricula that satisfy their needs in the way that ours can. This will take some time to set up.
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