The traditional setup of school classrooms—straight rows of desks with accompanying chairs—doesn’t do much to foster creativity or collaboration. Many experts have proposed redesigning classroom furniture, but a Swedish school system wants to take things a step further. Vittra, which operates 30 schools in Sweden, is seeking to ensure learning takes place everywhere on campus by eliminating classrooms altogether.

The newest Vittra school, Telefonplan, opened its doors last August. Designed by architecture firm Rosan Bosch, the Stockholm-area campus seems more like a creative space you’d find at Google or Pixar than a school at all. Students can work independently on their laptops while lounging on one of the “sitting islands” in the photo above. If they need to collaborate with their peers on a project, they can take advantage of spaces like “the village”—a tiny house for group work—or the more open “organic conversation furniture” pictured below.

Jannie Jeppesen, the principal of Vittra Telefonplan writes on the school’s website that the design is intended to stimulate “children’s curiosity and creativity” and offer them opportunities for both collaborative and independent time. Vittra doesn’t award traditional grades, either—students are taught in groups according to level—so maximizing diverse teaching and learning situations is a priority.

The open nature of the campus and the unusual furniture arrangements reflect the school’s philosophy that “children play and learn on the basis of their needs, curiosity, and inclination.” That’s true for kids all over the world, so let’s hope educators in other countries begin to pay attention.

]]> http://tadpolemarketing.com/2012/01/is-swedens-classroom-free-school-the-future-of-learning/feed/ 0 http://tadpolemarketing.com/2012/01/spring-2012-mentor-trainings/ http://tadpolemarketing.com/2012/01/spring-2012-mentor-trainings/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:46:27 +0000 Jen http://tadpolemarketing.com/?p=5059

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Spring Mentor Trainings and School Placement: Here’s What to Do The moment has arrived. Here’s the schedule for Spring Mentor Trainings and school placement. If you have mentored in the past or have already attended a training session, hang tight, you will hear from us and/or your head mentor soon. Trainings for new mentors, and anyone who has not attended a training session, will be held on the following dates and last about 1 hour (please note the NEW TRAINING LOCATION): Saturday Jan. 28  @ 11AM Wednesday, Feb. 1 @ 5PM Sunday, Feb. 12 @ 11AM at Art of Acting Studio 1017 N. Orange Drive LA 90038 (south of Santa Monica, in the Orange Square Business Complex. Please be respectful of reserved parking spaces.) Please RSVP HERE to and let us know which training you’ll be attending. Trainings are mandatory for all mentors. Those who attend trainings will be placed in schools on a first come, first served basis. If you have not done so already, you should fill out our online mentor application on our website, or download a hard copy to complete and bring with you. See you then!

Today, January 19, 2012, our community lost an icon. Sarah Burke, freeskiing pioneer, six-time X Games gold medalist and beloved wife, daughter, aunt and friend passed away. Sarah was truly a legendary athlete, role model and an inspiration. She was everything so many of us aspire to be. Sarah brought worldwide recognition and validation to the sport she so loved. Every ski athlete chosen to represent his or her country at the 2014 Sochi Olympics will feel her influence. Without her, the sport of freeskiing would not be included.

Sarah is a pioneer of her generation. Her life and legacy embody the defining spirit of action sports; a movement of individuals driven to innovate, master and explore the frontier of physical possibility. Sarah’s love of skiing took her life to amazing places. Her accomplishments on skis continue to inspire girls everywhere to believe in themselves and follow their hearts. Her passing is not a cause to pack up our skis, but rather a reason to step-in and ski for Sarah and the dreams that inspired her star to shine.
Sarah did so much for females and winter sports during her time with us; now we are asking for your help.

Sarah leaves behind her beloved husband Rory, loving parents Jan and Gordon and her supportive sister Anna. Please consider helping them cover the enormous cost of Sarah’s recent medical care and to provide for other arrangements by donating. Your support in their greatest time of need will be gratefully appreciated and forever remembered. We encourage you to share this link with others who have been touched by Sarah.www.giveforward.com/sarahburke

]]> http://tadpolemarketing.com/2012/01/kusewera-benefit-concert/feed/ 0 http://tadpolemarketing.com/2012/01/the-coffee-shop-where-everyone-pays-for-everyone-elses-drinks/ http://tadpolemarketing.com/2012/01/the-coffee-shop-where-everyone-pays-for-everyone-elses-drinks/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:17:52 +0000 Natasha http://tadpolemarketing.com/?p=5047

The main conceit of the 2000 Kevin Spacey film Pay It Forward is that if one person does a kindness for three strangers, and those three people each do kindnesses for three strangers, and so on, one person can change the world. Rarely do we see this acted out in the real world the way it was cinematically—one scene finds a man giving away his brand-new Jaguar to a guy having car troubles—but on a smaller scale, these sorts of random niceties happen far more often than you might think. Today, it’s selflessness at a small coffee house in Bluffton, South Carolina.

It all started two years ago at Corner Perk, a small, locally owned coffee shop, when a customer paid her bill and left $100 extra, saying she wanted to pay for everyone who ordered after her until the money ran out. The staff fulfilled her request, and the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has returned to leave other large donations every two to three months.

“People will come in and say, ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand. Are you trying to buy me a coffee today?’” the shop’s owner, Josh Cooke, told the local news. “And I say, ‘No, somebody came in 30 minutes ago and left money to pay for drinks until it runs out.’”

It took a while, but word has started to spread around the tiny coastal town, home to about 12,000 people. Now, more and more customers have been leaving money to pay for others’ food and drink. Cooke says some people don’t even buy anything when they come in; they just stop to donate and head right back out.

A medium cup of coffee at Corner Perk costs $1.95. That may not seem like a lot, but for a family struggling to save money in these tense and difficult economic times, two bucks saved at the right moment probably feels like a million. And a jolt of generosity is a better pick-me-up than caffeine any day of the week.

Ian Yolles has been working in the social impact economy for years. A long-time brand and marketing manager with tours of duty at Patagonia, Nike and the apparel company Nau, Yolles is now chief sustainability officer of Recyclebank, a clean-tech firm that partners with municipalities to promote sustainability by rewarding green behavior. Asked what lessons he would share with new social entrepreneurs, Yolles focused on the personal side of running a business, the need for perseverance, and the importance of building a team of partners who are equally passionate about your enterprise.

The mural, designed and painted by MadSteez and Venice resident Mar was begun on Christmas Eve as rough sketch on the building and will be finished later today. The mural was partially inspired by a picture that MadSteez took while visiting Dennis Hopper at his studio. Check out MadSteez and Hopper by clicking here.

Boost Kitchen
1237 Abbot Kinney
Venice, CA 90291

The Workshop at Macy’s is now accepting applications for the 2012 class! Described as “life-changing” by 2011 participants, this intensive 4 ½ day program is designed to give minority and women-owned retail-oriented lines the tools they need to grow into a relationship with a major retailer. Find out more.

Event Marketing Project Coordinator for Sustainable Event Marketing Company
8-week contract position

Agents 99 works with top sustainable companies on various experiential marketing programs. Looking for an Event Marketing Project Coordinator to work on a sampling program for 8 weeks in Los Angeles.This person will be responsible for overseeing the plans, schedules, staffing management, onsite materials, reporting, social media and various administrative duties for the program.

Responsibilities include:
Manage the event program for team
Manage staff for the event program
Manage the vendors for the event program
Manage the reporting for the event program
Assist with administrative duties for the event program
Some weekends work will be required as some of the events take place over the weekend.

Dates: Dec. 19 through Feb. 29
Hours: 10-20 hours per week
Pay Rate: $25/hr.
Must have your own computer and vehicle to access the events around Los Angeles.

Required Qualifications:
College Degree (or college student who is studying sustainability)
Event Marketing experience – planning, production, etc.
Understanding of sustainable event pratices
Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal
Experience leader and team builder, demonstrate initiative, and solve problems indepedently
Ability to use Word, Excel, Powerpoint proficiently
Extremely organized and able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously
Willingness to work weekends and non-standard hours
Must have your own computer (Mac preferred)
Must have access to a vehicle to access events

Please respond by sending your resume to: juli@agents99.com
No phone calls please!

To kick off the holiday break we would like to invite you to come join us for some light apps, tasty drinks and a screening of The Art of Flight onTuesday Dec. 20th at 4:00pm. During a week notorious for holiday parties, hangovers and generally just checking out for the year, and catch the movie if for some disastrous reason you haven’t seen it yet.

The screening will take place at the Red Bull office from 4:00-7:00pm.
1740 Stewart St. 90404

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