Mt. Pleasant - The School That Could Change Everything
Fear inhibits creativity. It’s a psychological fact. Whether it’s fear of failure, fear of change, the simple yet
gripping effects of fear keep us in a perpetual state of self-control. Authors Chip & Dan Heath detail the
effects of intense, unwavering self-control on our brains and, specifically, our creative processes in their book
SWITCH: How to change when change is hard. Essentially, fear is exhausting, and anything above a remedial
task or recall response, in turn, falls victim to fear’s fatigue. Our education system is no stranger to fear or fear-
tactics. We’re all guilty of it in some form or fashion: Study hard or suffer in summer school! Go to college or
accept a life of retail!
What if there was another way?
What if we overcame our fears by deliberately dropping our neurotic focus on them and instead opened our
minds to a world of creativity and synergy that surrounds us? Sound far-fetched? Well, that’s the vision for
the Mount Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone, America’s first PK-12 STEAM campus. We’re striving to be the
Daredevil of education, a public school with absolutely no fear – dedicated to connecting students with their
passions by empowering teachers to think, teach and live outside the box. We’re building a culture where
teachers are encouraged to take risks, students are inspired to create, and learning happens as a result of the
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Leader U?