From 2015 to 2017, I had the privilege of teaching at a project-based environmental charter school—a setting that encouraged greater creativity than traditional classrooms. In the summer of 2016, I was inspired to create a growth-based and nature-inspired assessment framework and a badge system that helped describe and formalize some of the aspects of learning culture we wanted to cultivate, such as curiosity, observation, and grit. My goal was to infuse a sense of adventure into learning, complementing the school’s rich field experiences. Simultaneously, I was introduced to the Learning Framework by National Geographic Education, and I saw many similarities with what I was aiming to foster and integrate. 

In 2018 my interest in the National Geographic Explorer Mindset led me to apply for and receive a Level 1 grant from NGS to develop a web tool that helps students think about how an Explorer Mindset applies to their learning process, and thus www.explorermindset.org was born.  Initial results in my classroom showed a positive impact on student feelings of empowerment and engagement. I was compelled to investigate if this was unique to my own enthusiasm, or if a similar impact would be found with others. In 2019 I began a masters degree program that would allow me to conduct formal research, and in 2020 I received a Level 2 grant to create uniform resources for the study through an app. In 2021-22 the app and study were launched while I also gathered research in cognitive and neuroevolutionary sciences. Results are published in the International Journal of Education Research Open.