MindSpark

10/12/2026

Multiple Choice is the starting point. The conversation afterward is where we get to make those ideas relevant to Colorado.

Following the film, Charles Dukes will moderate a conversation with leaders from K-12, higher education and industry, including Dr. Fernando Branch of Denver Public Schools and Jeff Barratt, President & CEO of Associated General Contractors of Colorado.

Bring your questions. We’ll bring the conversation.

Oct. 29 | Denver Academy Performing Arts Center

Register today: https://www.mindspark.org/events/multiple-choice

10/09/2026

Colorado is working to give every student a head start on what comes next. The state’s “Big Three” focuses on three ways students can graduate with a meaningful next step already underway: 12 college credits, an industry-recognized credential or a work-based learning experience.

Those ideas are closely connected to Multiple Choice, the new documentary about expanding how we think about learning and preparation for life after high school.

Following our October 29 screening, we’ll bring together Colorado educators, employers and community leaders to talk about what these opportunities can look like in practice and how we can make them more accessible to students.

Join us: https://www.mindspark.org/events/multiple-choice

10/06/2026

What does it take to prepare students for an AI-driven future?

It’s not just about technology. It’s also about communication, resilience, emotional intelligence, purpose and the people who help students develop those skills every day.

MindSpark CEO Kellie Lauth recently spoke with Business Insight about why teacher retention and teacher voice are such an important part of that equation.

As Kellie puts it, the educators closest to students shouldn’t just be asked to implement decisions. They should have a voice in shaping them.

Read the full article for perspectives from education leaders on preparing students for a rapidly changing world:

https://businessinsight.com/how-education-leaders-are-preparing-students-for-an-ai-driven-future/

As technology transforms daily life, education leaders are rethinking what students need from school. Academic performance remains important, but the focus is

10/05/2026

Colorado is full of leaders already shaping the systems that help children and families thrive. The Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program (BECLP) helps them grow their influence, build relationships across sectors, and turn ideas into action. Applications for Cohort 16 are now open.

Take a look for yourself → beclp.org

10/02/2026

What if we stopped asking whether students are “college ready” and started asking whether they’re ready for what comes next?

That’s one of the questions at the heart of Multiple Choice, the new documentary from Ted Dintersmith, filmmaker of Most Likely to Succeed.

MindSpark is proud to co-sponsor a free Denver screening on October 29, followed by a conversation about what the film’s ideas could mean for Colorado students.

Educators, employers, parents and community leaders are invited.

Oct. 29 | Denver Academy Performing Arts Center
Doors 5:00 | Film 5:45 | Panel 7:00

RSVP: https://www.mindspark.org/events/multiple-choice

10/01/2026

In September, eight educators from Loveland, Denver, Grand Junction and Longmont joined us at CSU Spur for a free day of Problem-Based Learning. They started by tackling an agrivoltaics challenge themselves, working through the same kind of open-ended problem their students would face. Then they spent the afternoon building PBL plans to bring back to their own classrooms.

What stood out most was how much changes when teachers get to be the learners for a day. Going through the process firsthand gave everyone a clearer sense of what works and plenty of practical ideas to try with students.

Thank you to CSU Spur for hosting and for helping us make the day feel grounded in real-world work.

09/30/2026

We talk a lot about the teacher shortage. But what if we’re asking the wrong question?

In her latest Forbes Nonprofit Council article, MindSpark CEO Kellie Lauth looks at what happens after we recruit teachers and why retention deserves just as much attention as hiring.

Because bringing talented people through the door is only the beginning. What we invest in once they arrive matters.

A worthwhile read for anyone thinking about teacher retention, workforce development and how districts spend their next budget.

Read Kellie’s full article: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2026/09/21/almost-100000-teaching-jobs-open-every-year-but-almost-none-are-new/

09/25/2026

Some innovations you learn about. Others sketch you in 60 seconds.

One last souvenir from the Fast Company Innovation Festival in NYC. Between sessions, our team sat down with an AI caricature machine, and the results were too fun to keep to ourselves. 😄

09/23/2026

Tomorrow! A conversation about talent that too many employers are overlooking.

The competition for talent is intense. But there are high-potential people and communities outside the usual recruiting pipelines who could help employers address workforce shortages, strengthen retention and build more resilient teams.

Tomorrow, Kellie Lauth, CEO of MindSpark, will moderate The Talent You’re Not Looking At: Exploring Untapped Pipelines in Overlooked Markets.

We’ll dig into:

• Where employers can find untapped talent
• How expanding recruiting markets can strengthen retention
• Practical ways to build more diverse, scalable talent pipelines

Thursday, September 24 | 1:00 PM EDT | Virtual | 1 hour

Bring your questions. This is designed to be a real conversation, not just another webinar.

Register here: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5436937/8513DDE8C4406F68523B2486D3AA3E75

09/22/2026

Back from NYC with full notebooks, fresh ideas and a lot to think about.

The MindSpark team spent time at the Fast Company Innovation Festival which was packed with conversations about creativity, leadership, culture, business and what it takes to build organizations that keep evolving.

We heard from an incredible mix of voices, including Martha Stewart, Selena Gomez, Russell Wilson, Tyra Banks, Elizabeth Banks, Bob the Drag Queen and Leslie Odom Jr., along with leaders from Cotopaxi, Bombas, New Balance, adidas, DisneyImagineering and many others.

The best part? Bringing those ideas back to our own work and the educators, leaders and communities we get to learn alongside.