In this episode, Eric Makelky continues his conversation with Christine Braun, Chief Creative Officer at Cresconova Labs, digging deeper into how families can apply the Labs framework at home. Christine shares practical, low-cost ways to teach concepts like geometry and systems thinking through kids' existing interests—from tessellation patterns in fashion, sports jerseys, and Lego architecture to a "moss safari" microorganism project using nothing more than a microscope and backyard moss. She emphasizes teaching kids to ask open-ended questions, always verify AI-generated information, and keep an engineering notebook to document their learning journey and build a portfolio.

Host Eric Makelky talks with Christine Braun, Chief Creative Officer at Cresconova, about the framework behind Cresconova Labs, the organization's new in-person innovation space. Christine shares her path from furniture designer to Harvard Makerspace director to leading Cresconova Labs, then unpacks the core teaching philosophy: starting with beautiful, open-ended questions, moving through systems thinking, and into design thinking. The conversation turns to AI in education, where Christine introduces a practical human-AI interaction process—question, frame, unpack, own—that helps students engage with AI critically rather than accepting outputs at face value. She offers guidance for both AI-fearful and AI-permissive parents, emphasizing that understanding how AI works (and its built-in biases) empowers families to use it thoughtfully. The episode closes with book recommendations and a preview of the next conversation on experiential learning and flexible thinking.

In this episode of the Cresconova Global podcast, host Eric Makelky sits down with Katie Kelly and Sarah Merkt to explore how Cresconova Global's online enrichment program fits into a child's broader educational journey. Katie and Sarah dive into the personalized support parents receive—from initial learning consultations to ongoing communication and student-facing narrative feedback reports that put kids at the center of their own learning. The conversation covers common parent concerns (screen time, technology readiness, trial classes), how the program serves both traditional-school and homeschool families, and a deep dive into why conceptual, curiosity-driven math instruction beats worksheet-based enrichment. They close with an impressive 78% returning-student rate and practical first steps for curious parents, including free monthly "Sunday Sparks" webinars and low-commitment summer workshops.