How AI and Project Based Learning Can Save our Education System

What should school look like in an age of AI, anxiety, disengagement, and rapid social change?In this episode of NOW and NEXT, Dave Trafford speaks with educator and author Dr. Cinde Lock about redesigning education for a generation that needs more than standardized testing and rigid curriculum structures.Drawing on innovative programs developed at Pickering College, Dr. Lock explains how schools can connect academics to purpose, community engagement, entrepreneurship, creativity, and real-world problem solving.The conversation explores why traditional education models are struggling to keep students engaged, how AI could help personalize learning, and why the future of school may depend on giving students greater ownership over what and how they learn.Dave and Dr. Lock also discuss:Student mental health and absenteeismProject-based and experiential learningAI-assisted curriculum designCivic engagement and community partnershipsEntrepreneurship, creativity, and resilienceThe future role of teachersWhy education systems must evolve beyond industrial-age thinkingThe episode also features remarkable examples of students working on homelessness awareness campaigns, environmental restoration projects, bee hive sustainability initiatives, and community advocacy efforts that produced real-world impact beyond the classroom.Dr. Lock’s new book, Connections, Academics and Purpose: Designing the Future of School, explores how education systems can evolve to better prepare students for an uncertain future while helping them discover meaning, purpose, and confidence along the way.Chapters00:00 - Dave welcomes you to this special edition of NOW and NEXT.03:00 — Introduction: Designing the Future of SchoolDave Trafford introduces Dr. Cinde Lock and the conversation about rethinking education beyond the traditional classroom model.08:59 — Testing, Standardized Assessments and Student AnxietyThe discussion examines EQAO testing, academic pressure, and whether schools have become too focused on evaluation rather than engagement.14:46 — AI, Personalized Learning and Student-Driven CurriculumDr. Lock outlines a future-facing vision where students navigate curriculum through personalized projects, mentorship, and AI-supported learning systems.23:34 — Breaking the System: Scaling Educational InnovationCan innovative learning models work beyond elite schools? The conversation turns to implementation, teacher culture, and public education reform.34:08 — Real-World Learning: Homelessness, Civic Engagement and Community ImpactStudents work with Blue Door and local organizations to tackle homelessness stigma, influencing public debate and local political thinking.40:43 — Failure, Resilience and Why Real Learning MattersFrom bee hive collapses to environmental restoration projects, Dr. Lock explains why experimentation, setbacks, and iteration are essential parts of meaningful education.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.