The Art of Besant Hill School with Eden Munster & Portia Johnson

This episode we're joined by Besant Hill's Head of School Portia Johnson, and senior Eden Munster to talk about this weekend's Spring Arts Festival (April 19-20). This event showcases the students' projects but also the legendary school's focus on creativity. With its motto, "Aun Auprendo" - Always Learning - Besant Hill School stays true to its conception as a place where arts and creativity are tightly woven into the fabric of the school's curriculum and life. We talked about the forces that are shaping education today - from social media's culture of narcissism to the ever-evolving economy. We also talked about alumni and their brilliant post-Besant careers. Eden and Portia also shared reminiscences about the early days of the pandemic and the challenges of learning remotely, when so much of the student body at the 100-student school lived overseas, and how they managed to create and sustain a sense of community. The memorable Thanksgiving dinner on campus in 2020, when the teachers prepared the dinner for the students, will be a cherished memory, for example. Johnson, who grew up in Ojai and attended Besant Hill, talked about her experiences at the school, and how it inspired her to pursue a career in education, which, after a college sojourn in West Virginia, led back to where it all started. We did not talk about modern uses of the abacus, glacial melt or the solstice. https://www.besanthill.org/upcoming-events/