Beth Grzelak is both the Instructional Design Lead for The U, Ford NGL’s asynchronous learning support hub, and a Community Coach. After more than 25 years in the field of education seeing and experiencing many innovations, Beth is here because she believes Ford NGL’s community-connected approach to transformative change truly can have a sustained, long-term impact not just students but for the whole community.
Project-based learning (PBL) is her jam and she loves training others to use this instructional process to break down the walls between classroom and the world around students. It is a great way to create the conditions for student voice and choice in learning, so students can answer for themselves the inevitable question of “Why do I need to know this?” If PBL is her jam, Beth’s passion is advocating for meaningful student voice that leads to transformative change in schools. She helps adults understand why it is important to create spaces and time to hear from students about what they want and need from their school experience because, let’s face it, when was the last time we were in middle or high school?
Beth’s dream job may still be the first she had – working at Baskin Robbins surrounded by high school friends and the world’s most perfect food (ice cream). That love affair with ice cream continues today but you may also find her adding yet another book to her Goodreads “Want to Read” list, cheering on her kids in all their endeavors, and enjoying watching and listening to her husband play the bagpipes.
