How It Works
Real literacy isn’t just reading and writing—it’s knowing how to learn anything, evaluate information critically, and apply knowledge to create meaningful work.
Here’s how we help you build those skills.
What Are Mini-Projects?
30-minute teasers that give you the core experience of our full projects.
Each mini-project lets you:
- Create something specific (a podcast intro, your first hook, your voice profile)
- Experience AI as a collaborative tool (not a replacement for thinking)
- See if project-based learning resonates with you
- Start building immediately—no barriers, no sign-ups
Think of them as test drives. If you love the experience, the full projects expand that into 2-4 weeks of deep skill-building.
What Are Full Projects?
Complete 2-4 week guided experiences where you build something real while developing transferable skills.
Every full project includes:
- Weekly guides breaking down exactly what to do and when
- Step-by-step instructions so you’re never guessing what comes next
- Self-assessment rubrics so you can evaluate your own work
- AI collaboration prompts teaching you to use AI safely, ethically, and effectively
- Portfolio documentation guidance using our BUILD framework (Begin, Understand, Iterate, Learn, Deliver)
Example projects include writing with AI, creating podcast series, building apps without coding, developing content strategies, and researching critical thinking challenges.
Browse the full project library →
What Skills You’ll Build
Every project develops four core competencies recognized across education and valued in careers:
- Communication - Express ideas clearly through writing, speaking, and presenting
- Critical Thinking - Analyze information, evaluate sources, make informed decisions
- Collaboration - Work with AI tools and human peers effectively
- Creative Expression - Design, innovate, and bring ideas to life
These aren’t just academic skills. They’re life skills applied to challenges that matter.
Learn more about our competency-aligned approach →
How Projects Actually Work
Structure Without Rigidity
Each project follows weekly phases (Discover & Define → Design & Build → Test & Iterate → Present & Reflect), but you work at your own pace. Take 2 weeks or 2 months—your subscription stays active either way.
Assessment That Teaches
Instead of grades assigned by someone else, you use detailed rubrics to assess your own work. This builds metacognitive awareness—you learn to evaluate quality yourself, a skill that transfers everywhere.
Portfolio That Proves
You document your learning journey using our BUILD framework:
- Begin - Initial attempts and questions
- Understand - Research, insights, dead ends
- Iterate - Versions, changes, feedback incorporated
- Learn - Growth and unexpected skills gained
- Deliver - Final work and how you’ll share it
This becomes evidence of your capabilities—real artifacts, not test scores.
AI Integration Built on Safety
We teach you to use AI as a thinking partner—safely and ethically:
Critical Evaluation
- Ask better questions rather than accept first answers
- Verify AI-generated information against reliable sources
- Recognize when AI is confidently wrong
Voice Preservation
- Maintain your authentic voice in everything you create
- Document when you disagree with AI suggestions (proof of critical thinking)
- Use AI to enhance your ideas, not replace your thinking
Ethical Boundaries
- Never share personal information with AI tools
- Understand privacy implications of different platforms
- Learn when NOT to use AI (academic integrity, original thinking)
Safety First Before starting any project, learners complete our AI Safety Guidelines—a foundation for responsible, effective AI collaboration throughout their learning journey.
Review our complete AI Safety Guide →
Why Human Support Matters
Important: While AI tools can enhance your learning, human interaction builds the soft skills employers consistently rank as most critical: communication, collaboration, adaptability, and problem-solving.
Research shows these skills—often called “power skills”—are what distinguish successful professionals in an AI-augmented workforce. You can’t learn to collaborate by working alone with AI. You need real discussions, peer feedback, and facilitated guidance.
Whether you choose Self-Guided (with community forum access) or Facilitated (with active guidance), you’re building both technical and human skills together.
The Learning Frameworks
Our approach combines Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Design Thinking (DT)—proven educational methods that structure your creativity without limiting it.
PBL gives you real-world challenges to solve. Design Thinking gives you a problem-solving process. Together, they create learning experiences where you build knowledge by doing, not memorizing.
Explore our frameworks in depth →
What Makes This Effective
Authenticity Every project produces something you can actually use or share. Your work matters beyond the classroom.
Evidence-Based Growth Rubrics and portfolio documentation make your learning visible to yourself and others. No one needs to grade you—the work speaks for itself.
Practical Skills You don’t just learn about writing or design or research—you do it. Repeatedly. Until you’re confident.
Transferable Methods Once you complete 2-3 projects, you’ve learned how to learn anything. The frameworks become tools you can apply to any challenge.
Ready to Begin?
Now that you understand how it works, see how to get started.