One Stone Has Given Me A Voice

By Cadence Taylor, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

One Stone gave me a chance to use my voice when I couldn't use it before. Before I started at One Stone I was so nervous around teachers, asking for help was my worst enemy. Sounds dramatic I know, but I was in a place where you were made fun of for putting effort into your education. Being in a community where being yourself or asking for help was put down, it made me unable to express my needs and when I was struggling. While I was figuring out what high school would look like for me, I found out about One Stone through my mom and through some friends. When I read more about it I thought there was no way it was actually a student-driven high school because no school would have that much trust in their kids. I was wrong. 

My first week of One Stone, I was totally lost, it almost didn't feel real. The first real assignment that we had was reading a One Stone publication, called “Voice,” with different stories about people's leadership experiences at One Stone. Reading about these people's lives and their stories gave me a look into how my life would change. I didn't realize that for a while, but when I say “my life changed,” I mean it. It’s only been four or five months, but I truly don't think I would be who I am today without One Stone, the people I came here with, and the people I met here. 

For example, I used to be convinced that I was horrible at math. It was my least favorite subject. There was a time at my old school where I got an 18/51, and I was devastated. I thought that trying wasn't worth it anymore and I was too afraid of my teachers to ask for help. 

Part of One Stone I found really cool was the fact that we could choose all of our workshops and learning experiences, which are words we use instead of “classes” because learning should be engaging, hands-on, and active. Something that caught my eye specifically was in FUNdamentals of Math with Emily as the coach. This was the most basic workshop One Stone offered in the fall and it was designed for students who need to brush up on math foundations or for those of us who are interested in teaching or working with kids. I told people that I joined this particular workshop because I felt that my future vocation would be education based, which is true. I would love to do something like that. In all honesty though, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to do any of the other math workshops that One Stone offered. After only a few weeks, I found myself liking math more and more. Even if I found the math hard or it was something that I didn't know, I became more confident expressing myself and I wasn’t afraid to ask for help. Throughout the fall term, with help from my peers and Emily as my coach, I became more confident in my basic math skills. I learned how to confidently multiply and divide fractions, which is something I have always struggled with. Being able to learn things I wasn't great at before, and being supported by the people in that experience to advocate for myself, gave me a voice, and a place to use that voice. 

Peeps on the Street was another amazing opportunity I got at One Stone that helped me grow as a person. For those who don’t know, Peeps on the Street is a design lab activity which is composed of XLab (foundations of design thinking), DLab (student-led collaborative design thinking teams), and YLab (autonomous and independent design think projects typically led by students in their final year). Since I'm in my first year at One Stone, I am in XLab. In XLab, we have been working with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and researching vehicle crash factors in Idaho. Working with actual data sets provided by ITD, we dove into statistics and personal stories of people impacted by vehicle crashes. Peeps on the Street is a One Stone event that gives students the opportunity to present what they have been doing in a semi-formal presentation. For my group's project, we shared our findings on speeding as a crash factor. We had done lots of research weeks before and we had lots of time to prepare, but I still had the thought in the back of my mind that I was missing something or made a mistake. Stepping out of my comfort zone, I asked my team, who I wasn't super close with at that time, for help. By asking if they felt something was missing too, I got more comfortable asking people for help. I continued asking for help, until I figured out what was missing. Peeps on the Street was so incredibly helpful for not only for growing my confidence in myself, but also for bonding with new people.

Because of Peeps on the Street and FUNdamentals of Math I was able to grow in ways I never thought I would. Now that I am more confident in myself and able to say when I'm uncomfortable or when I'm unsure, my life has changed for the better. I'm more confident, and I'm able to embrace my mistakes instead of being afraid of them. One Stone has given me a voice and the opportunity to use that voice.

Attending One Stone I’ve learned to embrace the unknown, to expect the unexpected, and to never have a set schedule. Things are constantly changing. At times that can just be the flow of One Stone, and other times it's incredibly stressful. But for me, Sam has been the one single constant. No matter how wild my One Stone journey gets he's there to help light the way. One mentor meeting can change my entire outlook on the day. I know I can come into school being stressed out of my mind, anxious about a Two Birds project, excited, sad, looking forward to a concert, confused, upset, and also thinking about 'what on earth am I going to write my research paper about', and simply walk into a mentor meeting holding all those feelings in a tangled ball. Then, Sam will meet me with a conversation, some awesome advice, a random side project, a silly story from when he was in high school, and plain old normality. I will walk out of my mentor meeting with the tangle of thoughts and feelings sorted out into a neat stack of priorities with a smile on my face. 

Funnily enough, I haven’t always felt this way. My first year at One Stone I pushed back against having Sam as my mentor. I would actively avoid mentor meetings, try to stay out of Sam’s general path, and overall ignore his existence (sorry Sam). But my mom put me in check real quick. She told me to keep in mind that as much as I hate taking time out of my day to meet with Sam, he was also taking time out of his day to meet with me. At first I was very ignorant of that, but eventually I started putting effort into the meetings, showing up with a smile and an open mind. Thanks to my mom, I very slowly shifted my mindset. After the shift, Sam started to become a genuine mentor to me, not just a random dude I had to meet with at school. He shared stories from his high school and college experience that I found myself relating to, or at least intently listening to. He almost always got me started on some oddball foundry project that fostered my passion to make things and my desire to be a foundry lead. There was even a day when his creativity fueled my own and we created foam armor after school got out. And recently he’s been upgraded to the ultimate mentor status where he gets to hear about my personal life, whether family drama, adventures with friends, or the excitement of a new relationship. 

Now I find myself seeking Sam out in the bustle of One Stone life for a mentor meeting, a quick catch up, a high five in passing, or even for a smile. Having Sam as my mentor has been a blessing. He’s my rock in the crazy river rapids that One Stone is. He is a light helping to guide me through my journey.

Learn more about how the One Stone high school helps students learn to use their voice to confidently advocate for themselves, their learning, and for others.

Growing through Doing Good

By Camden Costa, Class of 2025

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Working with Future Public School throughout my time in Project Good has brought me countless opportunities to connect with other students and inspire them to put their mind towards something they want. Project Good is One Stone’s experiential service program, and this year, I am helping lead a skateboarding club after school. 

One student, Kyme, told me about how much he enjoys skateboarding and how grateful he is for the opportunity. Working with these young students has been fun and nostalgic. I love seeing the younger population involved in sports because of the significant impact sports have had on my life. Working with Kyme has been engaging and character developing. Working with Future has helped me show vulnerability and create more engaging lessons for students.

 Engaging elementary students in learning has been much more challenging than I expected. I've discovered that volunteering in the community always lifts my spirits. I've learned that making the experience fun and closely related to my passions can have an impact for the better. While working with Future Public School, I've had the opportunity to demonstrate and grow my passion and leadership skills. Running an after-school skate program has allowed me to display my ability to communicate effectively and work efficiently when I am passionate about the subject. 

This experience has also taught me the importance of passion and how beneficial it can be, even when faced with tasks that I don't find interest in. This experience has shown me the challenges of maintaining dedication when passion is lacking, but it has also shown me the value of perseverance and finding motivation in any situation. From my first lesson to last Thursday, my passion has remained steady, but my skill set has improved significantly. I have consistently applied skills from this experience to various situations. 

From this experience I have gained patience and adaptability. I am constantly required to adapt and create more engaging activities. I learned from my mistakes and benefited from reflecting on what went well and what I can change. This program gives students the opportunity to bond and experience a sense of accomplishment by staying active and spending time outdoors, which I believe is important. 

Working with senior citizens was helpful after my previous Project Good experience with younger kids because it diversified my communication skills and challenged me in new ways. 

Working with people living in assisted living homes and the kids at Future Public School has allowed me to make an impact on diverse groups in our community. I am grateful for the opportunity Project Good has provided, allowing me to contribute to our community. 

Learn more about Project Good, One Stone’s experiential service program that helps students develop important real-world skills by serving the community and working with others.

Learning by Taking Risks

By Crimson Stewart-Fatzinger, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Personal growth is often thought of as a dramatic transformation, but growth comes in different measures, whether that be in large bursts or small steps. The lowest point for me in terms of growth was when I was in online school during the pandemic. I had barely any motivation to work, and I kept pushing my work back, which became a bad habit. After moving schools for 7th and 8th grade, I finally was able to get into One Stone where I began my learning journey.

Growth is gradual. For example, when I first came to One Stone, I was nervous and closed off. I had trouble being vulnerable, but I immediately found my friends, which helped a lot. At the beginning of the school year, I had a lot to work on in terms of becoming vulnerable and collaborating with others. At my old school, my collaboration skills were used a lot. Most of our projects were group projects, which I struggled with because I usually work better solo. I had and still do have a hard time taking risks because it's easier playing it safe, but during my time here at One Stone, I have been thinking outside the box and taking more risks. I have gradually strengthened my confidence throughout the BLOB - One Stone’s Bold Learning Objectives that include knowledge, mindset, creativity, and skills. In areas where I don't feel as confident, I’m working with coaches to improve my writing, critical reading, and research. I have grown in many different ways from the beginning of the school year, but I feel the most important competency that I have been developing is risk-taking. 

I was on a team with another student that wrote and produced a video for the 2025 One Event with the help of a professional videographer, Eric Straubhar. When my teammate and I were working on our video and writing the script, I took a lot of risks. The biggest risk I took in that process was revising a specific part in the script. We were working towards finalizing the script when a certain line wasn’t working for me. I spoke up and we spent more time redoing that line to make it more impactful and memorable. In the end, it turned out very well. But this is the sort of thing that the “old me” woud have just turned in and considered it done.

Another example of growth I've experienced since coming to One Stone was during Peeps on the Street, a time where design lab groups receive feedback on their projects from the community. My group was given a lot of feedback after we presented to each group of people. The feedback was very valuable, but some of it was hard to take since it felt like it was targeting our project. But the more feedback we were given, the easier it became to understand the feedback on a deeper level. It made me realize they gave us very useful feedback. Since I have been at One Stone, I have improved in a lot of BLOB objectives and competencies. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I have had such as our trip to Paradise Point and the chance to be on the One Event video production team. I still have a ways to go, but, so far, but I’m proud of the the progress I've made so far!

Learn more about how students use One Stone’s Growth Framework and the BLOB to set goals, reflect on their growth, and measure growth in 24 real-world skills and competencies that allow them to thrive in high school, in college, and in life.

A Season Of Innovation, Growth, And Gratitude At One Stone

Written by Michael Reagan, One Stone Lab School Director
November 2024

We hope everyone has the opportunity to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with family and friends during the Thanksgiving Break. Thank you to everyone who has made the fall of 2024 so great in so many ways. On the heels of Gratitude Week, I’d like to share a note of gratitude, celebrating the accomplishments, innovations, and practices that make One Stone so special.

I recently attended an education conference in Tacoma, Washington held by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). The fall Heads of School conference is an opportunity to gather and build relationships with colleagues and participate in professional development. It was a great chance to meet other school leaders and learn best practices from other excellent independent schools.

Every time I have the opportunity to meet people in education, I am reminded just how fortunate I am to be at One Stone. I am reminded how incredible our staff is and how motivated and passionate our students are. I am reminded how flexible, adaptable, and trusting our students, families, and staff are. And most of all, I am grateful for how exceptionally innovative One Stone is.

What makes One Stone so innovative and different?

In listening to education experts and in talking with other attendees at conferences like this one, here are the top three areas of excellence that we can confidently say make One Stone the most innovative school in the country:

1. Belief in the power of students – One Stone’s approach to purpose-driven learning starts with a fundamental and unwavering belief in the power of students. Our purpose statement, “We believe in the power of students” inspires radical individualization and personalization that meets every student where they are. Purpose-driven learning at One Stone explores, values, celebrates, empowers, and challenges each student—focusing on their strengths and future goals. Our coaches, staff, and student leaders foster a culture of listening, empathy, belief, trust, and freedom that is necessary in pursuit of building confidence, autonomy, and purpose. Our students learn to believe in themselves by discovering who they are, what they are passionate about, how they learn best, how to advocate for themselves and others, and how to build meaningful relationships with mentors and adults to help support their journey at One Stone and beyond.

2. Real-world problem solving – Through Design Lab, Project Good, Two Birds, the One Stone Board of Directors, and experiential learning that takes place in Experiences and Immersions, One Stone students are driving their own learning and thriving in relevant, high-stakes environments and real-world projects and topics that matter to them and to their community. Everything we do, from our dynamic and ever-changing schedule to the hands-on nature of our student-driven learning experiences, is designed to make students better leaders, problem solvers, critical thinkers, communicators, and collaborators so they can go into the world and make it a better place.

3. Growth and competency-based learning – One Stone’s Growth Framework is rooted in our history of student-driven, real-world problem solving and purpose-driven learning. The Growth Transcript measures and tracks 24 Bold Learning Objectives on One Stone’s BLOB that are necessary for success in high school, college, and beyond. Students use the BLOB and their Growth Transcripts to identify areas of strength and set personalized learning goals for growth and improvement. Our students are uniquely able to reflect on and articulate why they did what they did, how they grew, and what they can improve next time. They are confident and able to use their voice to express themselves and advocate for others. The Growth Framework is One Stone intellectual property and is currently being tested at partner schools across the country. 

Reflecting on the past two months of purpose, problem solving, and growth

These three areas of innovation have been showcased beautifully over the past two months at One Stone. This fall was student-driven, rapidly changing, dynamic, challenging, meaningful, and fun. It has been filled with inspiring events and collaborations that are made possible by the amazing kindness, leadership, and vulnerability of our staff, students, and supporters.

We wrapped up Experiences, Peeps on the Street, Immersions, and Gratitude Week, while also supporting the Class of 2025 in their college and career goals. We welcomed visits from Education Reimagined, Tucson Country Day School, and we sent a group of students to Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) to engage in a design thinking workshop, fostering meaningful exchanges on innovative education. On October 26th, Emily Watkins and One Stone proudly presented Idaho’s first-ever Model Arab League, providing students a platform to engage with high school and college students on global issues facing Arab nations. She also facilitated a Braver Angels workshop on political empathy and effective listening with our students and staff, and also hosted a small screening of Undivide US, a powerful documentary challenging the notion that civil discourse is impossible amid disagreement. 

Experiences
This fall’s experiences were some of the most innovative, place-based, relevant, and rigorous options ever at One Stone. Coached by two new part-time coaches and by our incredible full-time coaches, these six weeks were designed to engage students through experiential learning that provides space for students to choose, lead, and design their own learning while working within a multidisciplinary theme or set of topics. Fall 2024 experiences included an excellent example of student-driven learning in an experience called AI in Action: Solving Real-World Problems with Generative Technology, where students researched topics of their choice ranging from how A.I. is used in brake detection software in the automotive industry to how statistical methods, data analysis, and computational models are currently being used to understand trauma, human behavior, cognition, and mental health. Other experiences included Take A Seat, In the Garden, which was a science and furniture making experience in partnership with the Idaho Botanical Garden; Everything is Chemistry was a rigorous and fast-paced exploration of college-level chemistry and biochemistry; Games: Design, Math & Society allowed students to research and design their own games; Boise City Limits explored the music history of Boise and Austin, TX in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute and Akins School in Austin, Texas; and Designing Tomorrow: Communicating Climate Change where students learned the science behind climate change and its impacts, and researched practical solutions through interviews and readings. In partnership with the City of Boise, this experience culminated in a unique opportunity to design a climate change education exhibit for young learners at the WaterShed.

October Design Week & Peeps on the Street
During the week of October 28, Design Week served as a transition week between Experiences and Immersions, while XLab, DLab, and YLab were provided with more time to make progress on their projects and prepare for Peeps on the Street on Wednesday, October 30. This fall’s Peeps on the Street was a huge success. We had over 50 members of our extended community join us in the building to provide feedback to our students. A visiting group of 20 educators from a Washington DC-based organization called Education Reimagined participated in our morning session. In the afternoon, we hosted an additional 30 community partners, parents, and community members. Student designers and teams had an opportunity to practice reflection and communication skills, while articulating the design thinking work they’ve done so far, and asking for feedback. Most students had the chance to practice their presentations four or more times, and everyone gained valuable empathy insights, connections to our community, or ideas for next steps.

Immersions
Immersions provided students with a two-week learning opportunity to immerse themselves fully into multi-disciplinary topics of interest. With large blocks of time throughout the week, Immersions are designed to be long enough to experience flow state and make progress rapidly; to get out of the building to explore and learn; and to inspire students to practice managing their time by working throughout longer periods of time. Fall 2024 Immersions included Computer Gaming; Quilted Narratives: Exploring History One Stitch at a Time; Literary Landscapes (Currents of Curiosity); Business Blast-Off; BYOI (Build Your Own Instrument); One Event Planning & Video Production; and An Experiment of Your Own.

Future U: College Admissions
One Stone’s college admissions program, led by Lisa Fisher, author of Admissions by Design, and managed by Camille Rodes, was supported by One Stone’s former executive director, Teresa Poppen, and every One Stone staff member. Through group meetings and hundreds of hours of one-on-one consultation, the Class of 2025 successfully met their November college application deadlines. To date, we successfully submitted 114 college applications by writing 100+ letters of recommendation, essays, and supplementals.

Future U: Career Exploration
This fall, One Stone launched a new career exploration experience where students looking to go straight into the workforce after high school had the opportunity to develop resume and cover letter writing skills, while developing a short term plan after graduation.

Gratitude Week
Gratitude Week is a beloved One Stone tradition held the week before Thanksgiving. It is an opportunity to practice gratitude for the things and people in our lives with intention, while practicing kindness and service. This year’s theme was focused on Pebbling, which at its core, stems from the desire to share something that you think your loved one would enjoy. Great penguin graphics, a trip to the zoo, an inspiring panel, and raking leaves through Rake Up Boise were just a few of the highlights. Gratitude Week culminated in the Gratitude Feast—a Thanksgiving-style meal shared by students and staff, where each person had the opportunity to share what we are all thankful and appreciative for in our lives. One Stone is very thankful for each family’s food contributions and to our volunteers who helped prepare the meal.

Big thanks and heartfelt gratitude

I wish every parent, community partner, sponsor, and potential donor could have joined us for our Gratitude Feast. It was truly inspiring to hear each student talk about their appreciation for each other, their mentors, their coaches, their families and friends, and for this wonderful opportunity at One Stone to learn and grow with passion, purpose, and empathy.

Listening to each of them gave me confidence in knowing that our future is in good hands.

Thank you for being on this journey with us,

Michael Reagan,

One Stone Lab School Director

One Stone Alum Receives Research Grant From NASA

One Stone lab school alumn, Christopher Cardella (2021), was recently awarded a research grant from NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project Via the Montana Space Grant Consortium.

His research at the University of Montana on quantifying the thermal tolerance of flowering alpine plant species’ germination with the use of environmental control chambers aligns with the NASA research theme of “Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation and the Climate Variability”.

We’re proud of Chris and this stellar accomplishment!

Chris Cardella (One Stone Class of 2021) conducts climate research as a student at the University of Montana

“I am forever grateful to One Stone. I can say with certainty that my life wouldn’t be on this track if it weren’t for One Stone.”

— Chris Cardella, Class of 2021

One Stone X Treefort 2024

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Building your Dream House

A Student-Driven Applied Math and Construction Project

In Fall 2023, a team of curious students engaged in the hands-on, fast-paced experience of renovating a basic shed into a usable ceramics studio space.

A mighty task, students went from framing in and adding a window, insulation, electrical, drywall, to installing a cabinet, sink, paint, and trim. In this process, they built collaboration and management skills, while also learning mathematical concepts and building their confidence in the Foundry.

Their collaboration and time management skills were critical in completing each step of building the shed because if one piece wasn't done in time, students couldn't move on to the next piece, and any large delays could have prevented the completion of the shed.

FARE Idaho Field to Fork Event Video

A 2022 Two Birds Client Project

FARE Idaho aims to connect, support, and advocate for local food, agriculture, beverage, and restaurant establishments. Their work is transformational, supportive, and integral to ensuring that our food system is sustainable, reliable, and safe. In January of 2022, FARE hosted a “Field to Fork” event to connect with and tell the stories of their members. FARE asked Two Birds to create a video to amplify their event- telling the story of their impact and that of local restaurants, family farms, and food and beverage providers across the state.

A team of ten Two Birds students shot with Rocci Johnson, local musician and FARE’s board president, to produce and direct this video.

“Rocci is the kind of person I want to be when I grow up,” said Tovi, a student working on the project.

Behind the scenes of Two Birds’ shoot with Rocci

Annual Idaho Gives Designs

A 2020-2023 Two Birds Client Project

The Idaho Nonprofit Center has worked with Two Birds each year to create a design for Idaho Gives, an annual event that raises money and awareness for Idaho’s nonprofit organizations. Two Birds looks forward to this project each year, seeing it as an opportunity to celebrate the work nonprofits do and reward the process of iteration in design.

Idaho Gives 2022

Idaho Gives 2021

Idaho Gives 2020

Upward Knowbility Videos - The Humans of Healthcare

A 2023 Two Birds Client Project

Follow Eren, an employee wellbeing program manger at Saint Lukes Hospital

Upward Knowbility, an upcoming interactive web platform, is designed to engage high school students in healthcare careers.

The founders of Upward Knowbility had two driving insights: 1) There was a significant shift in healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) Many high-school students are unfamiliar with healthcare fields beyond those that they frequently interact with, such as “doctor” or “nurse.”

Thus, they set out to ignite a new generation of sparks for the variety of healthcare career opportunities. Hiring Two Birds was intentional, as they aimed to have the students bring their unique insights to the teen-oriented platform. The Two Birds team designed, produced, and directed a series of video suites that followed eleven healthcare professionals throughout their career pathways. Ultimately, these videos will be spliced between other content, produced by the Upward Knowbility team, designed to engage high-school students in unique healthcare opportunities.

From registered nurses, dentists, and physician’s assistants, to radiology technicians, pharmacists, anesthesiologists, and beyond, the Two Birds team aimed to emphasize the humans of healthcare. Below are some of our favorites!

Hear from Kyle, registered nurse and passionate outdoorsman

One Event Centerpieces

A 2023 Student Design and Fabrication Project

Each February, One Stone host’s our biggest fundraiser of the year: The One Event. The One Event is an inspirational evening, packed with student voice, stories, videos, and, in 2023, student-fabricated-creations.

Lab51 student, James Silveria, always had a passion for working in the Foundry. His leadership inspired the One Event planning team to prompt him to design and fabricate the One Event centerpieces.

With support from event leadership, James spent several evenings hand-making each centerpiece. From cutting them out on the CNC router and laser engraver, to individually sanding and staining each piece, James played a critical role in the impact of the evening. He went on to tell his story on the One Event stage that year, as well.

“This is the kind of initiative I love at One Stone… taking on real-world stakes,” James said. “It was hard work, but I got to watch hundreds of people interact with the pieces, and that made it all worthwhile.”

One Stone Building Signage

A 2020 Student Design and Fabrication Project

All of One Stone’s HQ signage was appealed for, designed, fabricated, and installed by students working with the materials and tools in The Foundry.