"Adults ask kids, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Adults want to hear I want to be an astronaut or neurosurgeon. Us kids will answer surfer, Minecraft player, skateboarder or something we are more stoked on, what we think is cool.. what have experience with.. and that’s usually the opposite of what adults want to hear.”
~~Hackschooling Makes Me Happy:Logan LaPlante at TEDx University of Nevada
Good Morning Folks,
You have Marketing Intern Emily Bowen to thank for introducing me to 13-year old Logan LaPlante, a kid genius whose Ted Talk already has 6 million views and will show you how a great presentation is done. This young man is impressive in every single way. You have to see and hear the happiness he expresses in what he is doing in his life for such a young age.
Talk about some one born for the role of Chief Happiness Officer! A "mini" me!
When 13 year-old curious and creative Logan LaPlante grows up, he wants to be happy and healthy. He discusses how hacking his education is helping him achieve this goal because he wonders why happy and healthy aren't subjects taught in traditional schools. He really deserves a Nobel for this. The most common sense and intelligence I have seen in some time.
Blogs Emily:
"As I was scrolling through my Facebook timeline, I came across a video that had been shared of a thirteen year old boy speaking at a Tedx Talk event. The boy's name is Logan Laplante, and he was taken out of school to be homeschooled. His impressive public speaking ability (at such a young age) wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. Like all good presenters, his story and message were intriguing and made me think about a few things.
Unlike many children or teens who are asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?", he not only had an answer- but also a plan. The overarching theme of Logan's talk was how his goal is to [continue to] be happy and healthy. Through what he calls "hackschooling," Logan is able to tailor his education and style of learning to be focused on what interests him. According to him, hackschooling includes four things: a creative hacker mindset, experimental classes & camps, technology & online resources and the 8 researched tactics to being happy and healthy. By not being a part of the traditional education system that we know today, Logan has the opportunity to achieve his goals by learning through real life experiences.
Much like Logan’s thesis of learning about what interests you and things you are passionate about, I believe everyone should have the opportunity from day one of college to get the most value for their money. Given the chance, I could have spent more time taking marketing and other supporting courses that would be more relevant to my field, such as Graphic Design."
And now here's "Hackschooling Makes Me Happy:
Logan LaPlante at TEDx University of Nevada
Logan loves skiing and is on the Alpine Freestyle Team where he enjoys competing in the big mountain Junior Freeskiing Tour and USASA Halfpipe and Railjams. As an intern at Bigtruck Brand in Truckee, Logan is working on developing his design, sewing, and business skills. Logan has performed in Young Chautauqua for the past 4 years as the notorious “Billy the Kid”, Sir Edmund Hillary, and most recently the psychopathic yet infamous Al Capone.
Logan enjoys public speaking and has been watching TED videos for as long as he can remember. He hopes that with his opportunity to speak at TEDx he can inspire some kids, parents, and educators to think differently about education and to make health, happiness, creativity, and wisdom a priority.
At the end of the day, a degree is a sheet of paper- a very expensive, needed one. It is how you take what you’ve learned, no matter how relevant, and apply it to real life that will test whether it was worth the time and effort.
We need more “hacker” mindsets in our society today, and it is enlightening that there are people like Logan who can have such a clear vision at such a young age.
Each of you can benefit from watching this. Something to share with your parents and friends! Please pass this along to others!
Like Logan, how lucky are we to be able be given new chances to improve ourselves, improve the way we serve our clients, improve the way we work with our staff, as well as to improve the way these opportunities are spread among all levels of employment at FSO. This is important.
Let's all go make things happen today. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Love Life!
Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer
Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TED Tuesdays on MitchWeiner.com highlights some of today's most intriguing ideas. Look for more talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more— HERE.
About FSO Onsite Outsourcing
Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the third consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.
