Prepared: What Our Kids Need to Be Ready for Life

Prepared claims to be a guide for parents that can’t attend Summit Schools. The book, however, is more a cross between a memoir of the author and a description of what she believes makes Summit schools successful. The author gets a bit lost between the two and spends a lot of time talking about high-minded ideals, rather than relaying the detail of the founding of Summit or its methodology.This let me unsatisfied on basically all accounts. I left confused about how Summit came to be and where it stands now. I also don’t 100% understand how Summit manages the results it claims to have achieved versus other schools.Project-based learning, mentorship and self-directed exploration all sound like ideas that can enhance the educational process in the right hands. It seems also that these would place a tremendous burden on the teacher to take on extra work. How are Summit teachers able to do projects, act as mentors, provide tutoring and do Whatever it Takes to make sure their kids succeed? What are they not doing in the core curriculum that is so different from a typical public school? Do they work harder, care more or have more staffing? These questions all go unaddressed in the book, as the author gets caught up letting the reader know how much she and her staff care and learn from their students.I left with the impression that the true aim of the author was to promote herself and her schools, rather than to help parents broadly.

Reading Prepared challenged me to hold myself and my parenting accountable to a new standard of what’s possible versus what’s problematic in education. It’s an optimistic and long term view at how education could change to help our kids thrive as meaningful and engaged adult members of society far beyond graduation.In Prepared, Tavenner narrates her own journey as student, an educator and founder of Summit Schools to the parent of a high schooler. Using personal anecdotes, robust research and sixteen years of leading Summit, her goal is to deepen the current conversations around education and broaden our definition of success.Through project based lessons, advocacy, self-awareness and mentoring, Summit students take ownership of their learning, thereby driving curiosity and engagement. Tavenner identifies how important it is to shift the responsibility to the students to understand HOW they learn not just WHAT they learn.While Prepared provides resources and a blueprint for a new approach to education, its real gift is sharing the long-term focus on helping our students grow and problem solve well into their adult lives.

The author makes some compelling points about the current education system and how she founded the Summit Schools. The Summit schools prepares children through project based learning and because of this unique learning process, children are better prepared for college and life in general. Must read for parents across the world.

The author, Diane Tavenner, is extraordinary in her vision and quest for her students and others, concentrating on what is best for the kids. How she has enhanced her student's and others lives giving them options, asking open ended questions to dig deep to find out what their true passion is at a young age is amazing! Different project based learning courses that she and her staff have designed helps explore what may be a passion. Her school helps kids pursue education and knowledge to progress towards their passion and have a fulfilled life. I had no idea how to dig deep with myself or another to really find what one may love to do and apply it to goals to reach a livelihood that will be fulfilling. This book is great for a parent, educator or anyone to read as I think it would be valuable for all human relationships, but especially for doing the right thing for kids of all ages. Connie Irwin

I am a young dad and am constantly searching: how to be a great parent for my daughter? What can I do to be sure she succeeds in her real life?The principles and ideas of the book are close to me and I believe that school should give not knowledge but skills: goal-setting, learning to learn, working in a team, etc.Very useful, great book.