What If 101 Anywhere is a live, weekly Online Learning Laboratory that empowers the ideas of 6th-8th graders by exploring their community, practicing empathy, and creating ideas to help their community thrive.

This design thinking class will enrich your middle schooler’s education by inspiring creativity and critical thinking. Middle schoolers anywhere - from any school, any state, or any universe - can join What If 101 Anywhere. Register by September 30!

WHEN:Tuesdays from 1:00-1:30pm or 4:00 - 4:30pm, October 6 - December 15 with three extra Friday sessions (December 4, 11, 18).

WHO: Open to any 6th - 8th Graders.

WHAT: A live, weekly, virtual learning experience developed specifically for middle schoolers, where students learn important life skills like empathy, communication, and teamwork with up to 20 other students.

COST: $195 for 13 sessions. That’s just $15 per session! Plus be one of the first 8 to register and get a $50 discount! (Use coupon code First8)

Register for What If 101 Anywhere

EMPOWER VOICE & CHOICE

What If 101 Anywhere is designed to empower middle schoolers by giving them voice and choice in their education. What If 101 allows students to choose what they explore and how they engage and express new ideas. In each Adventure, students pick from one of four unique Creator Roles – The Story Teller, The Change Maker, The Invention Builder, and the Creative Designer.

LEARN DESIGN THINKING

TomTod Ideas empowers middle schoolers to create ideas that matter. In What If 101 Anywhere, we explore the design thinking methods used by the most innovative companies in the world. To solve real-world problems, students will work together to create lots of ideas. We test out those ideas by building prototypes. Then we refine, re-evaluate, and reimagine until they have an idea that will help their community thrive!

HELP YOUR COMMUNITY

We make learning an adventure by helping students create ideas that put empathy and imagination into action. In What If 101 Anywhere, we explore community assets and challenges by connecting with real community leaders. With expanded empathy and understanding, students are challenged to help their community thrive by creating and planning real ideas to help others.

GROW TOGETHER

For 8 years, TomTod Ideas has been immersed in innovative and research-supported curriculum development for middle schoolers. TomTod’s educational philosophy is to create experiences that allow students to be curious, creative, and collaborative. Our goal is to explore, engage, and express innovative ideas alongside middle schoolers through inquiry-driven exploration and student-powered idea creation.

We believe middle schoolers matter.

Meet TomTod’s Adventure Curator Team – Zane, Patrick, and Amy!

See some of the ideas middle schoolers have created with TomTod!

Learn more about TomTod’s approach to middle school development and education.

Make online learning an adventure with us.

FAQ

What will the schedule be like?

What If 101 Anywhere will meet every Tuesday at 1 pm starting October 6th through December 15. Sessions will be approximately 30 minutes of synchronous (live) time with peers and our Adventure Curators and 15-30 minutes of asynchronous (offline) creative challenges and reflections. There will also be 3 Friday sessions throughout the semester to help students go deeper in their exploration and project creation.

Who teaches the class?

Our Adventure Curators, Patrick (a former middle school teacher), Amy (a licensed mental health therapist), and Zane (a creative wizard with extensive mentoring experience), are a highly experienced team in providing a developmentally appropriate curriculum for middle school students. All of TomTod’s Adventure Curators are background checked and experienced in facilitating WI101, as well as our virtual summer camps. Learn more about the TomTod Team.

What if I miss a session?

If your middle schooler misses a session of What If 101, don’t worry! All What If 101 sessions include welcome videos and clear instructions so they can be completed anytime! Also, your student can contact TomTod’s Adventure Curators with questions by email or through the What If 101 Google Classroom.

What technology does my student need?

All you need is an internet connection and a device like a computer or Ipad to participate! After registration, we will create a TomTod email for each student that gives them access to our What If 101 Google Classroom and Google Drive Suite (Student information will be securely and privately stored in TomTod’s Google Suite).

What is the What If 101 curriculum based on?

All TomTod curriculum is uniquely, ultra-focused on the developmental phase that middle schoolers are in. What If 101 specifically reinforces CASEL’s national Social-Emotional Learning Standards by teaching empathy, collaboration, and responsible-decision making through Design Thinking. What If 101’s project-based curriculum also promotes 21st-century learning skills like creative innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. We are proud to say we’ve partnered with many public school districts over the last 8 years to develop and refine our curriculum, including Canton City School District, North Canton City Schools, Plain Local Schools, and Akron Public Schools to name a few.

Why all this talk about middle schoolers?

Learn More