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I sat down with Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of Smart Lab, to talk about STEM education in the AI era.
Her big idea: don't teach kids to use AI applications. Teach them "STEM identity" first, the belief that they belong, add value, and can handle hard challenges.
Because AI can code the robot and answer the question instantly. What it can't do is build the kid who knows how to fail, sit in frustration, and figure it out anyway.
Her rule for her own team: brainstorm before you open Claude or ChatGPT. Struggle first. Refine with AI second.
The kids who skip the struggle skip the growth.
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Dr. Jennifer Berry is a transformational leader driving purposeful collaboration between education, industry, and community ecosystems. As CEO of SmartLab, she champions mission-driven innovation that equips learners for tomorrow's workforce and fosters systemic change that matters for partners, funders, and communities. Her work accelerates strategic partnerships, measurable outcomes, and shared impact at scale.
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Connect with Dr. Jennifer Berry:
Website: https://www.smartlablearning.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jennifer-berry-9a05113/
*E - explicit language may be used in this podcast.
