Celeste Bolin, One Stone, Boise, Idaho, USA - S3E01

What do students do in a school like One Stone day to day? How do you build agency, ownership, and “durable skills” without grades, and still have learners who secure college admissions?
In this episode, Don Berg and Christina Kottmann talk with Celeste Bolin from One Stone (Boise, Idaho, USA) about leading an open-format lab school, integrating the Portrait of a Graduate (24 durable skills), and their BLOB Growth Framework that partner schools across the U.S. (and beyond) are adopting.
Agentic Schools Vodcast — One Stone: Agency, Ownership, and a Competency-Based Path Without Grades
Watch this next: Amy Novak, Acton Academy Red Rock, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - S2E14    • Amy Novak, Acton Academy Red Rock, Las Veg...  


Topics we discuss:
Inside One Stone’s learning environment: open spaces, student-led groups, & coaches on the side
How “ownership” is defined and assessed
Supporting parents transitioning from traditional and homeschooling systems
Showcasing student voice as the best evidence that this approach works
College acceptances with a Growth Transcript (no grades)
Equitable tuition and access to this independent private school
Sharing the Growth Framework outward to other schools
Using climate and well-being measures to track growth and needs
The use of AI in education while keeping student voice authentic
Hiring, onboarding, and developing coaches with mindset; student-led hiring interviews; specialist roles
Adaptations from the Pandemic that One Stone holds onto

This episode highlights how schools can be reimagined around agency, well-being, and authentic student growth, all without losing engagement or future opportunities.
Reflection prompt
If you walked into your school tomorrow, what would you change to make learner agency more visible?
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Chapters
00:00 What would you see if you walked into One Stone?
01:01 Student story of ownership
06:00 What student ownership means
08:00 Parents and student voice
10:54 College admissions without grades
13:04 Equitable tuition in education
14:13 Scaling model to other schools
21:00 Educator training & global interest
22:01 Fixing system gaps & skills
25:21 Progress, SAT, and outcomes
33:05 Climate surveys & well-being
36:33 Using AI & student leadership
43:35 Onboarding & school culture
47:26 Hiring coaches & student panels
52:05 Real-world projects & specialists
56:22 Lessons from COVID-19
59:58 Learn more about One Stone

About the school
One Stone is an independent, student-led high school in Boise, Idaho. Learners in the high school progress through innovative labs in a space that values growth over grades. Empowering the high school students to discover themselves, do good, and build real-world relevant problem-solving skills is part of their mission. Students become confident leaders by developing the mindsets, creativity, knowledge, and skills needed to thrive right now and in a rapidly changing future.
About our guest
Celeste Bolin, PhD, is the executive director of One Stone in Boise, Idaho, USA. Prior to One Stone, Dr. Bolin worked in the higher education world, as a visiting assistant professor of biology at The College of Idaho. She has also completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the Curie Institute of Paris and the Department of Biological Sciences at Boise State University.

Resources
Guest: Celeste Bolin, One Stone, Boise, Idaho, USA
Agentic Schools Vodcast with Don Berg and Christina Kottmann

One Stone related resources:
URL: https://onestone.org
FB: / onestoneidaho
Insta:   / onestoneida.  .
X: https://x.com/onestoneidaho

Don Berg related resources:
Info Site: https://www.HolisticEquity.org
Advocacy Site: https://www.DLAdvocates.org
Services Site: https://www.Attitutor.com
Facebook Personal: / don.berg.10
Facebook Group: / holistic.equity
LinkedIn: / don-berg
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/donberg

Christina Kottmann related resources:
LinkedIn: / christina-kottmann
Substack: https://christinakottmann.substack.com
YouTube: / @christina.kottmann