In this episode of Digital Dominos, which was recorded in early 2024, host Angeline Corvaglia chats with Molly Brealey about their shared passion for empowering youth and addressing skills gaps in education. Molly discusses FLOTa (Future Leaders of Tomorrow, Amplified), an initiative she co-founded to equip the next generation with entrepreneurial and essential life skills. They reflect on the success of a two-day entrepreneurial workshop that fostered innovation and human connection among students. The conversation delves into the importance of balancing digital fluency with authentic human interactions, the role of education in preparing students for the future, and the impact of technology on mental well-being and community building. They also address concerns about AI and its implications for youth, emphasizing the need for meaningful, in-person connections.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:44 Founding FLOTa: Empowering the Next Generation

01:17 Entrepreneurial Workshop Experience

02:11 Youth and Technology: Bridging the Skills Gap

03:30 Isolation and Lost Connections in the Next Gen

05:34 Authentic Human Connections in a Digital World

07:25 Balancing Digital and Offline Worlds

11:03 Educational System and Community Building

18:07 Final Thoughts on AI and Youth

20:31 Conclusion and Farewell

Special thanks to

Molly Brealey for taking time to be a part of this episode!

Follow Molly on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollybrealey/

Episode sponsored by Data Girl and Friends

They are on a mission to build awareness and foster critical thinking about AI, online safety, privacy, and digital citizenship. They inspire the next generation to navigate the digital world confidently and responsibly through fun, engaging, and informative content. They focus on empowering young digital citizens and their families through engaging and informative learning.

Find out more at: https://data-girl-and-friends.com/

List of Data Girl and Friends materials about some of the topics covered:

• Educational workbook, "Authenticity and Your Online Self" Authenticity and Your Online Self - 1
• Educational video, "The Great Online Perfection Illusion" https://vimeo.com/918240180

Contact us for any questions or comments: https://digi-dominoes.com/contact-us/ 

And that what would actually was probably the most [00:00:30] inspiring thing that I did all of 2023. To work with the youth together with you. So can you tell us a little bit about that? Yeah, thanks Angee, and thanks so much for having me today. Really, uh, looking forward to our conversation. Yeah, so what you were just talking about there, but was FLOTa.

Um, so yeah, what we, we did last year was we designed and delivered a two day entrepreneurial workshop. Um, and it was at, um, UTC in Sheffield on the Olympic Legacy Park and for their students. And [00:01:30] basically established a community of resources, masterclasses, events. And during the two days, the students were set a challenge, which was a challenge given by the university locally.

The project, yeah, it was just a really, really great couple of days, and I think everyone really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it, so it was really, really great. Yeah, it was amazing and to see, and actually I've taken quite a bit of that, um, to Data Girl, the whole Data Girl concept, because one thing that I noticed very strongly with this group, uh, I was one of the mentors.

So what you need to teach them is, Maybe missing skills around using it, not to use it. You need to maybe tell [00:03:00] them, stop for a moment and think about this and this. And it was really eyeopening for me. And that's why I said, okay, when I'm going to do this Data Girl. I need to do it in a way that they're teaching themselves as well, because they probably know stuff that, that I, uh, won't have any experience with.

A lot of them didn't know each other previously to the event, which. I would have said at school I would have known everybody in my year group, and I was really surprised by how of the lack of connection they'd had between each other. And I think that was a massive [00:04:00] thing, was sort of like that sort of human connections was a massive thing.

The other thing was at the start of when they were sort of getting to know each other and it was, it was very awkward and the conversations and it was really great to be involved as a mentor to sort of see that unfold because by the end of day two, everyone was high fiving. There was a real like atmosphere, like a team atmosphere in there, which was really amazing to see.

And so they sort of went on that process and then. We went and saw it and we were like, that's really not authentic to what we're thinking or how we wanted to look. We all had this image in our heads, all slightly different from the team. And they were all saying, Oh no, that needs to change. There was a quite a lot that needed [00:05:00] changing to make it really authentic.

And for them to speak to it. So it needed a lot of changing again on a second iteration when they decided, okay, who's going to speak to what part and things like that, and tried to make authentic with what they wanted to say and how they wanted to come across. So I think that was really interesting during the two day event, for sure.

Uh, people are confused. I mean, every day there's now OpenAI has presented a robot that everyone is presenting [00:06:00] as the, is going to replace who knows what. Um, but it's not authentic. Right. And before we were chatting about a book that you had read about how important authentic connections are. Do you want to say something about that?

And these are all like loneliness, like that sort of disconnection from meaningful work, like a lack of community, um, that all sort of relate to this human connection and how that can really have an effect on mental wellbeing, which was basically what it all came to and how you need to build strong communities, make work or rethink how your work culture [00:07:00] or prioritize meaningful working environments or outside of work to like prioritize your mental well being and sort of like how you go back from lost connections.

Um, obviously it won't, can be compared to someone who lived many years without it, but how do you feel that they, that they see that in terms [00:08:00] of potential replacement, that they feel? I think it's a, an interesting one. I mean, definitely I saw it from going into the schools that prior there was like almost a lack of community, but from bringing those groups together, there was definitely a community by the end of it and there was so much enjoyment that they got out of it.

So I think it has bolstered a, like a confidence piece. But I think There, there's definitely a balance between both of them. And I think that's something that's quite overlooked is that there's a lot of things around like how to use technology and things like that. And [00:09:00] it's really important to use it safely.

I think it seems [00:10:00] like a more natural approach to just send an email rather than to sort of have a conversation. That's true. That's a good point. The way that they just blossomed, as you said, in two days, every one of them, uh, you, you saw these potential presidents of state really, who were doing the presentation.

Because the educational system obviously is, is not necessarily built. for a generation that doesn't naturally communicate outside, [00:11:00] personally communicate outside of school. Yeah, I think education is like a really crucial part that they play in this preparation piece. I think striking the right balance in terms of making sure that they're thriving, confident, and really, Yeah, have a really increased knowledge within digital world and everything that's a part of it, but also not overlooking the life skills, those really essential communication interpersonal skills, um, and striking the balance between both.[00:11:30]

And I think it's all around so that the students come away. from school confident that they can forge like these meaningful connections whether it be online or offline because it can be done on both and it really is powerful but it's being able to do on both because it is, yeah, they're both essential in navigating the next steps of what they want to do and their purpose of where they're going to take After school, basically.

Even the tech experts can hardly keep up. Uh, what do you think teacher and parents in your view, your experience can do considering limited resources, uh, and energy, [00:12:30] uh, to, to help reconnect the next gen? Yeah, I think Like you say, there's the UTC school is quite unique because they do coursework. So there is points where they have to present and do collaboration with groups and things like that, which is really great.

I think there's a lot that can be done. And I think the UTC do that really well in terms of when they set coursework and team projects and things like that, which is really great. I think the second thing that's quite interesting is I know I get a sense, like, that sense of community, and I know I get my sense of community from doing sport, for instance, because you play sport and there'd be a sense, like, there's a community feel to [00:13:30] it, and a group of people that you create relationships with through sport, um, and it's, I think it's just ensuring that every student has that community.

It comes a lot more naturally than in terms of building relationships because you're doing something you're all passionate around and it creates that common bond or like purpose or drive that you can all sort of. Yeah, it just, it makes it so much easier to, to develop those relationships. And so I think there's a lot of things that can be done around that.

like people from each course, which was really nice in terms of Like creating more relationships. Uh, so I think, yeah, there's quite a lot that can be done. It's just, yeah. Navigating is, it's going to be different for every student. You want to make sure that, yeah, it's the one for [00:15:00] them and not too far out their comfort zone, but something they're going to enjoy and get something out of, you I think that's an excellent point, actually, what you said about needing a community and a group that you belong to.

And you, I don't know how a person can really prosper. even survive with a proper mental health in such a tech heavy world where there's so much, even the AI chat bots are starting to call the users back and connect to WhatsApp and do very worrying things. So yeah, I really think it's, it's got a whole new [00:16:00] weight now.

To keeping, um, connected to, to the offline world and the world around them. Yeah, I definitely agree. I think, like you say, there's a whole new meaning to it. Seeing as so many people work remotely and from home and things like that, there's a whole new meaning in terms of using and doing the things that bring you joy and finding those things that are really good for your mental well being that are mixed with the human interaction.

To go and do those things, but you know that in the, that how much you always come away happy that you've done it. Does that make sense? It's really, really interesting. Cause I think it's also not just next gen, but like a whole host of people that you got sort of stuck in your [00:17:00] cycle. Um, but you need to make sure that you make time for those connections and people.

So it's going to give you exactly what it thinks you like. To keep you there, and the real world can't offer you that. Like, so it's really, you have to take a step back and see what life is like when you don't have always everything you want put on a silver plate, so to speak. Yeah, so I think that's, that's one really important reason to kind of like an only child that always gets what they want from their parents.[00:18:00]

Throw them into children's groups early. So, oh yeah, I think that's really great. Thank you. Um, is there anything else you think, especially in terms of AI as a kind of a final thought? Um, because you said they, they jumped right into, into ChatGPT and started using ChatGPT and also different social media.

And then there was other students that wanted to think about the plan more, be a bit more strategic, and then put in really meaningful, in terms of what they wanted out of the ChatGPT and to work with the ChatGPT as much as they wanted. And some people didn't touch it at [00:19:00] all, which is quite interesting.

So there was a real diverse, um, um, mix and I think that that came from as well from the students because a quarter of the students were tech students and a quarter were health and then a quarter was sport and a lot of the sports students because they're out there playing sport it's a very in person course um and engagement that they were all really happy to chat and just discuss it and to we're quite a lot of the time with the students that wanted to present the tech students just want to get on go straight away and just get it done.

And I think that's the same as well throughout. Like, the whole population. I've also spoken to many, many parents in the last three, four months, and obviously, each parent has a different approach, um, from a certain age, and and I think that's one reason why the [00:20:00] ed the education preparing them can't be a one size fits all, because they're on, as you just said, the different planets.

The, the youth, the next gen. And I really am thankful for your insights. Um, Amazing. Thanks, Angee. Thanks so much for having me. I've really enjoyed our conversation today. Thank you. You, too.. Bye. Bye. Please let us know what you think about what we're talking about in this episode and the others. Check out more about us and subscribe at digi-dominoes.Com.

Until next time, stay curious and keep learning.

Digital dominoes.