A global, online, learning community

where Youth Learns about the Singularity

This is when sliced bread was invented...
(thanks DALL·E for the pictures )

...and what follows is the best thing since the invention of sliced bread! 😉

Are you an IB diploma programme Student?

We bring together students of International Baccalaurete (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) to go through the 2 year journey of CAS together.

• Join fun events that count as CAS Experiences
• Get CAS Project ideas and find resources on budget
• Connect with other IB DP students from around the globe. Form teams and collaborate on CAS Projects
• Connect with local and global organizations, non-profits and work directly with the people who need your service
• We work with IB leadership and CAS Coordinators on your behalf to make sure the experiences and projects are aligned with expectations.
  Invite your CAS Coordinator, they get free access
• Use your CAS work in your university applications

CAS stands for creativity, activity and service and we are taking it to the next level:

CAS Enrichment?

That's right. Let's break it down:

creativity: this is something that is a skill and like all other learned skills it can be developed. There are structured methodologies to do innovation and invention: design thinking and systemic inventive thinking (SIT). These are not rocket science... definitely not at the introductory level. So if CAS says we should build creativity, why not learn a bit about the creative process (CAS experience) and then put these new learning to practice in the CAS project?

service: is meant to be "in response to an authentic need" in the local, or broader global community. So what exactly are those needs? the United Nations have done some work, calling these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Others have slightly different terminology and list of issues. Some call it impact goals, grand challenges. And the rabbit hole goes deep... once you delve into topics like food security, climate crises, drinking water.

progress of technology: this is the part that is unique to Warmer Sun's program what we believe connects innovation, invention, creativity with the positive impact that is needed for service. Historically, it has always been new technologies that have improved the human condition. Learn with us about what those so called Emerging Technologies (emTech) are that set us on the right trajectory, that we can apply to build pathways to solve the big, global problems. These are the same trends by the way that will impact you personally, and that you should very much be aware of when thinking about what to do after you graduate.

activity: IB defines activity as some kind of "physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle"... so that is not really suited for an online experience. With that said, if there is some opportunity to combine exercise with service - like doing a beach cleanup or running for a fund raiser then we'll share those with each other.

careers of the future, future of careers

• If you're planning to continue your studies in medical field learn about the trends to extend the human lifespan and end all disease.
• If you're planning on studying science, engineering learn what is happening in various fields of emTech what will grow to be a huge industry in the next 10-20 years.
• If you want to go to business then innovation and understanding the disruptive digital technologies will set you apart.

Is this really needed for CAS?

The short answer is no. It's not "needed"... the same way as IB is not needed to graduate high-school or to apply to university. You do it because you want something different, something more.

CAS gives you a ton of freedom with what you spend your time on... it only mandates that you do put some time into it and that you check with your teacher  - the CAS Coordinator - on the particular experiences and projects you pick.

Avoid procrastination, don't leave CAS for the last minute. Joining our community will build the habit the regular rhythm to complete this necessary part of the IB DP  diploma and give you the most benefits for little or no extra effort.

ITGS -  information technology in a global society 

If you study ITGS you will find the discussions on the societal impacts of emTechs like artificial intelligence, robotics, self-driving cars, blockchain super useful.

We want to be very open and transparent with our program. That is why we have reached out to the IB leadership, and this is why we let you invite your CAS Coordinator to our platform, for free.

we must also look around at the digital revolution that is transforming the world at a rate previously unthinkable.

We now need to think about developing capabilities and skillsets that will help a new generation to cope and then flourish. Without being trite, in a world of AI, what are the things that the humans of tomorrow are going to bring to the table? I contend that the answer lies in the ability to imagine solutions, to prioritise and to make moral and ethical decisions.

Olli-Pekka Heinonen Director General of IB 

Why a Community?

So why do we need a global online learning community?

First off, you are the sum of the five people you spend most time with. Not everyone learns about emerging technologies or puts in extra work in the already hard IB program. Do you want to be among others who do?

Second, there is a lot of uncertainty. In school people tell you what to do and what the right answers are. In real life nobody knows what to do and what the right answers are. (Maybe IB is a bit better in this, fostering independent thinking and agency.)
A few hard questions we can only try to answer - even for ourselves - by listening to each other.

A community works best when people do something together that they could not do on their own. Collaborating with a peer group, trying out social VR, brainstorming, seeing how decentralized autonomous organizations DAOs work, providing service to a local or better, remote and global community... these are things nonone can do on their own.
(We have self-study material too where it comes to reading or videos.)

About Me

My story started in 2014 after reading Ray Kurzweil's book The Singularity Is Near. I've heard that Master Ray launched a university to teach the concepts and ideas in the book but I figured that if he is right about his mind-blowing predictions then the ones most affected are today's kids. A student entering elemntary school today will spend 17 years in "the system" until she or he finishes the mandatory K12 and graduates in a college or university. So by the time our oung adult wants to earn a living (hopefully in a way that bring fulfillment and self-realization) a lot of the things in the book will have happened. (BTW I love future perfect in English. "will have happened", great)
So I declared we need a Singularity Preschool. Named after Elvis' song If I Can Dream I call it Warmer Sun. I was looking for a .com domain and most other words were taken 😉

There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear

I went down different rabbit holes 🐇🕳️...

• running afterschool programs in community center - but they plan ahead half a year and want a proven program ➡️ running them at home - but cannot advertise in the local school when the secretary hears the word "electric" she freaks out. I tell her it's a 1.5V battery and she can lick it 👅🔋 (what I meant was that it is safe to test with your tongue if it still has charge... ) ➡️ running them online ... yay, VR is awesome ... check out my gallery in the metaverse.
• STEM - I'm not saying it's not important; it is... but not everyone will be an engineer or scientist. On the other hand,, everyone's life will be impacted by the tsunamis of changes coming. Maker movement, Maker Education. - these seem to focus on a single technology, like 3D printing ➡️ need to cover all of them to have an overarching cognitive framework ➡️ polymath people are awesome
• did a YouTube webshow, reacting style - kids wanted more engagement ➡️ tried Kahoot - yay, games are fun ➡️ made a tabletop game. The mini game versions are easy to understand and teach the idea of convergence. The main attraction where I threw the whole kitchensink of ideas in has proven too hard to play. I learned it's called the Curse of Knowledge. ↗️ the game needed an introductory course and becomes the award for those who go through the learning. I call it Progress and Predictions. ↘️ I also took the categorization of emTechs and visual elements from the game and turned it into a more serious visual thinking tool - following in the footsteps of the Business Model Canvas and similar canvases: the Convergence Canvas.
• also learned that while data driven optimism has merit and the world is getting better and the various emerrging technologies give us superpowers ... NOOO, I'm not going to say the SpiderMan line... there are huge problems left. ➡️ more learning, waking up with Greta Thunberg tweets, looking for solutions ➡️ another book by Master Ray: 📚 Danielle, Chronicles of a Superheroine was an eye opener (again). (Well, it's really 3 books together: 1 fiction book + 2 companion books. ➡️ totally tried to build a book club for it... ➡️ used the list of problems in the book - in addition to the UN SDGs for problem cards in the game above ☝️ ... used AI to generate artwork for each. 👀 Have a look, I think they're cool.

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
- Sir Winston Churchill

So yeah... I must have left out a lot. I'm alway seeking out people to learn from. I'm a memeber in Mensa, Peter Diamandis' Abundance community and the Singularity University online community and I'm one of the 5 people who actually watch Stephen Wolfram's videos. (Fine, he's into 4 digits view cunt now.)

Except for TKS 👍 and a failed attempt by SU and the brillliant IdeaCo I don't know of a program that teaches the exponential progress of information enabled - so called "emerging" - technologies (AKA the Law of Accelerating Returns) to a young and broad audience. I want to change this.

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Testimonials

As a teacher of the IB diploma programme in the United States I am always looking for ways to engage my students and get them excited about CAS. The Warmer Sun program is an excellent way to do this. In fact, it is one of the best resources I have ever come across!
(This Teacher Does Not Exist - generated using copy.ai)
photo by DALL·E 2

I am participating in the Warmer Sun Community program through the Online Learning Program (OLP) at my school. We had a chance to do a variety of really cool things like design a 3D-printed drone and then fly it, map out a community to see how many neighbors were within ten steps of each other and then connect them to see if we could eliminate human trafficking, create a 3D model of our local watershed and simulate floods, and much more! I especially liked exploring how emerging...
(This Student Does Not Exist - generated using copy.ai)
photo by DALL·E 2 

This program has been absolutely life changing for me and I think it could be for you as well. It will teach you how to find your passions and make a difference in the world. Check out the challenge now and let's get learning!
(This Student Does Not Exist - generated using copy.ai)
photo by DALL·E 2 

...the point I'm trying to make with these testimonials is to show how good AI already is...

Promises

100% satisfaction or your money back

Joining a program that is always on the cutting edge and experimenting with new things is not for everyone. I want to remove the risk from subscribing. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, you're not getting enough value or just think this is not for you then I give your money back. Just email [email protected]. For monthly subscription I refund the last month. For annual subscription I refund the whole annual amount. Simple.

Available to Everyone Who Wants to Learn

If you see the value and want to join our learning community but you truly cannot afford it please send me a personal email to [email protected] and I’ll set you up. Simple.