“For us as a school, particularly as we engage in a creative process, so much of that is human work and really building that trust and relationship with the young person,” says Tony Simmons, co-director and co-founder of 4 Learning – the sister organization to the High School for Recording Arts (HSRA).

Simmons joined WorkingNation’s editor-in-chief Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation Overheard at SXSW EDU 2024 in Austin.

While HSRA is specific to St. Paul, 4 Learning has expanded the model to other schools around the country. Simmons notes, “What we’re sharing with the schools, first and foremost, is to not give up on our young people who are struggling the most.”

He says, “One thing we learned is that every young person is on their own personal journey. And for us, it’s about building trust with them, building strong relations so that we can understand where they are and then meet them where they are.

“So, for us as a school, particularly as we engage in a creative process, so much of that is human work and really building that trust and that relationship with the young person so that we can understand what journey they’re on and where they’re at at that time.”

Simmons adds, when young people don’t become learners, “There’s a moral aspect that we all have to be accountable for in terms of that untapped potential of that human being.”

Learn more about 4 Learning.
Learn more about the High School of Recording Arts.