What if middle school allowed more time for kids to be kids? Amanda Fanelli advocates for a more student-centered, place-based, experiential learning approach in our public middle school curriculums based on models that allow for exploration and less time sitting still. An award-winning IB History teacher with 19 years of experience helping students understand their role as citizens, Amanda Fanelli was honored as the 2024 Gilder Lehrman Georgia History Teacher of the Year and the 2024 Sol C. Johnson High School Teacher of the Year. She is passionate about guiding her students to confront the challenges that climate change is presenting to marginalized people around the world and in their own community.Amanda earned a B.A. in History from Roosevelt University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell. A Fulbright Scholar, she is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Curriculum Theory at Georgia Southern University.In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature and exploring the beauty of the Hostess City with her family. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx