#202 How to Raise Curious, Future-Ready Teens – with Kami Wanous

Flourish Coaching

Nov 25, 2025

In this episode, Lisa and Kami discuss:

How curiosity shapes the development of lifelong learners who can adapt and grow over time
Why box-checking habits weaken authentic engagement with learning
What project-based learning offers as a bridge between interests and academics
The role family culture plays in nurturing natural curiosity and supporting ongoing personal growth

Key Takeaways:

Box-checking driven by grades and pressure drains curiosity and leaves young people unprepared for real college, career, and life demands.
Real-world projects like building a skate park or creating community signage reveal how project-based learning blends civic knowledge, physics, planning, and passion.
Curiosity grows at home through natural conversations that connect everyday life, current events, and reading into meaningful learning.
A teen’s lost love of learning often shows up as ongoing frustration or disengagement whenever school is mentioned.

“We have to change the messages that we’re sending, and the message of lifelong learning is that learning happens everywhere, all the time.” – Kami Wanous

About Kami Wanous:

Kami is the creator of the Raising Leaders Roadmap and a homeschool mentor. A credentialed teacher with over seven years in public education and homeschooling since 2008, she draws on her background in English, leadership, and freedom principles to guide families toward meaningful learning. Kami helps homeschool parents create a culture that inspires a lifelong love of learning—equipping them to mentor with confidence and raise passionate leaders who make an impact in the world. She has been featured on CBS News and as a guest writer and speaker for homeschooling conventions, blogs, magazines, podcasts, and YouTube channels.

Episode References:

Download a Sample Birkman Report: https://flourishcoachingco.com/birkman
Pails by Chris Brady: https://www.amazon.com/Pails-Years-What-Will-Today/dp/0991347455
The Truth about College Admission Workbook by Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-about-College-Admission-Together-ebook/dp/B0BWSKYW31/
#169 The Hidden Impact of College Major Selection on Admissions with Rick Clark: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/169-the-hidden-impact-of-college-major-selection-on-admissions-with-rick-clark/
Check your family’s learning culture in minutes — take Kami’s Love of Learning Launch Pad quiz: https://pages.thefreedomscholar.org/loloi0
See where your teen stands in career development — take the free Career Planning Readiness Quiz: https://flourishcoachingco.com/quiz

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

flourishcoachingco.com/video