Brandon Slade had completed graduate school and was employed in the Boulder Valley School District when he began working with students dealing with ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety and depression. Having failed out of Ohio State University with a football scholarship himself, Brandon understood what it was like to struggle academically. It was after working with these students for some time that he created Untapped Learning—a place for middle school, high school and college students to get academic help and develop their executive function skills.
Executive function skills involve planning and organization, and are what Brandon describes as “the CEO of your brain.” Untapped Learning works with students experiencing ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety and/or depression to build routines and get things done.
“We see a lot of people who we call ‘the smart and scattered’ … I call them the kids who are gonna cure cancer but can’t find their car keys,” Brandon says. “Super, super, super bright.”
Untapped Learning works with students to improve these learnable skills in three ways: Movement, accountability and mentorship.
At their Broomfield location, middle school and high school students start off their sessions by moving. Students can play football, ping pong or Spikeball inside, or take a walk outdoors with their mentor. College students meet with their mentors virtually, so their incorporation of movement is built around their schedules. According to Brandon, movement is the “miracle drug” for improving memory, attention and retention.
Once that is complete, mentors work with their students to plan out their week. Middle and high schoolers meet with their mentor once a week and receive texts or phone calls checking in on their progress throughout, while college students have several sessions per week.
“We can really clear up a lot of mental space just by holding our kids accountable. So it’s two pats on the back, one kick in the tail—just loving them up like crazy and then holding them accountable,” Brandon says.
Untapped Learning’s mentors, some of whom previously dedicated their time working for the Boulder Valley School District, are typically in their twenties. They have their own interests—from Dungeons and Dragons to skateboarding—and are matched with students based on personality and learning style.
The student-to-mentor relationship becomes increasingly important when it comes to accountability. Brandon says he sees “great results” from students because of the smaller age gap, as opposed to a larger one involving, say, a student and an older doctor.
Untapped Learning works with students year-round, with a summer program that prepares students for the upcoming school year. Students typically stick with Untapped Learning for a semester or a year, and some may come back at another point in their life, like for their first year of college.
More information about the different programs and the Untapped Learning method can be found at Untappedlearning.com.