In this episode of Learning Lab, Christina and Kaylah sit down with Ben Wiebesiek, a graphic design teacher at Lookout Academy in Colorado. Together, they explore how Ben's classroom turns student designs into real-world business assets, fostering professional skills and dignity.

Ben shares how he uses the critique process, working with authentic clients, to teach students the essential life skill of receiving and applying feedback. The conversation goes beyond design mechanics, diving into how Ben guides students to challenge misconceptions about artistic symbolism, particularly regarding colors and shapes often misidentified as gang signifiers.

Ben reminds us that by validating students’ creative choices and allowing them to explore deeper meaning, we foster resilience, professional communication, and the powerful self-expression necessary for students to feel their unique vision is seen and understood.