Activating Wonder and Whoa!

Experience real-world learning, at any age, wherever you are.

 

We help you take note of the community around you. We help you discover what matters and go next level.

Now more than ever connecting to the real world in our own backyard is essential. With so many distractions, it’s easy to become adrift. Getting grounded where you are allows you to connect with what matters most to you.

Leveling up our local literacy allows us to gain a deeper sense of place and develop a stronger commitment to our community. Given the complex things coming at us every day, we need civic-minded people who care and who are ready to make a difference at the local level.

When we slow down and take notice–of our place, our path, our purpose–we get our bearings. When we assess our actions, we gain a new perspective. We can move forward with more intention.

How do you want to level up?

 

Level up with a Localized Experience that fits your place, path, and purpose.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, we can localize an experience that builds your team with a shared sense of place and sense of purpose. We serve learners of all ages across the map–youth and adults, families and friends, schools and universities, community groups, and organizations.

 
 
 
 

Adventures

Explore your place.

Self-paced, self-guided excursions to connect to your places in a whole new way!

Wherever you are right now, we invite you to hit pause and do a spinnerette–look up, down, and all around. What did you just discover? Every town has hidden spots, landmarks, and local lore. A TOPO Adventure gets you out and about to experience your local places in a whole new way.

These experiences are for everyone–all ages, all generations. Do an Adventure alone, with family and friends, or as an organization/business.

  • Go explore places in the Little Traverse Bay area using your Field Guide, Map and Adventure Pack. These self-paced excursions are fun (like a scavenger hunt!) and chock full of local lore and things to do along the way. Discover more about special places in and around Harbor Springs, MI in a whole new way!

  • Wherever you are, we can design a localized adventure for your location. Connect people to your places in a whole new way!

 
 
 

Workshops

Discover your path.

Half-day or all-day guided workshops crafted with care and localized for wherever you are.

Where are you from? Where are you now? Where do you want to go? These are big questions! We invite you to hit pause and explore one or all of them with us. A TOPO Workshop helps you have fun seeing your path from a new viewpoint and with more clarity!

Workshops are great for family and friends groups or organizations looking to create deeper connections with the people and places surrounding them.

  • Whether it’s your first or thousandth time in downtown Harbor Springs, Michigan, we help you discover what makes this place unique. Through this guided workshop, you will explore why this place matters and capture your new perspective during a team excursion. Gain new tools to experience places in a whole new way, wherever you go.

  • Where are you from? Discover how the places, people and experiences in your past have impacted where you are today. We use the power of map-making to help you track your story and make meaning through a hands-on, heads-on, hearts-on process. Create your own “place map” for a month, year or lifetime during this guided workshop.

  • Where are you going? We use the TOPO compass to help you set a bearing for success and "Find Your North” as an individual, family or team. This guided workshop helps you identify the specific skillsets, mindset and heartset needed to move forward with intention, wherever you are and whatever you do.

  • Looking for a new way to build your team? Need a new experience for your local group? Create connections within your organization and with the place beyond your doorstep through a localized experience. We help your team interact in a new way to create a shared sense of place, pride and purpose.

 
 
 

Next Level Roadtrips

Follow your purpose.

Multi-day or multi-phase guided trainings crafted with care and localized for wherever you are.

You know where you want to go. But how do you get there? Moving from awareness to agency to action requires the right toolbox. We invite you to leave behind what’s limiting you and level up with us!

Take your practice, team, or organization to the next level with a TOPO Roadtrip experience. Start by getting on the TOPO Arc of Action and then get tools you can use –a compass (aka guiding philosophy), map (aka routines/practices), and field guide (techniques and tips that work for you). Our roadtrips help you move forward with consistency and intention.

  • Level up your craft as an educator by recalibrating your skillset, mindset and heartset for real-world learning. Our gold star training gives you firsthand practice in delivering hands-on, heads-on, hearts-on learning that is rooted in the local community. Use the LIF Arc of Learning to design your own place-based, problem-based, project-based experiences. You will be able to deliver personalized, localized learning wherever you are.

  • We can help you go next level with your team and organization. Contact us to discuss your needs and where you want to go.

 

What others are saying

Testimonials

What A2A is showing me is that our students work with tech every day, but it can be a hindrance. A2A is enabling students to gain confidence through real-world communication and day to day things.

– 5th Grade Teacher

Repeated exposure is powerful! They saw it. Then they built it. They explained it. They understood it. They wanted to talk about it.

– 2nd Grade Teacher

Gaining firsthand knowledge through direct experience creates pride which makes them more invested.

– 2nd Grade Teacher

A2A is a framework that allows students to feel invested in their learning and learn with a purpose. It creates deeper understanding of content and promotes lasting connections.

– Elementary School Principal

Students had fun, learned, got involved in areas they normally would not have attempted, and each student found an area of strength. They are now advocates for the community they live in.

– 5th Grade Teacher

Students were empowered to speak up in their community and take action about something they were truly passionate about. They also gained valuable cooperation skills, public speaking skills and made a huge connection to where they live.

– 5th Grade Teacher

With A2A: Awareness to Action, I think it’s helping the community the best you can in any way. And I like exploring new things.

– 2nd Grader

A2A adventures are fun! It’s not just some kind of playground, it’s our community.

– 2nd Grader

Can we come back here next week? Cuz we’re not done!

– 2nd Grader

I felt really great about myself. It felt like my A2A project was my whole world actually. It made me feel like I finally accomplished something.

– 6th Grader

It’s not really a project anymore. We’re getting involved and actually doing something. We’re not talking about it.

– Anonymous

It gives you a chance to show who you are and it’s more unique than other projects. You really hold the reins. It’s different from other projects where you have to do exactly what the teachers tell you.

– 8th Grader

It will help you later in life with jobs and actual real-world stuff.

– 8th Grader

I would highly suggest this fun activity to keep your brain going!

– Anonymous

The excitement of what we would find or do next was the best part. It was fun exploring secret spots in town. I would definitely recommend this to others–so much fun for all ages

– Julie Carson, mother

You get to explore all over town and there are a lot of fun challenges and activities along the way. And it’s all within walking distance.

– Anonymous

I learned something new about Harbor Springs each day and discovered places I never knew existed–so cool.

– Katie Lapham, mother

The adventures were varied and the content was integrated (social studies, English language arts, science, etc. all incorporated in each mission). It was differentiated to meet the needs and interests of all types of learners.

– Katie Lapham, mother & ESL teacher

My girls have a lot of energy. It really kept them on task, and they were always so motivated to find the fish.

– Anonymous

I liked having the kids put the pieces together and seeing them work out the riddle. It really got them thinking!

– Sadie Liddy, kid sitter

Finding dates/times/names made the quest specific and so satisfying when we could find the answer.

– Anonymous

Take 5! was a great way to begin and end each quest!

– Colin’s Mom

Our son can sometimes be prone to ‘No’ when we suggest an outing. Backyard Adventures captured his imagination so much, he was telling us to keep up!

– Colin’s Dad

Seeing the town through the eyes of my children.

– Anonymous

Backyard Adventures gave us the chance to explore the town with three generations and share stories about our experiences.

– Chris Ford

I enjoyed that each quest encouraged us to slow down!

–Heather Ford, CT summer visitor

I highly recommend this daily self-paced adventure around our great town! My kids and I got a whole new view of some very special places around Harbor Springs.

–Molly Hoggard

They were able to make it into their own adventure

– Susan Hannah

To me the bluff was just a steep hill. That was a real shocker (to find out Lake Algonquin was here) because I didn’t know at one point this whole entire city of Harbor Springs was underwater!

–Jackson, 3rd grader

It made me feel excited because it was one thing leading up to another. It was like finding treasure!

–Jackson, 3rd grader

 

Make your own discoveries.

Together, Wonder & Whoa have the transformative power to create meaningful, personalized learning.

Whoa is about slowing down and taking notice of what’s going on around you. What makes your place unique? Why does it matter? Finding your own Whoa–something that surprises you and stops you in your tracks–creates a powerful learning moment.

Wonder is about getting inspired to ask the next question, not the ‘right’ question. What’s going on here? How can I make a difference? The act of wondering helps us gain new perspectives and innovate.

When we are full of wonder and whoa, we become lifelong learners!

 
 

Learn the Lingo

Doing Community Better

Using your talents to make a difference; Becoming a community catalyst

Leveling Up

Wanting to do better (not bigger) by trying a new way or using a new tool

Whoa

Something that surprises you and stops you in your tracks

Wonder

Being curious and wanting to find out more; asking the next question to make your own discoveries

Featured Collaborators

Ready to experience the TOPO way of learning for yourself?