How do you spark curiosity, inspire engagement, and bring those unforgettable “aha!” moments to life in your classroom?
On this episode of Making the Grade, Georgia sits down with Olivia Odileke, CEO of Kampus Insights, curiosity coach, professional development designer, and author of Unleashing Curiosity: Empowering Fearless Educators to Engage and Inspire. Olivia believes curiosity is the “secret sauce” to joyful, meaningful learning—and she’s trained over 20,000 educators to help bring more wonder, creativity, and student ownership into schools.
With more than 100 micro-inquiry tasks designed for teachers, Olivia helps educators shift from delivering information to inspiring exploration.
What We Explore in This Episode
How Curiosity Transforms Classrooms
Olivia breaks down how curiosity fuels engagement, deeper learning, and student confidence. She also shares how inquiry-based learning can reignite teacher joy—especially during challenging seasons in education.
Executive Function in Action
Olivia explains how curiosity directly supports core executive function skills, including:
• Task Initiation
Why the first step is the hardest—and how curiosity helps students (and adults!) get started.
• Flexible Thinking (the “MacGyver Mindset”)
How educators can turn unexpected moments into learning opportunities.
• Emotional Control
Using curiosity to de-escalate, redirect, and keep students engaged.
• Prioritization & Planning
Why leading with inquiry instead of instruction helps students become better thinkers and problem-solvers.
Building Spark Day PD
Olivia shares how she built her business and created Spark Day PD, a dynamic professional learning experience that brings joy, imagination, movement, and curiosity into school buildings.
Her approach blends creativity, inquiry, and practical strategies that teachers can use the next day.
Olivia’s Story: Courage, Islands & Curiosity
From living on three different islands…
to moving to a new country with four kids…
to building a thriving business around joy and inquiry…
Olivia’s story is full of courage, creativity, and the belief that curiosity doesn’t just change classrooms—it changes lives.
Read the cliff notes below or 🎧 listen now:
📌 Learn More
Olivia’s Book: Unleashing Curiosity: Empowering Fearless Educators to Engage and Inspire
Spark Day PD: kampusinsights.com
Olivia’s Instagram: @fearless.educator
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