Advisors

The Late Joseph Novak PhD

Learning Scientist, Educational Theorist, and Concept Mapping Pioneer

Emeritus Professor, Cornell University

Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC)

Dr. Joe Novak dedicated over six decades to answering one fundamental question: How do people learn meaningfully?

His work reshaped modern education through the development of concept mapping - a tool designed to help learners visually organize and relate ideas, not just memorize facts. This innovation emerged from his time leading a 12-year research project at Cornell University funded by the National Science Foundation.

Initially focused on science education, Novak's methods broke traditional models of rote learning by emphasizing deep learning. Connections between new and existing knowledge. His approach advanced fields from K-12 education to corporate training and artificial intelligence. At its core was the belief that learning becomes meaningful when active, reflective, and self-directed.

Further Information:

Book: Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge (2nd Ed.). Concept Mapping Tool: IHMc CmapTools - Create your own concept maps .PDF: The Theory Behind Concept Maps (Free PDF)

Collaboration with Coach. Dickie

In the final year of his life, Dr. Joe Novak formed a unique and significant partnership with NXT Coach Dickie Herbst, blending Novak's lifelong research on meaningful learning with the practice of youth athletic development.

After discovering Novak's work on concept mapping. Dickie reached out with a question: "Could these educational tools help young athletes not only improve their skills, but understand how they're learning - and why it matters?”

This question sparked a weekly mentorship between the two. Together, they explored how concept mapping, initially created for science education, could be reimagined for the court - helping kids connect actions (like a forehand or serve) with underlying decisions, strategies, emotions, and peer interactions.

Novak's belief that "meaningful learning requires active engagement and reflection" found new life at NXT, where sport becomes a dynamic environment and a living intersection of athletics and education, offering young people a space to express those very habits.

Meaningful learning occurs when new knowledge connects with existing understanding in a rich, intriguing way. That process can and should begin with play. Dr. Joe Novak

John J. Ratey,. MD

Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

. Internationally Recognized Expert in Neuropsychiatry

.Bestselling Author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.

Dr. John Ratey has spent decades exploring how movement fuels brain development, learning, and emotional well-being. As a leading neuropsychiatrist and educator, his work has reshaped how schools, coaches, and health professionals understand the role of physical activity in human growth..

In his widely acclaimed book Spark, Ratey reveals that exercise does far more than improve fitness it ignites the brain's learning systems, enhances mood and motivation, and builds the neurological foundations for focus, memory, and resilience. His research has shown that movement increases brain plasticity and primes the mind for learning - especially in children and adolescents. Ultimately, movement is not a break from learning - it is learning.

The byproduct: movement helps regulate stress and anxiety by balancing neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine - the same chemicals targeted by common ADHD and antidepressant medications. But unlike medication, movement supports these systems holistically, with long-term developmental benefits.

Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function.' Dr. John Ratey, Spark

Peter Gray, PhD

Research Professor of Psychology, Boston College

. Evolutionary Psychologist and Education Researcher

. Author of Free to Learn and the blog Freedom to Learn (Psychology Today)

Dr. Peter Gray is a research psychologist whose work focuses on how children learn through play, self-direction, and peer interaction. Drawing from evolutionary theory, anthropology, and developmental science, his research challenges conventional models of education by asking: what environments actually support how humans are wired to learn?.

In his book Free to Learn, Gray presents evidence that play is not a break from learning - it's a key driver of it. He documents how unstructured play fosters problem-solving, emotional regulation, creativity, and collaboration - especiallywhen children are allowed to explore their interests at their own pace. His work also highlights the developmental risks associated with highly scheduled, adult-driven. childhoods

“Children learn best when they are free to follow their own interests, ask their own questions, and solve their own problems through play.” - Dr. Peter Gray, Free to Learn.

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