What we
solve for.

The gap between what the general public knows and what is known at the rim of higher academia continues to widen. Yet the public is the one who votes, and the most important movements in human history have started at the grassroots. Public education is not really free: the people who would benefit most are often the people with the least access.

The Agora LA offers totally free and non-exclusive events that bridge higher academia and public education. We create forums for dialogue between the public and qualified professionals, helping people discuss, analyze, question, and apply expert information.

Children are naturally curious and are learning savants, but a modern education system shaped by the Industrial Revolution has made learning about rote memorization and obligation for getting a job. We forget how to enjoy learning for the sake of learning.

What is taught is driven by participant interest. We apply STEM to real-world challenges and create problem-solving environments that rehabilitate children’s natural creativity and curiosity, especially for neurodiverse learners.

The internet has increased surface-level knowledge and decreased wisdom. The lack of discourse creates a breeding ground for political-brand allegiance to choke out critical thinking, producing black-and-white views and bundled beliefs that lack nuance.

The Agora is a space for constructive discourse and the reorganization of epistemic entropy. Through carefully led forums on pressing contemporary issues, we help people examine information from multiple angles, share evidence, and rebuild the capacity for meaningful public discourse.

Passive learning through conference-style lectures can become more entertainment than an actual increase in knowledge. After listening to a lecture, people remember only about 20% of what they heard, while far more is retained through active discussion and teaching others.

We curate roundtable discussions led by PhD professors and dialogue facilitators who keep the common thread of the conversation going. Participants ask deeper questions, engage with difficult concepts at a higher level, and experience the real work of active learning.