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SEASON 1, EPISODE 23
Meaningful life, balance, and wisdom
Building “thinking schools” with Edu1st
With Gilberto Pinzon, Edu1st
In this episode of Chalk and Code, host Theron Davis sits down with Gilberto Pinzon, CEO and co-founder of Edu1st, to explore what it really means to transform a classroom into a thinking culture. A former surgeon turned education leader, Gilberto shares the story behind the VESS model (Vida, Equilibrio, Sentido, y Sabiduria) and why he and his co-founder, Ana Maria Fernandez, set out to redesign schooling around curiosity, metacognition, character, and purposeful learning.
Together, they unpack the shift from memorizing content to building understanding, how teachers evolve from lecturers to learning facilitators, and why cultural transformation in schools requires a multi-year commitment, not a one-time workshop.
From the promise and risks of AI in education to the real-world challenges schools face today (teacher shortages, shifting demographics, and rising competition), this conversation offers a grounded look at where learning is headed, and what we must protect as technology accelerates.
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About the guest
Gilberto Pinzon
CEO & Co-Founder, Edu1st
Gilberto Pinzon is CEO and co-founder of Edu1st, which licenses the VESS education model (Vida, Equilibrio, Sentido, y Sabiduría) in more than 50 schools across multiple countries. VESS uses thinking routines developed in connection with Harvard’s Project Zero to build curiosity, metacognition, and genuine understanding rather than memorization. He is also a professor and member of the Chair of Neuroeducation at the University of Barcelona.
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