One could say that Jon Turnquist, Dean of Students, went to NuVu “college” to learn the magic behind a project-based learning curriculum. He’s been with the institution for 11 years, learning and growing alongside the NuVu team.

“My first impression of walking into NuVu was that I'd never seen anything like it," he recalls. “I was at once excited but also intimidated by how different everything felt.”

Jon says he could instantly see how engaged the students were, and how creativity was evident in everything they were doing. “Plus, I saw why they chose the language of coaches instead of teachers, which was strange at first. But I could tell right away how the team had such a growth mindset that was fostering opportunities for one-on-one mentorship, which I soon learned was the core content for the overall student experience.”

Having arrived at NuVu from working at Cambridge Friends School, Jon was first hired to help with summer program logistics. At the time, David Wang—one of three co-founders—was managing the NuVu shop and facilities. It was his guidance that initially mentored the young Jon, guiding him from an administrative role into a more supervisory and eventually Coach role.

“I loved working with the students and understanding their perspective. It helped me learn to see things differently, and eventually to teach differently,” he says. From mastering the tools in the NuVu shop (from woodworking tools to laser cutters), to streamlining shop flow and safety policies, to assisting students as they developed projects—this experiential learning became Jon’s apprenticeship in project-based learning.

For instance, if a studio involved ceramics, it was up to Jon to learn and figure out how to make that happen in the NuVu space. If another project required intensive woodworking, he was the one who solved the problem of transforming a segment of NuVu to accommodate it. Problem-solving, collaborating with students and coaches, and making innovative changes alongside them became his own hands-on learning journey.

“Learning how to do all of those skills was very useful and important, but my real passion is connecting with people,” he reflects.

As students came to the shop to work on their projects, Jon naturally connected with them—learning their interests alongside their insecurities, or simply discussing the natural ambiguity that can arise within the design process. All of this allowed him to support students in a mentor-like way.

He explains that “Being available for those kinds of conversations, and then helping to provide some wraparound support for coaches AND students to be on the same page, really helped me guide students through questions like ‘What DOES success look like for you as an individual? What does this project need in order for you to achieve that success?’ ”

As Jon began collaborating more deeply with the leadership team on student support, the former Dean of Students recognized his empathetic and supportive connection with students as a strength worth developing.

“She specifically designated me to work with students in this capacity and mentored me in how to format this role, and encouraged me to trust my instincts,” he says. “That began my journey of formally having a role in student support.”

Flash forward to when it was time for the former Dean to move on—it was she who recommended Jon as her replacement.

“At that time, I realized that I was extremely qualified and had been building upon these skills for years at NuVu,” he shares. “I felt ready for this leadership opportunity because one thing I always recognized is that there's so much social and emotional support that goes into successful learning. That's always something I've understood pretty intuitively.”

After a strong summer planning session, Jon is enthusiastic about the coming school year. He’s most looking forward to witnessing the immense growth that NuVu students undergo every year.

“I love watching our students learn to problem solve—both in their project work and as they become more self-sufficient,” he shares. “Seeing them go after things that may seem insurmountable or big at the onset is a life skill that I've seen develop over and over during my time at NuVu. It reinforces my confidence and the importance of what we're doing.”

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