Will they still remember you after three years?

 Will they still remember you after three years?

Nearly three years ago, I stepped away from Agora Roermond — the place where, together with an incredible team, we built a radically different educational concept. I didn’t expect to still feel this connected today.

At Agora Roermond, everything started with the learner’s WHY.
We literally asked every learner:
"What do you want to make, do, or learn?"
And the answer wasn’t just a conversation starter — it was the starting point.

That approach became the foundation for more than 25 other locations across the Netherlands, Norway, the Antilles, and Belgium — and inspired many more schools worldwide.

When I launched my own company and began saying goodbye to my role, I remember thinking:
"If I’m gone for a few years, they’ll probably forget me."
But nothing could be further from the truth.

💬 I still stay in touch with my successor Rob Riedl
💬 Former colleagues regularly reach out (or get unsolicited advice 😅)
💬 And recently, something happened that truly moved me

👉 Agora Roermond has officially committed to using the allLearners Building Block system for the next five years — a framework I created to support both progressive and traditional schools in building a future-proof learning culture

👉 And even more meaningful: they enrolled their new team leader Joris, who will start in May, into the Reimagine Education Coaching Program I designed

This 8-week program is built for school leaders, team leaders, and consultants who want to
✅ drive innovation
✅ build strong educational cultures
✅ and lead schools that truly put learners first

I’m convinced this program will give Joris a flying start.
It’s the kind of start I wish I could’ve had — and one every Agora leader deserves.

📸 The picture below was taken in my office at Agora Roermond — the day our oldest learners celebrated their final day at school. They surprised me with confetti cannons right there at my desk. (And yes, they cleaned it up themselves afterward — legends.)

That kind of connection doesn’t fade.

🙏 To receive this kind of trust and recognition, from the school where it all began…
It’s the clearest confirmation I could get:
What we built worked. And what I build now, works too.