Garret’s academic and professional commitments are driven by a belief that information should be freely accessible, empowering, and transformative for learners of all ages, everywhere. 

Garret Potter is pursuing a dual masters degree at the U-M Ann Arbor: a master of educational studies in designs and technologies for learning across cultures and contexts and a master of science in information with a focus on library sciences. Garret’s academic and professional commitments are driven by a belief that information should be freely accessible, empowering, and transformative for learners of all ages, everywhere.

From community service and education to writing, publishing, and performing, Garret has consistently used dialogue, teaching, and research as tools for building empathy and connection. These experiences, alongside his studies, fuel his commitment to reimagining how young learners access and engage with knowledge.

At U-M, Garret has participated in initiatives such as Learning Levers, Innovation in Action, optiMize, and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program where he has worked to develop Everstory–the first free voice and visual encyclopedia app for pre-readers. As a former preschool and Kindergarten teacher and father of two, Garret designed Everstory to help early learners explore their curiosity independently while building global-historical context. Over the summer, Garret assembled a team of developers, designers, and researchers. This team has been working to build the platform’s foundation—establishing its technical infrastructure, designing user experiences, and creating early prototypes that prioritize access, inclusion, and autonomy.

Garret’s long-term vision is not only to create innovative tools like Everstory but also to advocate for educational systems that honor diverse cultures, histories, and ways of learning. He believes that by equipping early learners with both knowledge and context, education can foster empathy, cross-cultural collaboration, and resilience in the face of global challenges. Garret’s commitment is clear: to ensure every early learner has the opportunity to wonder, learn, and share.

CEW+ applauds Garret’s innovative approach to education and names him a Grace A. and James D. Bruce Community Engagement Scholar.