2020 GlobalMindED Conference
June 6-8
Sheraton Denver Downtown
GlobalMindED is a 501(c)(3) innovation network that closes the equity gap through education, entrepreneurship, employment and economic mobility to create a capable, diverse talent pipeline.
Leah Hanes was one of the many talented finalists for the 
2019 Inclusive Leader Awards in Media & the Arts. We are proud to feature her inspirational story and hope you will share it with First Gen students and rural leaders who can benefit from her courage and determination.
Leah Hanes
I love this time of year and have from the time I was a kid back on the Farm in Canada. It would start with getting books, pencils, shoes, and a new lunch box for the first day. The first day of school and Christmas were closely aligned in my life as they were the two times a year when there were new things in the house. The excitement at the end of the summer would begin with a trip to the shoe store. I hated wearing new shoes (Wellington Boots were my customary footwear) but I do remember loving the animal chairs I could sit it to have my foot sized. The trip to the store also meant I would be in town! That might not seem like a lot to you, but I was on a farm and we went to town once or twice a year. Once for the new shoes before school started, and then Christmas shopping. And, did you know that not everything in a Dime Store (the word for Department Store in rural Canada) is not a dime! I was outraged as a six-year-old when I found that I was not able to buy the new sofa for my parents for Christmas as the price was not a dime at the Dime Store. But, I digress, back to school is still my favorite time of year. 

Here I sit all these years later in a reality that the six-year-old me could not have imagined. I live in Los Angeles, I work at the coolest place in the coolest town. Two Bit Circus (our partner company) is on the cutting edge of place-based entertainment with the first-ever Micro Amusement Park in the Arts District of Los Angeles. Virtual reality roller coasters and games, escape rooms, arcade games, a midway, a bar, a restaurant, and oh yes, an interactive theater. There is not a Grandmother in town who can compete with what I can offer the grandkids on a Saturday afternoon. And, I travel around to great cities and states talking about education as part of a movement designed to support teachers and students as we transition from lecture-style education to project-based learning opportunities. This past summer I was lucky enough to be in Denver for the 2019 GlobalMindED Conference where I was part of a panel of passionate speakers all working on the same challenges, how do we make education enjoyable and effective for teachers and students? Few conferences are as effective at giving an impactful platform to a supportive and driven community of educational leaders.

My role as the Executive Director of the Two Bit Circus Foundation (2BCF) is my dream job. Not a dream I knew about a decade ago, but one that fits with the mission statement I developed for myself 25 years ago - to impact the way we raise and educate our children! Rather lofty when I wrote it as a single mom struggling with the education system for my children, but wholly aligned with what I'm currently engaged in for 2BCF. And, relevant to the discussion and panel at GlobalMindED. We work with teachers, schools, community groups, libraries, etc. to offer engaging and entertaining ways to grab students' interest and help them take agency over their education. Most kids are in school because it is what is expected of them. We want them to be there because they just can't wait to get back to the project they are working on or the group they are working with to create their next project. We use manufacturers cast-offs and overruns to fill STEAM Lab Makerspaces in schools (164 so far) with random materials for young inventors to create with and experiment with, for their projects and ideas. This is environmentally sound as it keeps that material out of the landfill sites and keeps the educator or parent from buying highly packaged material for prototyping. If you give a child an expensive robotics kit, they will make a robot like the kit designer instructs in the step-by-step instructions. If you give them random materials and old motors, perhaps throw in a Raspberry Pi or Arduino, you get students who become problem solvers and critical and creative thinkers. Those skills will be necessary for future employment. The US government shared a report a couple of years ago saying that 65% of the students who are currently in elementary school will work at jobs that don't yet exist. We will need problem solvers!

I can't tell you that my career is exactly what I expected or planned for, that isn't the case. I have had some fabulous failures and some exciting successes, in the end, what I have is a career made up of choices. Some good (it took me a little time to be able to credit myself with those), some bad (it took no time at all to blame myself for these), but the final outcome is a career that is exactly what I should be doing with this last chapter of my life. 

The point of the good and bad decisions is the same as the successes and failures, what happens isn't as important as how you respond to what happens. You can open doors for yourself from the failures as well as from the successes. Don't believe anyone who tells you that your future is limited by your past, or your family, your financial picture, or any other point they think they have about this topic. Your future is limited only by your interest and willingness to go forward when you don't know the way. Don't collect excuses, but give yourself a language of possibilities and believe that as long as it is humanly possible, you can make it happen with determination, elbow grease, and a positive outlook. I did.

Each session is based on how things get done, key stakeholders, measurements and ability to bring about change at scale. Participants do not spend time talking about their background; time should be devoted to unique, innovative work and what it has achieved. Sessions will be selected based on the following criteria: 

  • Diversity of people and perspectives 
  • Specifics of how to solve a complex issue in the area of access and equity 
  • Evidence-based solutions to our toughest pipeline problems 
  • Demonstrating a unique, innovative and effective approach 
  • Sharing potential pitfalls and hazards faced in the field 
  • Information is impartial to specific products and services 
  • Providing concrete and specific takeaways Involving the audience in creative and constructive engagement

 
THANK YOU TO OUR 2019 SPONSORS

PARTNER NEWS
Each Sunday Conscious Capital shares a new "Sustainable Sunday with the SDGs" blog post

193 countries came together to devise a plan to make the world a better place...now it's your turn. What is an SDG? "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations". These goals were created with the intention to transform our world by 2030. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.
80 percent of wastewater from human activities is discharged into waterways without any pollution removal! Did you know that 1 in 10 people don't have access to safe drinking water? SDG #6 fights for clean water and sanitation around the world.

Invest 2 minutes in Clean Water and Sanitation by watching this  short video

September 10 at 1:00pm CDT

Only 20% of college students from low-income backgrounds will reach graduation within six years. 

While easing the financial burden can make college a reality for so many deserving students, there are many other factors that can impact a student's journey to graduation day. Balancing work and school, navigating the academic and personal challenges of college - it's not easy staying the course. 

Join us for a webinar to learn how to: 
* Identify personal and situational risk factors 
* Develop resources and support strategies 
* Prioritize effectively and scale support 

Presenter: Oscar Sweeten-Lopez President & Founder, GradSnapp 

Oscar Sweeten-Lopez is the president of College Success Tools at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the founder of GradSnapp, a technology that helps professionals track and support their students to college graduation. From 2005-2016, Oscar was the portfolio director overseeing the highly successful Dell Scholars program. Oscar currently serves as President, Board of Directors for the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA).

NACCE is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant by the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation to support entrepreneurs in skilled trades! The grant will be used to host the 2019 Pitch Competition for the Trades which will take place at our annual conference, NACCE 2019 Entrepreneurship Explorations in Newport Beach, CA, on Tuesday, October 15. The top 10 teams will have the opportunity to win up to $25,000. Overall, we will award up to $75,000 onsite at the NACCE annual conference! You have to be a NACCE member to compete. 

Learn more and apply HERE

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September 12-13, 2019  
Fritz Knoebel Event Center - University of Denver

GlobalMindED is pleased to partner with TiE Denver International Summit 
September 13 with a pitch competition on September 12. We have 15 discount passes and would like to share these with you. This summit is focused on the global political and economic impacts (challenges and opportunities) affecting Colorado startup and scale up companies in Manufacturing, Martech, Fin tech, Blockchain, SaaS tech, Digital Heatlh and Health Care solutions. It is designed for Executives, Owners, Investors, Leadership Teams and local to global policy makers. Speakers include the 
Consul General of India, CEO's and Execs from Colorado, Dubai, UK, Canada, Mexico, Asia
. There are 25+ panelist experts speaking on successes and and challenges of funding, growth and market expansion locally, nationally and globally. Join us to add to the conversation and learn how you can be involved. 

Use code: TiEDenver2019- GM to get in for just $97 if you register 
before August 30 (limited to first 15).

   Register for the conference  here 
OR  Apply to pitch  here 

September 17, 2019  
Trusteeship Council Room United Nations New York, NY

Working together with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), Earth Day Network, Future Coalition, and other partners, the Foundation for Climate Restoration (F4CR) will hold the first annual Global Climate Restoration Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Leading in to the events of the high-level debate of the 74th Session of the General Assembly, the Forum will promote the theme and message of climate restoration, focusing on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, restoring ocean ecosystems, and restoring and preserving Arctic ice. Bringing together thought leading practitioners from science, engineering, economics, policy, finance and industry, the Forum aims to discuss why Climate Restoration is an essential framework for climate action, and how we can safely restore a healthy climate in a single generation.

We're inviting people to register via this Eventbrite page and then we'll get back to you by Sept. 2 to confirm your registration, pending availability. 

September 19, 2019  
Ellie Caulkins Opera House - Denver, CO

The Succeeds Prize, presented by Colorado Succeeds, 9NEWS, mindSpark Learning, and Colorado's business leaders - will recognize the state's most transformational and innovative schools and educators through six awards and $150,000. You don't want to miss this live-televised, live-reveal event! Join us for a night of excitement and fun.

The event is FREE to attend, but registration is required.
October 15-16, 2019 - Santa Fe, NM

The conference gathering thought leaders and practitioners from education, technology, policy, HR, and foundations will be held at the Santa Fe Convention Center. 
October 22-24, 2019 - New Orleans, LA

Grantmakers for Education's 23rd annual conference will be held in New Orleans under the theme Supporting Students in Overcoming Adversity: Agency, Justice, Equity. We are taking inspiration from the students who lived through Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent overhaul of the education system. Local successes and challenges will stimulate national conversations about transforming education, from birth through postsecondary success. Drawing on brain science and the latest evidence, we will explore the social, emotional and academic dimensions of learning. Register here.
iGIANT® and GlobalMindED are excited to announce a challenge competition to explore the impact of gender/sex on innovation and novel technologies in our lives. By partnering together, iGIANT and GlobalMindED hope to inspire young emerging leaders to develop innovative ideas regarding gender/sex within health, IT, transportation, and retail.The winner will be announced at the iGIANT Design Summit in San Francisco November 21, will receive $250, and will have the opportunity to bring their idea to fruition with the help of iGIANT and its network of professionals.

The National Academy of Medicine defines "gender" as a person's self-representation as male or female based on social interactions and "sex" as based on one's genes. The environment can impact gene expression which is known as "epigenetics."

Gender/sex impacts every aspect of our daily lives. The same dosage of medication, for example, has different effects on men compared to women, resulting in a need for us to understand these differential effects in the research and development process before doctors can effectively dose their patients. Similarly, although some products (such as shoes, sports equipment, or cars) seem to have separate designs for men and women, it is important to distinguish between a simple change in aesthetics and a design that actually addresses the biological factors (ie, body composition, bone structure, metabolism) that cause men and women to experience these products differently. Each small detail and seemingly insignificant change in design can heavily impact how we perform at work, school, or in our leisurely activities.

GUIDELINES

Participants:

The challenge is open to all students

Design Requirements:

The design elements can include:
Programs (ex: an educational symposium);
Policies (ex: a policy on inclusion);
Protocols (ex: athletic training protocols or medical guidelines); or
Products (ex: sports equipment, clothing, tools, hardware and machine-human interfaces).

Solution Requirements:

The solution should:
Demonstrate the impact of gender/sex on a design element.
The concept for the design element needs to be clear, concise and actionable.

Submissions (approximately 1-2 pages in length) are due November 7 to contact@globalminded.org. We look forward to your ideas!
Ricky Kej, Grammy® Award-Winning Composer and UNESCO Global Ambassador for Kindness, released the trailer  of his latest album SHIVA. It   was recorded live, to an audience of over 7000 people, with 40 musicians from 6 countries and a 300 member choir. The album is an ode to all species, our environment, and humanity. The audio album launches on all leading platforms on the 14th of August 2019. The concert film will premier on the 30th of October 2019 (on a leading streaming platform).
GlobalMindED | 303-327-5688 | contact@globalminded.org | www.globalminded.org
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