Welcome to the season of school endings and graduations. What a year it has been. This week and last, we celebrate educators who have made a difference. Next week, we focus on those leaders in Higher Education who blaze trails of learning and innovation. But before this week is over, we want to hold Dr. Rebecca Kantor in our hearts and share a story of a young woman who represents the best of early childhood education and is the epitome of what Dr. Kantor dedicated herself to professionally. We hope you will be inspired to learn from this young leader. Meet Allison Knight and see the future for early childhood through this dedicated inclusive leader of young minds and hearts at KIPP Vision Primary. We salute you, Alison, and all teachers who sacrifice so that all can learn. |
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Allison, you are the Coordinator of Culture and Instruction. Tell us about your background and how you got where you are now.
I was raised in Overland Park, Kansas where I attended Blue Valley School District K-12. When I was 13 years old, my youngest sister was born. Shortly after she was born I began working at The Goddard School, the daycare where she attended a few times a week. It was here at the Goddard School where I discovered my passion for working with young children. I graduated high school from Blue Valley West in Overland Park, Kansas and upon graduation in 2011, I moved to Tempe, Arizona to attend Arizona State University on an academic scholarship. While I was in college I explored a number of different degree majors trying to find the best “fit” for what I wanted to do. I ultimately decided to major in Psychology and I graduated from Arizona State University in 2015. After graduating, I knew I wanted to relocate to Atlanta and I had thought about my experience in college working at The Solel Preschool. I got an opportunity to work as a co-teacher at KIPP Vision Primary. Although my first year was challenging to say the least, it showed me that I was committed to working with Black and brown children.
What inspired you to become an educator? Why are you so passionate about teaching young children?
Growing up in Overland Park, Kansas I had the opportunity to attend top-notch public schools, in a suburb with the best parks, museums, after school programs and recreational activities imaginable. While I was always grateful for the opportunities my sisters and I had while growing up, as I got older I began to realize that I was in an extremely small minority of students and that many Black and brown students did not have the same educational experiences that I was fortunate enough to have. I attended the best schools, with extremely qualified and passionate teachers however one thing was missing, none of my teachers or peers looked like me. Now, as an educator, I have the opportunity to teach, inspire and mold students who can look at me and see their future selves.
What would you like to tell young aspiring leaders and teachers about the benefits of education?
Education opens the doors for a choice-filled life and it is the one thing that can never be taken away from you. Having an education gives you choices later on down the road. Without an education you are limited to the opportunities and the experiences you may come across. When you have an education you have the opportunity to choose what kind of life you want for yourself.
Considering your experiences through your career so far, what would you most like to see in the field of education to close the equity gap?
It is important to me that students not only learn math, reading and writing but also that students develop and are empowered with the character skills and scholarly habits needed to be successful in a competitive world. There is so much more that goes on in the lives of students, even more disproportionately so to Black and brown children. As a step towards closing the equity gap, I believe that schools should incorporate culturally responsive socio-emotional character lessons to support scholars in developing their whole selves.
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Dr. Tania Hogan; Director of Undergraduate Student Success, University of Colorado Denver leads the discussion with Richard Maez; IB Diploma Program Manager - Denver Public Schools, Dr. Maria A. Castro Barajas; Assistant Director, Pre-Collegiate Development, Univ. of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Robin Brandehoff; Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Denver, and Joselyne Garcia-Moreno; student, University of Colorado Denver
Jonathan Cooper; Superintendent - Mason City Schools leads panel discussion with Soroya Smith; DEI Learning Experience Designer - Mason City Schools, Kori Harris; Online Content Designer - Second Grade Teacher, Mason Early Childhood Center, Amie Switzer; 4th-grade teacher - Mason City Schools, Mariah Norman; Senior, Mason High School, and Bena Kallick; Co-Founder, Institute for Habits of Mind
Waukecha Wilkerson; Director of Coaching, Cell-Ed leads the panel discussion with Vickie Hay; CalWORKs Coordinator, Student Success, Orange Coast College, David A. Croom; Asst. Director, Postsecondary Achievement, Aspen Institute, Portia Polk; Director of Learning and Advocacy, Generation Hope, and Rachel Mercott, Student, Cell-Ed STEPS
Dwana Franklin-Davis; CEO, Reboot Representation leads discussion with Carina Weyer; Program Manager, F5 Global Good & F5 Foundation, Taliah Givens; Sr. Director, Student Professional Development, UNCF, Jamie Schwartz; Director of Major Gifts, American Indian College Fund, and Debbie Marcus; Senior Director, Break Through Tech, Cornell Tech
Dr. Jessica Rowland Williams; Director, Every Learner Everywhere leads the discussion with GlobalMindED Every Learner Student Ambassadors Jair Flores; Student, Colorado State University Pueblo, Serita Liles; Student, North Carolina A&T State University, Hector Ramos Diaz; Student, University of Portland, and Kyra Welch; Student, Bethune-Cookman University
Advancing Equity in Highly Selective HS and College Admissions-Ed Equity Lab, Partners, and Students Alexandra Slack; Chief of Staff, National Education Equity Lab, leads this panel discussion with Asheley Siewnarine; Student Success Director - National Education Equity Lab, Di’Zhon Chase; Student, Columbia University, Michaell Santos; Student, The Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice, and Favi Olmedo; Student, Bronx Career & College Prep. High School
Dr. Michael Torrance; President, Motlow State Community College leads panel discussion with Elise Shea; Founder & President, Conversations Unbound, Robert Joseph; President, Team MindShift, Rishi Kanjani; Analyst, Data Insights, Salesforce, and Cala Estes; Director of Education, Blind Institute of Technology
Adrian Rosado; President, Zion Leadership Group leads panel with Mara Luna; Director, TRIO Upward Bound. Univ of Puerto Rico, Mitzi Damazo-Sabando; CEO, TinkerHouse Inc., Manila, Philippines, Tree Xu; Community Manager, Education First, Wuxi, China, Erika Aquino; Executive Director, Infinit-O Group Foundation, Raymond Cabrera; Director, TRIO Upward Bound, Univ. of S. Florida, Ayessa Weems; Student, TRIO Student Support, Purdue Univ. NW
Earth Week sessions:
Ash Pachauri; Co-Founder and Senior Mentor, Protect Our Planet Movement and Drishya Pathak; POP Movement, India lead this panel of international students including Summer Benjamin; POP Movement Peter Gruber International Academy, US Virgin Islands, Caroline Sandberg; Tahoe Expedition Academy, USA, Tsague Dongfack/Willy Endelson; POP Movement, Cameroon, Ricardo Delgado; POP Youth Mentor, Arturo Michelena Univ, Venezuela, and Zoe Ricardo Rivera; CEI Univ, México
Courtney Knight; Founder and Managing Member, Capstone Capital Advisors and Susan Kidd; Executive Director, Center for Sustainability, Agnes Scott College lead discussion with Anamarie Shreeves; Environmental Education Programs Manager, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Eriqah Vincent; Network Engagement Director, Power Shift Network, Dr. Dana Williamson; EPA Environmental Health Fellow, Assoc of Schools and Programs of Public Health, and Gwendylon P. Smith; Exec Director, Collier Heights Association for Revitalization, Resilience, and Sustainability.
Dr. Kyle Whyte; Professor of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, leads panel discussion with Ka’illjuus / Lisa Lang; Executive Director, Xaadas Kil Kuyaas Foundation, Dr. Kelsey Leonard; Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Brittany Judson; Just Growth Consultant Partnership for Southern Equity, and AJ (Andrea) Grant; President, Environmental Communications Associates.
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OZY GENIUS FINALISTS We're pleased to congratulate the top 25 finalists out of nearly 100,000 submissions! Now, we invite you to meet the OZY Genius Finalists, get to know about their projects, and vote for your favorite OZY Genius Finalist now until Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 6 p.m. EST.
To find out who will be chosen as winners, join us for OZY Fest on May 15 and May 16. Hang out with Dr. Anthony Fauci, H.E.R, Tig Notaro, Condoleezza Rice, Mark Cuban, Malcolm Gladwell and more. Register now (free options available). Proceeds serve as a fundraiser for HBCUs! And if you have a question for Dr. Fauci, a pitch for Mark Cuban or a joke for Tig Notaro, record it here!
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We focus on short-term projects, 5-20 hours to complete.
Students have completed projects like:
- Designing PowerPoint decks
- Website Development
- Creating Infographics
- Social Media Creation, Management, Campaigns
- Online Research
- Virtual Assistant
- Writing Blogs
- Logo Design
- Lead Generation
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Click below to watch the Inclusive Leader Award Ceremony featuring inspirational messages from the diverse Award Winners
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GlobalMindED and the SDG Impact Fund are delighted to announce GlobalMindED's Donor Advised Fund. 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Women's Declaration and Action Platform. Many from around the world are thinking of 2020 as the gateway to our most vital decade for delivering equity, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a world where all can thrive. Our key time for these outcomes is 2020-2030.
GlobalMindED DAF and the SDG Impact Fund are a powerful combined force for good as the 2019 year comes to a close and we reflect on the gratitude and the commitments we make to the causes we care most about. The DAF offers immense power and flexibility for giving prior to the year's end as you plant seeds of generous intention for 2020 and the decade ahead.
When you contribute to GlobalMindED, you support First Gen students. We have served more than 400 students by connecting them to role models, mentors, internships and jobs. Your generous support will allow us to take our work 10x and reach these talented students at scale who lack the resources and support we provide. Your support also helps teachers who can't afford the conference fees, faculty at colleges which are under resourced and students who persist at those universities despite food insecurity and/or housing insecurity.
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Links to read about Inclusive Leaders, many of whom are African American and people of color:
Curated sessions from GlobalMindED 2020 YouTube channel:
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From the Center for Positive Organizations:
From the Economist:
From Forbes:
From Harvard Business Review:
From the World Academy of Art & Science and UN; Geneva Global Leadership in the 21st Century econference:
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Listen here for an interview with Pam Newkirk, GlobalMindED speaker and author of Diversity Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion- Dollar Business.
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Meet GlobalMindED Founder, Carol Carter as interviewed by Tim Moore on his podcast Success Made to Last: From Success to Significance
Listen to Part 1 of Carol's interview
Listen to Part 2 of Carol's interview
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Recent GlobalMindED Newsletter Profiles:
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Since 2006 when the flagship TGR Learning Lab opened its doors in Anaheim, CA, TGR Foundation has had a lot to celebrate, including its most recent milestone of one million students impacted by TGR EDU: Explore, alone.
Developed in partnership with Discovery Education, TGR EDU: Explore is a free digital resource library that offers interactive web experiences, lesson plans, training videos and tools for educators, students and families to explore new disciplines and gain skills for a modern and expanding workforce.
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As you start the New Year, are you looking for ways to re-engineer your classroom culture? Check out Designing the Future: How Engineering Builds Creative Critical Thinking in the Classroom. The associated website has lots of activities, projects, and resources you can implement immediately. Our fall workshops using the book as a roadmap for change have been highly successful. Start designing the future today - try using the customized Study Guide for a book study in your PLC. Or contact ProjectEngin or Solution Tree to learn how you can bring professional development based on Ann's book to your school, district, or conference.
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THE FLYOVER NATION
Energy's Role in a Troubled Heartland
By J.C. Whorton
A unique and timely discussion of the challenging issues facing the country’s troubled Heartland.
Since the beginning of westward expansion into the Heartland’s vast regions, natural resource development has played a historic role in shaping its communities. Today, domestic oil and gas development offers one of the strongest prospects for the Heartland’s present and future prosperity as well as the nation’s re-emergence as a dominant player in the global energy economy.
The U.S. is now the world’s largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, two circumstances that are universally disrupting international geopolitical order. The earth has a finite supply of natural resources and a rapidly growing and over consuming population.
As America positions itself for a very uncertain and constantly evolving global marketplace, will the Heartland become America’s “great connector” or “great divide”?
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J.C. Whorton is a senior level energy and financial professional with over forty years of essential experience. Having a ranching and Native American heritage, Mr. Whorton is a strong advocate for rural education and economic development initiatives.
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