Make your plans soon! The 2024 Summer Institute for Authentic Learning and Leadership is coming on July 23-24, promising two days of inspiration, collaboration, and “surprise and delight.” A dynamic lineup of keynote and featured presenters will help our participants reimagine education, reconnect with the joy of teaching, and empower students to change the world. They’ll also make sure we have plenty of fun!
We’ll be sharing lots more Institute details in future newsletters. But for now, here’s the scoop about our three principal keynoters . . . Ron Berger, Senior Advisor for EL Education; Lisa Lande, Senior Field Director for the Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations; and Michelle Sadrena Pledger, Director of Liberation and a faculty member at High Tech High's Graduate School of Education
All three are globally respected leaders in student engagement and school transformation. Together, they will help deepen our understanding of what authentic learning can look like (it takes many effective forms), why it’s essential for our students and the workforce, and especially, how we can make it happen. And we promise you this -- every keynote session will be an experience, not a typical speech. (Think of the Summer Institute as “The Un-Conference.”)
Ron Berger
The Power of “Beautiful Work”
Leading off on Day 1 will be renowned experiential learning expert Ron Berger, Senior Advisor at EL Education. This nonprofit school improvement organization partners with public schools and districts across America, leads professional learning, and creates open educational resources. Ron and his colleagues envision schools as “places where children become great scholars and active citizens with the capacity to make a positive impact.” (By the way, we heartily agree!)
Ron has spoken nationally and internationally on inspiring a commitment to quality, character, and citizenship in students. He is the author of many best-selling education books, including: An Ethic of Excellence and A Culture of Quality, and co-author of Leaders of Their Own Learning, Transformational Literacy, Management in the Active Classroom, Learning That Lasts, and We Are Crew: A Teamwork Approach to School Culture. Ron also taught at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he did his graduate work and founded the website Models of Excellence, which houses the world’s largest collection of high-quality student work.
Lisa Lande
Student Voice: Leading with Purpose and Kindness to Transform the World
Also joining us will be Dr. Lisa Lande, who serves as Senior Field Director for the Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations. Lisa has dedicated her professional endeavors to advocating for teachers and students around the globe. It is her aspiration that every classroom in every school is one that she would want her own three children to learn in.
Lisa is a former high school teacher, college professor, and director of several large-scale school reform projects. She is a co-author of Teacher Voice: Amplifying Success, Engagement by Design: Creating Learning Environments Where Students Thrive, and The Power of Voice in Schools: Listening, Learning, & Leading Together.
Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger
Lead with Love…Live in Liberation!
On Day 2 we’ll hear from Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger – back by popular demand, with plenty of new tools and insights to share. Michelle is the Director of Liberation and a faculty member at High Tech High's Graduate School of Education, where she serves several significant initiatives, including the San Diego Teacher Residency Program, the Educational Leadership Program, the Center for Love and Justice, Improvement for Equity by Design, and Deeper Learning for Equity. She is a dynamic educator, keynote speaker, author, and change-maker with over twenty years of teaching experience. Through her work in liberatory PBL and a plethora of authentic learning strategies, Michelle has inspired educators nationally and globally to help students think critically, act empathetically, and create positive change in their schools, communities, and the world.
We hope to see you in July. Please watch for details about other featured presenters in our upcoming newsletters—and please consider applying to be a breakout presenter/facilitator yourself! Our Call for Presenters can be found here.