Designer, TV Personality & 
Philanthropist

Carson Kressley

Emmy Award-winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer, interior designer and New York Times best selling author are some of the credits of the multi-talented and unforgettable Carson Kressley.

Carson started his career as an independent stylist and became invaluable to major designers such as Ralph Lauren A few years later, he took a leap into television when, in 2003 he became a breakout star as the fashion savant on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which won a primetime Emmy and gained a worldwide following for Carson which continues to this day. 

A strong supporter of many philanthropic causes, Kressley uses his celebrity to advance different concerns such as True Colors United, implementing innovative solutions to youth homelessness, the Human Rights Campaign, AIDS WALK, and the Al D Rodriguez Liver Foundation.

One of the country’s leading scientific experts on creativity, collaboration, and learning

Dr. Keith Sawyer

Dr. R. Keith Sawyer, author of The Creative Classroom, Innovative Teaching for the 21st Century, and Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, studies creativity, learning, and collaboration.

After receiving his computer science degree from MIT in 1982, he began his career with a two-year stint designing videogames for Atari. Since receiving his Ph.D. in 1994, he has dedicated his career to research on creativity, collaboration, and learning. Dr. Sawyer has published 17 books and over 120 scientific articles. His research has been featured on CNN, Fox News, TIME, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR and other media. A popular speaker, he lectures to corporations, associations, and universities around the world on creativity and innovation.

Teach Boldly: Using EdTech for Social Good

Dr. Jennifer Williams

Today’s students as our “builders of tomorrow” are ready to design, dream, and make the future! Join as we explore ways to come together as educators to activate positive change through innovative practices, meaningful use of technology, and social action. We will outline a step-by-step plan for creating social good projects in classrooms and will dive into topics of social good, empathy, and diversity. Top tools, projects, and creative processes for social good will be shared along with classroom examples, and participants will leave with ready-to-go action plans to teach boldly and use edtech for social good. Let’s get going to make a positive difference for people and planet through creativity-powered innovation!

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Jennifer is the author of the ISTE book, Teach Boldly: Using Edtech for Social Good, is a professor at Saint Leo University, and is the co-founder of #TeachSDGs, the UN-appointed organization that has connected more than 30,000 international educators to the Sustainable Development Goals.
 

Creative and Innovative Educational Experiences Through The Phenomena of Rock & Roll, Hip Hop and Soul

Dr. Darryl Adams

Dr. Darryl Adams draws on his experiences as a MTV Recording Artist, Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Rapper, Music Teacher, High School Principal and School Superintendent to showcase the affects and effects of creativity and the arts on learning experiences that propel us to heights sometimes unimaginable. Dr. Adams tells his story of tragedy and triumph from growing up poor in the Memphis, Tennessee to being lauded at the White House for innovative approaches to teaching and learning and never taking no for an answer.  

Be ready to sing, dance, laugh and cry in this interactive keynote concert that will leave the audience Entertained and Edutained! 

Heterodox Teaching: Stepping Outside of The Box

Courtney Jones

Are you looking to make a difference in your classroom? It’s time that we move outside of our classroom walls and explore how the world around us can enhance our pedagogy. We must think and step outside of the box for modern students to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century.  By welcoming interdisciplinary research, our communities, and ultimately ourselves into our classrooms, our students will have tools to change the world.

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Courtney Jones is an elementary school teacher and Gifted and Talented Coordinator from Texas. Jones is the founder of the #ClearTheList campaign that connects schools and teachers with corporations, organizations, and community members that are looking to contribute to the enhancement of learning opportunities for all students. She has been featured on the TODAY Show, Business Insider, NBC News and other national and local publications for her #ClearTheList campaign.