Date/Time
Date(s) - 11/18/2019
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Please join us for our first EDTalks of the season with two inspiring talks on student voice in education!
First, we hear from Crystal Spring, Washburn High School Director of Acting, and Washburn High School Blackbox Theatre students, who will speak their truths about public education and how creating original theater can make change both in and out of the classroom.
Then we’ll hear from leaders from Brooklyn Center Community Schools on how a new project unlocked new ways to improve student achievement and strengthen school culture. Read more about our topics below.
EDTalks:
Transforming Education Through Student Voice
Monday, November 18, 2019
6:00 – 7:30pm (doors open at 5:30)
Icehouse
2528 Nicollet Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404 (map)
Tickets: $5 (includes light snacks)
Presenters:
Blackbox Theatre: Creating Change In and Out of the Classroom
Artistic expression can be a powerful catalyst for social change and a source of personal power for young people and their families. Since 2008, Washburn Blackbox Theatre has provided a safe space for students from a wide range of backgrounds to make visible the all-too-often invisible voices and stories of urban youth. Student actors engage in a rigorous and unique training program to create, perform and tour original theater that helps break down social barriers and build bridges among themselves and their communities. In this EDTalk, students will speak their truths about public education and how creating original theater can make change both in and out of the classroom.
Presenters:
- Crystal Spring, Washburn High School Director of Acting
- Washburn High School Blackbox Theatre students
Voices of Tomorrow: How Student Stories Can Transform Schools
Student voice is an essential element for school health, vitality and success. The Voices of Tomorrow project interviews students about key issues such as diversity, race, safety and school culture, and creates videos reflecting their voices and stories. These videos are then presented to school leaders, followed by facilitated conversations that unpack adult narratives and guide participants in examining their pedagogy, beliefs and practices. Voices of Tomorrow is designed to help staff to get to know their students in a new and authentic way, and ensure that students feel valued and respected, which bolsters achievement. Leaders from Brooklyn Center Community Schools will share how this process unlocked new ways to improve student achievement and strengthen school culture.
Presenters:
- Josh Fraser, principal at Brooklyn Center Middle and High School STEAM
- Ambar Hanson, community relationship officer for the Mortenson Family Foundation Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families program area
Ambar Hanson, Mortenson Family Foundation
Josh Fraser, Brooklyn Center Middle and High School STEAM
Adia Morris, Emcee
EDTalks is co-sponsored by AchieveMpls and the Citizens League in partnership with Pollen Midwest and Indigo Education. Thanks to Bush Foundation and Comcast for their generous financial support.
