Community is the focus for this year鈥檚 lecture series happening Saturday.
The mission of the locally organized speaker series is exchanging ideas on all manner of topics.
Organizers have announced that tickets will be available at the door.
Those wishing to attend can use cash, credit or payroll deduction (91原创 School District staff). They must arrive before 8 a.m. to purchase a ticket, to give organizers time to administrative work. There鈥檚 coffee and breakfast pastries before the talks begin at 8:30 a.m.
TEDx91原创Ed takes place 8:30 a.m. to 3 .m. at the Chief Sepass Theatre.
For any questions, email smoedt@sd35.bc.ca. There鈥檚 also social media about the conference ( and )
A group of teachers and administrators in the local school district decided to start hosting TED talks here. The x in TEDx means the talks are independently organized. TED (technology, entertainment, design) is a non-profit that started in 1984 to share expertise and knowledge.
This year鈥檚 lineup:
David Barnum 鈥� Connecting Schools and Community: A Framework for Place-based Learning
What would it look like if we truly connected schools to community and student learning to place? This innovative framework moves research into practice through creating engaging learning environments outside the classroom.
Always nurturing a love for science, David has worked in classrooms, in a blended home-school/community-based model, with SFU鈥檚 graduate programs, and has developed education curriculum/resources for the M.O.E., BC Hydro and Nelson Education. David also co-developed and implemented the Healthy Buddies program (BC Children鈥檚 Hospital). The team鈥檚 research was published in American Academy of Pediatrics & Canadian Journal of Diabetes and shortlisted twice for SFU鈥檚 Cmolik Prize 鈥� Enhancement of Public Educations. David completed a MEd (SFU) and the Transformational Educational Leadership Program (UBC). On leave from the Sunshine Coast (Curriculum Coordinator), his passion is to develop the Community as Classroom model across B.C.
Cale Birk 鈥� Let鈥檚 Redesign the Experience of School鈥ogether
Learner-Centered Design is an approach which not only embraces change as an opportunity to empower those who experience the challenges in our schools (our students, teachers, and our parents) as experts in an inclusive design process, it uses the idea of change to connect our community of learners to each other. Based in the idea that we can only create lasting solutions by deeply understanding and meaningfully connecting to those who are being impacted by the challenge, Learner-Centered Design can truly change the experience for each of the members of our school community.
Cale is a district principal of innovation and former high school principal in British Columbia. He is the co-author of Changing Change Using Learner-Centered Design and works with schools, districts, health care professionals and industry leaders in Canada, the United States and Asia to re-imagine their communities and workplaces as teams of learners and designers. Cale uses the principles of Learner-Centered Design (LCD), Project-Based Learning, Instructional Rounds and Agile Schools to help leaders create experiences and environments that build efficacy and connections throughout their organizations.
Brad Dirks 鈥� I鈥檓 a Proud Father of a Transgender Son
Brad is the father of a transgender teen son, who has been transitioning over the past 4+ years. His story is a 鈥渟uccess story鈥�, due to the support of his family, friends, as well as the school he attends in 91原创. Not all trans-youth are as fortunate. Brad will be speaking about his story, as a father who had a daughter for 12 years, and their journey over the past 4 years during his transition to become his son. It is an inspiring, beautiful story.
Brad has called 91原创 home for 44 years. He attended school here from kindergarten through graduation. Soon after graduation, he started a small business developing websites for small businesses and professionals. Outside of work, his passions include drumming is his band. His most cherished accomplishment is being a 鈥渄ad鈥� to his two sons, aged 11 and 15. Both kids attend public school in the 91原创 School District.
Karen Fadum 鈥� How an Invitation Can Lead to Important Change
We foster meaningful conversation when we invite people to consider our thoughts, rather than just share ideas or opinions. Although we know the importance of parent engagement in schools we often struggle to build reciprocal relationships. A thoughtful invite to the conversation can have a significant impact.
Karen is a passionate educator, curious learner and proud parent. She believes in the power of community and conversation as we all navigate shifting paradigms in education.
Samuel George 鈥� Intergenerational Trauma: The Third Generation
Sam will describe how he was able to overcome the effects of inter-generational trauma for his children and change the cycle of violence that had been going on through generations of his family.
Sam is the son of Sam George Sr. and late Wanda Rose Thomas, the first grandson to Les and Rose Thomas, and the first great grandchild of Chief Dan George. He is Tsleil Wau Tuath, from what is now called North Vancouver. He has five beautiful kids and one handsome grandson. He has been an Aboriginal support worker in the 91原创 School District for the past 13 years, 10 of them at the alternative education program.
Ren茅e Hock 鈥� Life Lessons from Judo: A Judoka鈥檚 Tale
By applying the basic principles that are routinely taught and practiced within the judo community, individuals can thrive, find inner peace, and contribute to making the world a better place. Ren茅e struggled to find her way early on in life 鈥� and then she found judo. While sharing her personal story, Ren茅e鈥� will convey how the judo community transformed her life by giving her the HELP (Hope, Empowerment, Love and Purpose) that she needed to thrive. She asserts that by 鈥渆mbracing your inner judoka鈥� and applying the basic principles of judo in your everyday life, individuals can thrive, find inner peace, and contribute to making the world a better place.
Ren茅e is a 4th degree black belt in judo who competed for Canada at the World Championships and Pan American Games. She was the first ever woman appointed to Judo Canada鈥檚 Technical Committee and to officially coach members of Canada鈥檚 men鈥檚 National team in international competition. She is one of the few judoka (and the only woman to date) to be formally recognized for her accomplishments in coaching with the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award. Ren茅e鈥檚 contributions as an athlete, coach, and advocate for women in her sport have played a significant role in the development of judo in Canada.
Ted Leavitt 鈥� Living with ADHD: Surviving to Thriving
Educators will be invited to see beyond the symptoms of ADHD, beyond the disruption in the classroom, to see the disruption in the lives of the children and adults who must constantly find a way to fit their brain into a system that is not built for it.
A gifted speaker and mental health educator, Ted is the program manager for 91原创 Youth and Family Services, providing mental health support and education for students and families. He has over 10 years experience in working with a variety of impulse control problems, including ADHD, anxiety, addiction, and aggressive behaviour. Using accessible neuroscience, Ted seeks to help clients discover more realistic and accurate explanations for the thoughts and behaviour that seem irrational and unhelpful, believing that understanding and compassion is the key to change.
Joel Olson 鈥� Lessons I Have Learned From Rwandan Communities
Joel will share three fundamental ideas he has learned about the power of community while living in Rwanda. The first idea is that the power of community lies in people coming together to achieve a common purpose or goal. Second, he has learned not to be a 鈥榩lanner鈥�, but become a 鈥榮earcher鈥� of solutions by meeting people where they are at in order to build sustainable communities. The third principle is the fundamental importance of focusing on a community鈥檚 strengths and assets instead of problems and needs.
Joel has been a teacher and educational leader in the 91原创 School District and has taught grade six and seven for the last eleven years. He has a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership, K-12. Last year, Joel, along with his wife and three kids, moved to Rwanda to use his passion for educational leadership and is working with the Wellspring Foundation for Education as a technical consultant and education adviser in a Kigali school. He works alongside school leaders, develops teachers, involves parents, and partners with the local community to implement sustainable initiatives to the Wellspring Academy.
Carolyn Roberts 鈥� The Power of Reconciliation in Your Community
What does reconciliation look like in an Indigenous community and what does it look like in an non-Indigenous community? How we can as a larger society start to make changes and move toward reconciliation as a whole community?
Carolyn is a Squamish nation member, her ancestors come from the N鈥橯uatqua nation, just north of Whistler. Carolyn has just completed her Master鈥檚 degree in Aboriginal Education and Administration from UBC. The master鈥檚 course work transformed Carolyn into an advocate for change for Indigenous people across Turtle Island. Carolyn鈥檚 passion for Indigenous education has allowed her to educate people about the shared history of Turtle Island and about her own history of cultural genocide through colonization. Carolyn is currently working as a vice principal in the 91原创 School District.
Bill Roche 鈥� The Power of an Entrepreneurial Mindset
When we help youth to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, we empower them to be successful in our rapidly changing world. Whether they own a business or work for someone else, young adults need the skills and confidence to identify opportunities, solve problems and sell their ideas. This skillset can be encouraged and developed in elementary schools, with the immediate benefit of increased success in school.
Bill specializes in designing curriculum-based resource packages related to entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and social responsibility. Bill worked directly in 91原创 classrooms for over ten years and now supports teachers throughout the province in creating real-world learning experiences for their students. His resources are used in 59 BC school districts and over 35,000 local students have participated in his PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs program. The program鈥檚 impact has been captured in a documentary scheduled for release early in 2018.
Saint Soldier
Saint Soldier was born in Punjab, India in 1984, a politically tumultuous time in the country for certain ethnic and religious groups. As for many Sikh families, it was not a hospitable place to be at the time. Shortly afterwards, he and his family moved out of the country to Canada to pursue better opportunities and a healthier environment. His music entails a variety of topics and has been influenced by controversial social issues that face South Asian youth of his generation, but issues that are perhaps relatable to youth from many backgrounds.
