SXSW EDU® Announces More than 220 PanelPicker® Sessions and Workshops for the 2018 Conference & Festival

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SXSW EDU® today unveiled its largest array of programming for the 2018 Conference & Festival, including more than 220 sessions submitted and voted on by the community in the PanelPicker® process.

After receiving a record number of more than 1,400 programming submissions from the education community through PanelPicker, the proposals were narrowed down through community voting, as well as SXSW EDU Advisory Board and staff review, resulting in this first content announcement. These sessions account for more than 500 speakers, span all 17 programming tracks and range in format from short presentations to in-depth, multi-hour workshops and summits.

"As one of the only conferences that leverages community input throughout the programming process, we are amazed year after year at the caliber of voices and depth of content elevated through PanelPicker," said Greg Rosenbaum, SXSW EDU general manager. "Instruction, implementation and leadership continue to rise to the top and attendees can look forward to being engaged, inspired and activated by the topics, perspectives and people they will encounter at the event. Our hope is that everyone leaves with a renewed passion and a refreshed point of view that will enable them to find new pathways to support teaching and learning in their own communities."

Focused on the future of education, SXSW EDU saw a rich array of topics proposed this year emphasizing the importance of leadership at all levels of learning and the desire to push through the status quo to find better solutions for the changing face of education. From student leaders to teacher leaders to administrators and entrepreneurs, the common thread remains that the SXSW EDU community is passionate about advancing teaching and learning. Highlights of a few accepted sessions include:

• Citizen-Ready and Crime-Free: The PreK Advantage—This session will explore how early education addresses these problems and how law enforcement, military, business, faith, and sports leaders can collaborate to promote early learning in communities.
• (Un)Affordability in Higher Education—As the country approaches $1.4 trillion in student debt, the traditional model of paying up-front for four years of college is facing increasing skepticism—and policymakers and higher education leaders alike are seeking strategies to align the cost of education with the value it provides. This panel will bring together the analysts and entrepreneurs who are leading the charge in reimagining how higher ed is paid for and rethinking postsecondary education.
• Mindfulness and Student Voice—Mindfulness is happening in one way or another in all 130 Austin ISD campuses thanks to collaborative work within the Austin school district. None of this would be possible, however, without student voice. Buy-in, feedback and leadership from students is what is helping mindfulness grow in Austin ISD. This session will be moderated by the AISD SEL Mindfulness Specialist and include three Austin ISD students who will provide their voice by sharing mindfulness experiences and how it fosters youth empowerment.
• Exploring Global Citizenship—Using easily accessible technology, educators are creating innovative, engaging programs that allow students to interact directly with experts in the field. Explore how these initiatives are helping empower a new generation of global citizens—helping them succeed and make the world a better place. Help show students how science, exploration, and conservation are alive outside of their textbooks!
• Learning Space Genius Bar —This summit will serve as a genius bar for teachers and school leaders interested in redesigning their school space. Akin to Apple, educators are free to drop into an informal workshop, bringing real spatial issues or learning questions to a group of diverse people who have expertise in learning space design.
• The Music Experience Design Lab and #HipHopMusicEd—In this experiential workshop, participants will engage with tools and processes designed to center collaboration and cultural relevance within varying contexts around music and education. This workshop will introduce ways to infuse meaningful musical experiences into your practice regardless of your educational context through leveraging tools and processes of the Music Experience Design Lab at NYU.
• Teach for Equity: Building Communities of Practice—In 2014, the number of Latino, Black, Asian, and Native American students in U.S. public schools surpassed the number of white students. This trend is expected to continue. Without explicit attention to changing demographics and needs, we cannot prep teachers and advance student success for all. Hear how teachers from across the U.S., namely the Teachers for Equity fellows, who are leading courageous conversations about race in their schools and galvanizing communities of practice to bring forth racial equity.

Newly announced programming showcases a variety of voices and perspectives including:

• Sydney Chaffee, National Teacher of the Year
• Kimberly Bryant, Founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE
• Art Acevedo, Chief of the Houston Police Department
• Lydia Snover, Director of Institutional Research at MIT
• U.S. Representative Scott Peters

View the full list of announced SXSW EDU 2018 programming.

About SXSW EDU
The SXSW EDU® Conference & Festival fosters and celebrates innovations in learning by hosting a diverse and energetic community of stakeholders across a variety of backgrounds in education. The annual four-day event affords registrants open access to engaging sessions, immersive workshops, interactive learning experiences, film screenings, early-stage startups, business opportunities and networking. Through collaboration, creativity and social action, SXSWedu empowers its global community to Connect. Discover. Impact. SXSWedu is a component of the South by Southwest® family of conferences and festivals. Join the passionate and innovative community at SXSWedu, March 5-8, 2018 in Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit: https://www.sxswedu.com.

Press Credentials:
Press accreditation for SXSW EDU 2018 is now open at http://www.sxswedu.com/press.

Contact:
SXSW EDU Press & Publicity
[email protected]
512-467-7979

SOURCE SXSW EDU

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