SXSW EDU® Emphasizes Pedagogy and the Power of Community in 2024 Programming Lineup

The Conference & Festival unveils its largest content announcement for March 2024

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SXSW EDU^® announced the majority of the conversations, panels, and workshops making up its 2024 Conference & Festival. The renowned education convening, held from March 4-7, 2024, will feature 208 sessions and counting, all selected through the community-driven PanelPicker^® process. With a heavy focus on tracks such as Teaching & Learning and Equity & Justice, accepted programming will cover topics ranging from utilizing AI to help teachers simulate success to navigating post-SCOTUS affirmative action.

After receiving 1,677 proposal submissions from 47 countries and 53,878 public votes for the 2024 event, SXSW EDU continues to roll out the unique programming that will represent all of the event's 12 tracks, which have been carefully crafted to shed light on the many facets of the education ecosystem. The top five overarching tracks hosting the most approved content include Teaching & Learning, Equity & Justice, Leadership for Tomorrow, Health & Wellbeing, and Community Initiatives.

"When audiences join us in Austin for our four-day Conference & Festival, we want to ensure that they are experiencing conversations and sessions that are meaningful to them as educators, entrepreneurs, advocates, and community members," said Greg Rosenbaum, senior director of SXSW EDU. "The PanelPicker process illuminates the most relevant topics and issues that matter to SXSW EDU's global community. In the unveiling of our 2024 lineup, it's clear that subjects under the umbrella of the practice of teaching, as well as matters that impact equity and inclusion, continue to drive our exploration."

Newly released programming touches on AI in classroom training, space instruction, education leadership, accessibility, and much more that affects learning from childhood on. There are also a range of programming formats represented, from panels to workshops to solo conversations. Programming highlights include:

• HOW AI CAN HELP TEACHERS SIMULATE SUCCESS - What do pilots, doctors, and armchair quarterbacks have in common? They all have access to high-quality simulators to help them learn and advance in their respective fields. While pilots log many hours in a flight simulator before getting their wings, teachers could also benefit greatly from technology that allows them to navigate potentially challenging scenarios before setting foot in a classroom. In this session, presenters will discuss the virtual classroom they are piloting, along with the challenges, successes, and possibilities of developing an AI-driven teaching simulator. (Teaching & Learning)
  
  Speakers:
  Mayme Hostetter, President, Relay Graduate School of Education
  Ethan Mollick, Associate Professor of Management Academic Director, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
  Lilach Mollick, Director of Pedagogy, Wharton Interactive
  Lacey Robinson, President & CEO, UnboundED
• THE NATURE GAP: WHY 'OUTDOORS FOR ALL' MATTERS - American children spend up to seven hours a day on screens outside of school, affecting their ability to be effective in the classroom and relate to their peers and adults. Access to the outdoors is not equitable across racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic boundaries and levels of physical ability. Experts from Texas Parks & Wildlife, Black Outside, Latino Outdoors, Texas State University School of Social Work, and the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center discuss this "nature gap" and why "outdoors for all" matters. (Equity & Justice)
  
  Speakers:
  David Buggs, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
  Christine Norton, Professor, Texas State University School of Social Work
  Thurman Hogan, Operations Manager, Black Outside Inc.
  Josie Gutierrez, Regional Coordinator, Latino Outdoors
• HOW TO STAND UP FOR STUDENTS POST-SCOTUS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION - We will examine how the Supreme Court's decision about higher education impacts Native students, the ways to support their journeys and the unique political position of Native communities. If higher education institutions want to strengthen the admission and retention of Native scholars, they have to better understand the nuanced ways Native communities interact as sovereign nations. We will also share the support structures that most help Native communities and other marginalized groups. (Equity & Justice)
  
  Speaker:
  Angelique Albert, CEO, Native Forwar
  
  
• EDUCATING FUTURE SPACE LEADERS - The New Space economy is projected to reach a value of over $1 trillion within the next few years, according to forecasts by Bank of America, JP Morgan, and others. This booming sector requires not only STEM graduates, but also business, legal, political, and leadership professionals to achieve its full potential and propel humanity to the stars. We will explore the current dynamics of the space economy, the personnel requirements now and in the future, and how humanity can prepare for careers that extend beyond global boundaries to become interstellar. (Leadership)
  
  Speakers:
  Greg Autry, Director, Thunderbird Initiative for Space Leadership, Business, & Policy, Thunderbird School of Global Management
  Zaheer Ali, COO, Positon
  Michelle Hanlon, Co-Founder, President, & CEO, For All Moonkind
  Andrew Aldrin, President of the Board & President, Aldrin Family Foundation
  
  
• LEARNING FROM WOMEN OF COLOR TO GET CHILDCARE RIGHT -  The childcare system is broken. Home-based providers have empty seats, while working parents cannot find the care they need. We can have the durable and dynamic childcare system our society demands by focusing on innovations that support parents with shift jobs and connect them to the incumbent care force. (Community Initiatives)
  
  Speakers:
  Jaime-Jin Lewis, Founder & CEO, Wiggle Room
  Ruth Horry, Provider Engagement and Access Manager, United for Brownsville
  Kelly Escobar, Director, Fund for Early Learning; Interim Managing Director, Early Childhood, Robin Hood Foundation
  Kayereathea Boyd, Owner & Operator, Kaye's Cubs Family Daycare
  
  
• MODIFYING LEARNING INITIATIVES FOR ACCESSIBILITY - The need for accessible learning does not end at the completion of academic schooling. Even in a non-academic environment, adjusting instructional strategies to fit the needs of each learner is important to ensuring an inclusive environment. We will share strategies that we have used to modify our digital design and fabrication classes and cooking classes to make learning new skills accessible to adults with disabilities in our community. Through discussion and activities, attendees will work collaboratively to develop additional strategies tailored to their unique educational interactions. (Accessibility & Inclusion)
  
  Speakers:
  Amanda Krumrine, Makerspace Supervisor, Carroll County Public Library
  Candace Birger, Exploration Commons Manager, Carroll County Public Library
  
  
• REIMAGINING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP - The OECD estimates 1.1 billion jobs will transform in the next decade. The WEF reports that 60% of global workers will need training before 2027, but half lack quality resources. There's a critical need for more accessible and affordable pathways to education—and a more skilled and diverse workforce that can meet pressing industry demands. The answer? A reimagined workforce development model built on public-private partnerships paired with a framework to change the conversation on how we measure educational outcomes and define post-graduate success. (Work Reimagined)
  
  Speakers:
  Anant Agarwal, Chief Platform Officer, 2U
  Juanita Soranno, Vice President, Global Social Impact & Innovation, edX
  Pete Selden, Vice President, Workforce Development, Tulsa Community College
  Moses Athias, ARC Apprentice, Conquest Cyber

To learn more about the exciting 2024 program, please visit sxswedu.com/schedule.

About SXSW EDU:
The SXSW EDU^® Conference & Festival is a reflection of the world's most critical social issues as seen through the lens of education. This year's event will bring together the learner, the practitioner, the entrepreneur, and the visionary to share their groundbreaking stories, tackle complex issues, and build reimagined paths forward. As a community of diverse people who are united around a like-minded vision for the future, SXSW EDU serves as a place for attendees to renew their purpose in practice from both a personal and professional perspective. It is a place to reinforce the core principles of teaching and learning as well as an opportunity to express your creativity and passion for education. Join the passionate and innovative community at SXSW EDU, March 4-7, 2024.

For more information, please visit sxswedu.com.

Contact:
Liz Stein
SXSW EDU Press & Publicity
press@sxswedu.com

SOURCE SXSW EDU