The School of Education recently held its first Summer Institute for Teachers Learning Conference. The theme for the conference was "Promoting Equitable Education" and was designed for faculty of institutions of higher education, district education leaders, principals, P-12 teachers, teaching assistants, program directors, curriculum specialists, and all those who are strategic and thoughtful in promoting students’ success and leading transformational change at their institutions.
During the four days, topics discussed by the speakers included, “Making Culturally Relevant Education Real in the Classroom;” "Supporting students with exceptionalities;" "Boosting STEM success for underrepresented groups;" "Using assessment to improve student learning outcomes,” and "Effective online teaching strategies.” The groups completed action plans and network in the afternoon sessions.
Of the conference, attendee Natalie Nelson, assistant principal in the Elmont Union Free School District said: “it’s been a rare opportunity to interface with teachers and administrators, particularly with college educators and gave us an opportunity to have real in-depth conversations that we can take back to support our teachers and staff. I am overwhelmed with the information I received at this conference, and I would recommend it for any member of the education community.”
"Having traveled all the way from Canada, the 2023 Summer Institute proved to be both an invaluable and a transformative experience," said attendee Christina Raso, principal, St. Albert Adult Learning Centre. "Together, we delved deeply into the essential topic of culturally relevant pedagogy while engaging in meaningful discussions. Regardless of our geographical boundaries, the significance of this topic remains constant."
The keynote "Designing Learning Environments with Equity in Mind: Culturally Relevant Education as an Act of Educational Dignity and Justice" was given by Dr. Jevon D. Hunter, the Woods-Beals Endowed Chair for Urban Education and Interim Associate Dean for the School of Education at SUNY Buffalo State. Dr. Lester W. Young Jr., the New York State Board of Regents Chancellor, was the guest of honor for the conference.
Several speakers were featured during the conference including Dr. Maureen Gillette, professor of Educational Studies and former dean of the College of Education & Human Services at Seton Hall University and Dr. Mason Mason from Apple Education.
Photo caption: School of Education Dean Diana Sukhram leading a session at the Summer Institute Learning Conference.
Additional photos from Summer Institute for Teachers Learning Conference are available on Flickr