Events

I’ve been honored to partner with organizations like The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the KIND Foundation’s Empatico.org global classroom project, Quiet Revolution for creating curriculum and group dynamics to honor diverse temperaments; Sprout/NBC-Universal TV and Disney Channel on original programming and parent education (here’s the 5-star review from Common Sense Media about our breakthrough show Nina’s World, showing the neighborhood adventures of little global citizens in a multicultural community), and have the pleasure of working with and presenting to K-12 teachers, students, parents, non-profit organizations, corporations and professional groups interested in recognizing bias and globalizing curriculum, and building global citizenship, global competency, diversity, equity and inclusion, and having courageous conversations around race, faith and culture.

In Fall 2019 Global Kids, a deck of 50 activity cards for kids ages 5 and up to explore and embrace diverse cultures and our common experience on this planet was released! In 2016, we released our exciting 3-book series Take Action Guide to World Class Learners led by Yong Zhao, where we take a deep-dive into actionable elements of educating creative, entrepreneurial students. The key elements of the books look at: 1) Personalization and Student Autonomy, 2) Product-Oriented Learning (hint: it’s a step beyond Project-Based Learning), and 3) the Global Classroom. These books serve as an exciting professional development guide for implementing truly 21st-Century learning. The World Class Learners work complements previous publications: The Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners (February 2014) also published by Corwin, a division of Sage, and Mastering Global Literacy, edited by Heidi Hayes Jacobs (SolutionTree), where I was honored to write a chapter, “Growing Up in a Global Classroom.” All of this builds off on-going speaking and research on global citizenship that started with Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World.

A sampling of recent and upcoming presentations includes:

  • June 2020: The Summit for Transformative Learning Keynote
  • April 2020: 5-day course on “Cultural Competence: preparing our children to succeed and to become happy, informed global citizens.” Bangkok, Thailand, for Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools
  • April 2020: Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, KY keynote and educator professional development.
  • March 2020: Global Educators Conference keynote + workshops, North Carolina with Participate Learning
  • March 2020: Corporate Retreat speaker on culture and identity
  • January 2020: Tools for Having Courageous Conversations Around Race, Culture, Beliefs WEBINAR for Independent Schools Association of the Central States
  • January 2020: Brasilia and Sao Paolo, Brazil, teacher professional development, strategic development, public talks at two international schools
  • November 15-16, 2019, Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA, AND January 10-11, 2020, Atlanta International School, Atlanta: BIG QUESTIONS INSTITUTE, with Will Richardson – register here!
  • October 2019: Mediterranean Association of International Schools, Keynote Speaker
  • October 2018 and October 2019: National Education Association Foundation training weekend for Global Learning Fellows from 50 US States.
  • October 2019: Wellington School, Columbus, Ohio (Topic for day-long professional development: Difficult Conversations About Race+ to Build Courage and Enhance Learning)
  • September and November 2019: Independent Schools Association of the Central States: Leadership institute on Racial and Cultural Competence and Keynote speaker for annual conference
  • August 2019: Marymount School, Baranquilla, Colombia. All-staff professional development in preparation for new school year, to build global, cultural competence and character. Keynote speaker for new campus opening celebration
  • April 2019: AASSA Annual Conference, Santiago, Chile. Theme: Empower Partnerships, Transform Learning. Keynote speaker, pre-conference and workshop presenter.
  • February 2018 (and Feb 2019): Association for the Advancement of International Education Annual Conference, Keynote Speaker and Women’s Leadership speaker,
  • December 2017: NAIS People of Color Conference presenter: “Diversity is Not the Goal: Exploring Transformational Principles in the Quest for Racial Justice” and “Connecting Civil Rights and Global Competence for Powerful Learning: Tools, Strategies and Building Buy-In”
  • November 2017: Independent Schools Association of the Central States annual conference featured speaker
  • September 2017: Devon, PA, Beaumont Elementary School, Student Assemblies for International Peace Day
  • August 2017: Haverford School Student Leadership Conference closing keynote presenter
  • July 2017: Barefoot Books 25th Anniversary celebration keynote
  • June 2017: Principals’ Institute, Dallas, Texas
  • February 2017: IREX, US Department of State program, keynote
  • February 2017: High Tech High, San Diego, CA & DesignCamp
  • November 2016: Ludington Library, Bryn Mawr and Main Line Newcomers Speaker Series
  • November 2016: Keynote Professional Development speaker, Philadelphia-area independent schools Middle School Leads conference
  • November 2016: Iranian American Women Foundation, DC Conference, Moderator with Azar Nafisi and Nina Ansary “Write Your Own Story”
  • October 2016: Moderator, Global Education Forum, University of Pennsylvania
  • July 2016: Keynote Speaker, Building Learning Communities annual conference, Boston, MA
  • Late March-April, 2016: Workshops, coaching, keynotes at Bi-lingual, International Baccalaureate School in Beijing, China on Building Global Competency and Building Global Citizenship
  • March 2016: Speaker, South by Southwest EDU (SXSWEDU) and South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi). At SXSWEDU I’ll lead a Featured Core Conversation on Students as Global Entrepreneurs Thru 3 Big Pivots and at SXSWi, Amanda Enayati and I will explore How Abundance Thinking Can Transform Your Career
  • February 2016: Speaker, Iranian American Women Leadership Conference, San Diego, CA
  • February 2016: Professional Development for Elementary Schools, Southern California
  • February 2016: Keynote Speaker, Teachers for a Global Classroom program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, administered by IREX, Washington, DC
  • October 2015: Keynote Speaker, Global Education Forum, University of Pennsylvania/Asia Society
    June 2015: Presenter, International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) annual conference.
  • June 2015: Featured Speaker, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Summer Conference
  • May 2015: Featured Speaker, Learning & the Brain Conference: Educating World-Class Minds, info here.
  • April 2015: Professional development, parent and student engagement at International Baccalaureate candidate schools, Michigan
  • February 2015: Professional development and student engagement at independent girls’ schools, Tennessee
  • February 2015: Presentation to parents at Independence Charter School, Philadelphia
  • February 2015: Various webinars, including Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association
  • December 2014: Learning Forward conference, Nashville, TN
  • October 2014: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Worldview conference for K-12 teachers, opening keynote
  • July 2014: BLC14, Boston, MA sessions: De-Mystifying Global Education Tools & Growing Up in a Global Classroom
  • June 2014: Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning annual conference, mini-plenary presentation: Start With What You Love: Global Learning Tools for Passion-Based, Empathy-Rich Learning
  • March 2014: Fay School, Southborough, MA: all day professional development for staff
  • March 3, 2014: California Association of Independent Schools annual meeting
  • February 26-28, 2014: National Association of Independent School annual conference – workshop presenter
  • January 11, 2014: Miss Porter’s School, Farmington, CT, Miss Porter’s Leads – Global Citizenship Day-Long Conference, Keynote Speaker
  • November 7, 2013: Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Professional Development Workshop for Philadelphia-area teachers, 4:30 – 7 pm,  @Independence Charter School, 1600 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19146.
  • November 13, 2013: Shore Country Day School, Beverly, MA – Sessions for students, teachers and Parents’ Association Community Connections Keynote presentation.
  • November 15, 2013: BOOK RELEASE: Mastering Global Literacy, edited by Heidi Hayes Jacobs
  • November 2013: Dubai – International Education Week & Entrepreneurship Week. Programs for students, parents and teachers. (Postponed – please be in touch for more info.)
  • October 22, 2013: Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Women of Vision Foundation; Introduction & Facilitation of GIRL RISING film screening.
  • October 23, 2013: Packer Collegiate School, Brooklyn, NY, Talk to Parents Association.
  • October 24, 2013: Professional development for teachers and assemblies/workshops for students at Friends Academy, Long Island, NY.
  • October 25, 2013: Teacher professional development, Packer Collegiate School, Brooklyn, NY
  • September 18, 2013, 12:30-2 pm. Washington, DC. Open to the public: Book talk and discussion at Busboys and Poets bookstore to benefit e-collaborate.
  • September 25, 2013: Professional development for independent school teachers in San Francisco, CA K-8 school.
  • The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: Professional development for teachers on using this ancient artifact for building global competency at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Part of the British Museum’s U.S. tour of the Cyrus Cylinder.
  • 3-hour educators’ workshop for Partnership for Global Learning Conference on The Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners.  Click here for more information.
  • Full-day professional development workshop “Launching a Life-Long Process of Global Learning & Citizenship: Best Practices from Growing Up Global for Classroom Engagement” for New York State Association of Independent Schools elementary-level teachers. Click here for more information.
  • Palo Alto Public Schools, presentation to parents for Global Awareness Week. Click here for more information.
  • American School of Dubai parents’ association.
  • Assembly presentations to elementary students, followed by evening program for parents in Loudoun County (Virginia) Public Schools.
  • IREX Teachers for Global Classrooms Symposium Washington DC
  • Inter-religious council presentation: Tips on talking to kids about diverse faiths.
  • Private home book talk and book signing.
  • World Brooklyn, keynote speaker “Ideas for Raising Citizens of Tomorrow.”
  • University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education GlobalEd Guest Lecture
  • Wegman’s Market, In-store presentation and book-signing, with special program for Girl Scout and Brownie Troops
  • Presentations to various Fortune 50 Corporations: “Growing Up a Global Workforce.” Special programs for affinity groups.