2019 Roundtables

• 10:10 am – 11:00 am – Developing Mindfulness Practices in Leadership and in Teacher Education – Lekshmy Sankar (United Launch Alliance) and Richard Brown (Naropa University) 

This session examines how mindfulness is being applied in the areas of leadership and teacher education. What are the common features of both approaches and how are they applied? Lekshmy Sankar will share the ways that have helped her live in the moment and not stress about the future of a project. When you can experience life in the present, you begin to understand that not everything is a destination and truly enjoy managing a project. Richard Brown will share how to provide teachers with the resilience and self-care skills that can sustain them in the profession, and stem the high turnover numbers that are increasingly affecting public school education. Beyond learning to personally care for themselves, teachers can also learn to clearly and authentically communicate with their students in order to forge a climate of trust and respect. For example, teachers can learn to listen to their students mindfully and with compassion.

• 11:10 am – 12:00 pm – Do Test-Optional College Admissions Policies Actually Increase Access to College? – Cailin Papszycki, CollegeSpring

This roundtable addresses current debates about how to increase diversity in college admissions. Several high-profile institutions have recently adopted “test-optional” admissions policies, claiming that removing the SAT requirement from their application will allow them to admit a more diverse applicant pool. Others argue that this change will do little to address larger wealth-based inequities in higher education. Participants are invited to weigh the pros and cons of test-optional admissions policies and brainstorm the most effective solutions for creating a truly diverse talent pipeline.

• 1:10 pm – 2:00 pm – Smart Citizenship – Joëlle Dumas, Ecole Claire Fontaine 

To raise smart citizens we must, as the fire in the chimney, entertain the curiosity, the exchange, the words, and encourage the social brain to form. We must trust the children’s wisdom and their innate magic. Treat children with dignity and encourage flexibility to nurture hope for our humanity.

• 2:10 pm – 3:00 pm – Recruiting, Retaining and Promoting Diversity in STEAM Among Veterans, Returning Adults and Career Changers – Marci Toler and Mike Foss (Warrior Bonfire Program)