Community and Higher Education Institutional Change
Sydney Freeman, Jr.
Leadership and Counseling Department, University of Idaho, USA
In a speech I gave in 2023 at an awards ceremony at the Idaho State Museum in the United States, I asked the crowd, “What would you be doing if you were living during the civil rights movement?” To that point I said we are living in a new civil rights era! In the United States there are many human rights situations effecting people of African descent including mass incarceration, lack of access to high quality healthcare and education, high infant mortality rates, police brutality, and more. People of African descent are near the bottom of every category related to social mobility indexes. The American society often looks to leadership in higher education to help solve many of these intractable issues. Whether it be through preparing future leaders in the classroom, research, or outreach initiatives. Utilizing autoethnography as the research approach in this presentation, I will share the racial justice strategies I have refined over nearly a decade. I have successfully been able to serve as a change agent and social justice entrepreneur in a state whose population is nearly 90% white. Social Justice Entrepreneurs are individuals who use their skills, resources, influence, and power to address and solve various social issues such as anti-Black racism. Findings from this study reveal five steps that lead to becoming a higher education social justice entrepreneur which are decolonization, abolition, revolution, liberation, and sovereignty. Those interested in community and higher education institutional change will benefit from attending this presentation.
The Economic Impact of Rural Education: A Case Study on Liberia, West Africa
George Toto
Quelmin Toto Rural Education Foundation
This research will investigate the economic impact of rural education in Liberia, a West African country that is managing serious educational and social challenges. Through this work, the economic determinants of educational access, quality and success in rural Liberian communities will be explored. It will study the way economic conditions, such as the income of students, the number of employment opportunities, and government funding, affect educational infrastructure and resources (Ahn et al., 2019). The research will also look at how NGOs and foreign aid complement government efforts to ensure quality education for children. It is common to see vast differences in educational attainment, particularly in rural areas, due to limited access to schools, qualified teachers, and teaching materials. The gap widens further, whereby economic hardships like widespread poverty and the aftermath of civil conflict caused education to be totally underfunded and understaffed. The research will take a mixed-method approach, involving both qualitative data from government reports and educational statistics, as well as qualitative data through interviews and focus groups with teachers, students, and community leaders (A. Babs Fafunwa & Aisiku, 2022). Through grasping the interaction of the economic aspects and educational outcomes, this study hopes to recognize the tools that can be used to increase accessibility and the quality of education in rural Liberia. Directional economic policies, rural education funding, and community involvement in education courses are needed (Kumeh et al., 2020). The study will contribute to the education conversation in developing nations and policy recommendations for closing Liberia's rural-urban educational gaps. This research guides politicians, educators, and development practitioners who want to create inclusive and equitable education systems in rural Liberia and other West African countries. The long-term aim is to emphasize the role of the economy in investment in education as a means to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction in rural areas.
References
Babs Fafunwa, & Aisiku, J. U. (2022). Education in Africa. In Routledge eBooks.
Ahn, J., Briers, G., Shahriar Kibriya, & Price, E. (2019). Case studies of female-headed farms and households in Liberia: a comparative analysis of Grand Bassa, Lofa, and Nimba counties. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 26(1), 19–35.
Kumeh, O. W., Fallah, M. P., Desai, I. K., Gilbert, H. N., Silverstein, J. B., Beste, S., Beste, J., Mukherjee, J. S., & Richardson, E. T. (2020). Literacy is power: structural drivers of child malnutrition in rural Liberia. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 3(2), 295–307. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7841815/
My Donors are Livid”: Creating a Framework for Engaging in Difficult Conversations with Philanthropists
Anthony L. Heaven
IU-Indianapolis (The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy), USA
In 2022, charitable giving in the US reached $499 billion according to Giving USA data, with Higher Education philanthropy soaring to $59 billion as reported by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. However, this increase in philanthropy has not been without challenges. With the escalating attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Higher Education, gift officers and advancement professionals often navigate difficult conversations with donors who critique DEI efforts and threaten to withdraw support based on institutional stances. Some of these politicized conversations even extend to colleagues. This session delves into the pressing need for training and frameworks to equip gift officers in handling such challenging donor interactions effectively. Drawing from research on diverse gift officers, real-life anecdotes, and consulting expertise, attendees will gain insights into the complexities of these conversations and learn actionable strategies to foster cultural competency and strengthen donor relationships.
Key highlights of the session include:
- Understanding the taxation faced by gift officers when tokenized and tasked with handling difficult conversations aligned with their identities or backgrounds;
- Showcasing examples of how leaders can create opportunities for universal learning and professional development in navigating complex donor/colleague interactions; and,
- Exploring a comprehensive framework that empowers gift officers to engage in difficult conversations both internally and externally, leading to increased cultural competency and deeper donor relationships.
Do You See What I See? Understanding and Embracing Equity
Mark Anthony Gooden
Teachers College, Columbia University, USA
During this keynote, Dr. Gooden will provide an introduction to the multiple levels of inequity and explain how they undermine the work of effective leaders and hinder the goal of reforming schools. There will also be a presentation of a framework that facilitates seeing equity clearly, and thus engaging in equity-centered leadership using the 5 Practices for Equity Focused School Leadership.
Framing Sense of Belonging as an ‘Ill-Structured Challenge’ for Future Higher Education: A Global Perspective
Terrell Lamont Strayhorn
Center for the Study of HBCUs, Virginia Union University, USA
In this invited keynote address, Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, one of the world’s leading experts on diversity and student success, will provide a global perspective on the critical challenge of fostering a strong sense of belonging among students in higher education. It will explore how a heightened sense of belonging can catalyze creativity, innovation, and excellence in the academic experience, as documented in his consequential books on the topic. Drawing insights from diverse international contexts and his ground-breaking research studies, Professor Strayhorn will frame belonging as a formidable challenge threatening higher education’s future, identify the benefits and consequences that may lie ahead, and outline evidence-based strategies and innovative approaches that universities can implement to cultivate a thriving, inclusive learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential. By showcasing innovative practices from leading institutions worldwide, the keynote will inspire attendees to reimagine the future of higher education and empower students to feel a true sense of belonging in an increasingly connected global landscape.
Educating Innovators: How to Teach for Talent Development
Jeanne L. Paynter
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Our schools today have a talent development crisis. Even the best aren’t producing the creative problem solvers needed in this competitive global economy. A focus on standardized testing for accountability has narrowed the curriculum and left our students unmotivated, disengaged, and underachieving. The greatest crisis is among poor and minority students who lack equitable opportunities to discover and develop their talents. This presentation demonstrates a sound new approach for educating innovators, students prepared to apply their unique talents to create new ideas, processes and products to improve our world. In the Talent-Targeted Teaching Model, the purpose for learning shifts from short-term content and skill acquisition to long-term aims for developing the 12 aptitudes of innovators; cognitive and “soft skills” such as creativity, insight, persistence, logical reasoning, empathy, and metacognition. Educators learn how to transform their required content standards into long-term talent development goals which motivate students as they self-assess and document their progress on a continuum. Using the Design for Innovation essential strategies, teachers can create authentic product-based learning to engage students in deep understanding while developing the aptitudes of innovators. Talent-Targeted Teaching and Learning applies the psychology of motivation, engagement, and achievement in practical tools that educators can use to focus on talent development. The Talent-Targeted Teaching model can be used with gifted students to extend and refine their talents, with grade-level students to support growth, and with at-risk students to discover and develop emerging talents.
Dr. Jeanne L. Paynter
192 Oakdale Road; Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA
e-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ADHD: Disorder or Gift? 
Ken and Andrea McCluskey
University of Winnipeg, Canada
As the term itself indicates, ADHD is typically viewed as a "disorder." And certainly, hyperactive and inattentive children present some interesting challenges at home, at school, and in the community. This session highlights many of the problems, and acknowledges that the prognosis for ADHD is sometimes "far from benign." However, an attempt is also made to put a more positive spin on things by recasting reality and pointing to the creative strengths that frequently go hand in hand with the condition. To illustrate, with proper support, might not stubborn behaviour in childhood grow into determination in adulthood? Might not inattentive daydreaming turn into creative invention, overactivity into productive energy, and off-the-wall behaviour into outside-the-box thinking? The overall intent here is to offer a humane, flexible approach to help educational caregivers turn negatives into positives, and identify and nurture the talents of an oft-misunderstood population.
Avoiding ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’ - Innovation for Observable Impact
Cale Birk
In an era brimming with new technologies and trends, it’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing the latest "shiny object". And when we do get seduced into the latest and greatest edu-fad or trend, it is just as easy to understand why there might be resistance to changes by those required to implement the next flavor of the month! This session provides participants with tools and ideas to assess and implement innovations through the lens of observable impact - the impact we can see in our context - on learning and teaching.
Join Cale Birk, former high school Principal, Head of Innovation, Observable Impact Imagineer, and author of “Words on the Wall,” “Navigating Leadership Drift,” “PLC 2.0 - Collaborating for Observable Impact,” “The PLC 2.0 Toolkit,” and “Changing Change Using Learner-Centered Design,” for this thought-provoking address. Participants will examine the concept of innovation through the lens of its impact—focusing on what innovation leads to rather than simply what it looks like. By co-designing a specific, descriptive, and observable vision of what we want to see as a result of our ideas, initiatives and innovation, we can increase buy-in, decrease resistance, and avoid ‘shiny objects’ that distract us from meaningful and sustainable progress. This session will also help educators and leaders navigate resistance to change by providing practical strategies to engage stakeholders and foster a culture of openness to innovation. Participants will also leave with a tool and protocol they can immediately apply in their contexts, ensuring that innovation leads to observable impact where it matters most– with our students in our classrooms and schools.