America Succeeds is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to engaging business leaders in modernizing education systems to drive equity and opportunity. A critical aspect of our mission is to elevate the pressing conversations surrounding the challenge of preparing every person to contribute to their local communities and the global economy. For the 2024 SXSW EDU Conference (March 4-7 in Austin, TX), we have submitted speaking proposals for multiple panels focused on these conversations, but we need your votes to make sure they are chosen.
If you are passionate about finding solutions to improve the quality of K-12 education and strengthen our workforce pipeline, please participate in the voting process and make your voice heard! To do so, visit https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote and create an account or sign in. Be sure to submit your votes before the deadline on Sunday, August 20 at 11:59pm PT. See our featured panels below.
No Worker Left Behind: New Pathways to Economic Mobility
VOTING LINK: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/137204
Gen Z is thinking differently about education after high school. Today, there are seemingly endless options to acquire the skills that lead to satisfying careers. So, how do we help learners prepare for this rapidly evolving landscape? How do we help business leaders find new ways to connect to the talent they desperately need? Join this panel of experts as they unpack the challenges and opportunities in building new pathways to economic mobility that benefit learners, employers, and their communities.
Speakers:
- Stephanie Short, Vice President of Partnerships, America Succeeds
- Ahva Sadeghi, CEO & Co-Founder, Symba
- Lisa Dughi, Chief Executive Officer, NAF
- Landon Mascareñaz, Chair, State Board of Community Colleges & Occupational Education, Colorado Community College System
Session organized by America Succeeds.
Employability Skills at Scale: Career Readiness in Indiana
VOTING LINK: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/142208
Creating authentic classroom experiences and a coherent schoolwide approach for building employability skills is challenging. Scaling this type of learning to ensure every student is prepared for the future of work is even harder. Join leaders from the Indiana Department of Education’s $10M employability skills implementation pilot to unpack key lessons, shareable resources, and the innovative and learner-centered models that are helping transform career readiness education across the state.
Speakers:
- Stephanie Short, Vice President of Partnerships, America Succeeds
- Jason Callahan, Assistant Secretary of Student Pathways and Opportunities, Indiana Department of Education
- Brittany Griffin, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Learner-Centered Collaborative
- Zarah Hileman, School Counselor, Milan High School
Session organized by America Succeeds.
Universal Signals of Quality for HS Real-World Learning
VOTING LINK: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/138714
High School academic transcripts and LERs don’t give employers and admission officers the full picture of who students are and what they know. If learning happens everywhere, how can we make sure students get credit for that learning? Durable skills and real-world experiences are rarely communicated well in applications and through resumes. Is there a better way? These panelists say yes, but it will take a village of educators, business leaders, and policy makers–to create a nationally recognized system for signaling quality and acquisition of skills that were once indicated only by a degree.
Speakers:
- Tom VanderArk, CEO, Getting Smart
- Bryon Sanders, CEO, Big Thought
- Mike Flannagan, CEO, Mastery Transcript
- Tim Taylor, President and CEO, America Succeeds
Session organized by American Student Assistance.
Beyond the Carnegie Unit: Career-Connected Learning
VOTING LINK: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/139614
We will delve into the critical task of transforming public education through career-connected learning and why the traditional Carnegie unit is no longer enough to prepare students for the jobs of the future. We will discuss how we can redesign public education to incorporate durable skills to make sure that students are better prepared for the workforce and we’ll share valuable insights and actionable strategies for creating the systemic changes needed to provide students with the academic learning and practical experiences they will need to thrive in the future of work.
Speakers:
- Val Brown, Director, Future of Learning, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
- Tim Taylor, Co Founder & President, America Succeeds
- Gene Pinkard, Director, K-12 Leadership, The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program
Session organized by The Aspen Institute.
Built to Last: Durable Skills & K-12 Education
VOTING LINK: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/133808
They have been called soft skills, people skills and 21st Century skills. Regardless of the language, there’s a growing consensus that skills like critical thinking, communication, and creativity have the most lasting impact on a student’s success after high school. But incorporating experiences that meaningfully develop these “durable skills” within traditional K-12 settings isn’t easy. This panel brings together experts at the intersection of education and the future of work to explore durable skills and the innovative learning experiences that can cultivate them in K-12 classrooms.
Speakers:
- Tim Taylor, Co-Founder and President, America Succeeds
- David Schuler, Executive Director, AASA, The School Superintendents Association
- Julie Lammers, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
- Christy Scott, Executive Director, Uncharted Learning, NFP
Session organized by Whiteboard Advisors.