Symposium Agenda
Day 1
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2024
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Registration, Open Breakfast & Networking
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Location: Auditorium
Welcome and Opening Remarks, Anthony Bloome, Executive Director, mEducation Alliance
9:15 – 9:45 a.m.
Keynote Speakers
- State Department, Dr. Patricia Gruber, Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State, US State Dept
- Dr. Eric Nkansah, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES)
- Dr. Charles Davidson, Director of Research and Practice, Center for Peace Tech, George Mason University
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Break
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: STEM is Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Kelly Shiohira, Director, Global Science of Learning Education Network
- Imagine Worldwide; Early Learnings from Scaling Edtech in Sub-Saharan Africa, Jennifer Welsh, Head of Business Development
- Educational Initiatives Private Limited; Ei Mindspark – Improving Foundational Literacy and Math for low-income communities in India, Ritesh Agarwal, Vice President, Ei and Paul Flowerman, Social EdTech Entrepreneur at Ei, Chairman Emeritus PLT Health Solutions
- World Education, A Division of JSI; Digital Tools as Continuous Professional Development: What Supports Primary Teachers and Students in Mozambique; Stephanie Paloscio, Program Officer
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: Mathical Thinking
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: David Crombecque, Associate Director for Special Projects, American Institute of Mathematics
- Early Family Math; Playful early math in the home and classroom using the EFM mobile app and materials, Dr. Chris Wright, Co-founder and CEO
- Teach for All, Teaching STEAM to Cultivate Student Leadership, Patrycja Janekankit, Teach for Poland Alumna & Member of the Leadership Team of Teach for All’s Global STEAM Community
- mEducation Alliance, Math Power! Explorer, Anthony Bloome, Executive Director
- Darsel; Scaling Darsel’s Personalized Math Learning Chatbot, Abdulhamid Haidar, Founder & CEO
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 446
Thematic grouping: STEM in Challenging Education Environments
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Alexis Lefranc, Education Officer, UNHCR Comité español
- Purdue University; Integration and Contextualization of an Adaptable Engineering Teaching and Learning Technology for Displacement Contexts, Dr. Dhinesh Radhakrishnan, Research Scientist and Dr. Jennifer DeBoer, Director of Practice for Education and Youth, Purdue Applied Research Institute – Global Development and Innovation
- Arizona State University, ASU SunSPOT: Offline-first Solution Learners Everywhere, Nicholas Sabato, Senior Director, Education for Humanity
- Beekee; Advancing education at the edge with portable digital classrooms that go beyond libraries, accessible and effective in low or no connectivity environments, Sergio Estupiñán, Co-founder & Co-CEO
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: STEM Empowered Educators
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Daniel Plaut, Innovation Learning Lead, EdTech Hub
- ideas42; Improving teachers’ support to leveled smaller groups in an after-school remediation program in Senegal using applied behavioral science, Carolina Better, Associate Managing Director
- Learning Equality; Educator certification to enable and encourage widespread adoption of blended learning, Dr. Hiba Rahim, Director of Impact and Evaluation and Navya Akkinepally, Co-Executive Director
- Hilo Intermediate School, NGSS/STEM Curriculum Development and Teacher Workshops: A Partnership Between TMT International Observatory and Hilo Intermediate School, Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner, NGSS Curriculum Developer/Educator
- ProFuturo Foundation; Encouraging the Improvement of Teacher Training at the Techno Pedagogical Level, Milada Tonarelli Goncalves, Head of Innovation and Product
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 308
Thematic grouping: Making STEM Accessible
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Adam Turney, Vice President Africa Portfolio, World Education
- Save the Children and Accenture Development Partnerships; STEM Up: Breaking Gender Barriers, Building Better Futures for All Youth through Inclusive Digital Skilling, Monica Caminiti, Senior Director, Skills to Succeed, Save the Children and Natalie Co, Managing Director, Accenture
- Peace Corps; High Engagement in Low Resource Settings: Teaching STEM Outside the Box, Peggy Koenig, STEM Education Specialist and Mendeya Konate (Peace Corps Guinea)
- Punto Crea – Vitruvian Consulting de Guatemala; STEAMizing communities, with dignity through the leadership of volunteer tutors, specialists in facilitating STEAM challenges, Ismael Pecher, General Coordinator, Punto Crea and Luis Quino, National Director
11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Break
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: STEM Game & Play (tech and non-tech interventions)
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Nat Dinham, Partnerships Lead, onebillion
- Ubongo Learning; The Crucial Role of User Testing in Digital Ecosystems for edutainment content, Anette Ngongi, User Research Manager and Jacquiline Mujulizi, Digital Video Manager
- iHUB/ Co-Creation Hub; Shaping the Future of STEM Education in Africa, Dominic Kimathi, Senior Product Manager
- Practical Education Network, Hands-on STEM with local materials: scaling up in Ghana, Liberia and Rwanda, Heather Beem, PhD, CEO/Founder
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: Science Labs (Physical & Digital)
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Thomas Rosenfeld, Program Analyst, USAID
- Hilo Intermediate School; Engaging Students in Citizen Science Experiments with the Yellow Submarine, Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner, Science Educator
- PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder; Multilingual Early Math with PhET: Supporting Teachers in Play-Based Education with Interactive Simulations, Rebecca Vieyra, Director of Global Initiatives
- Smithtown Central School District; STEAM Power, Tim Needles, Technology Integration Specialist
- School Equipment Production Unit, SEPU; Mobile Laboratory: a low-cost, eco-friendly and Inclusive solution to STEM Education in Kenya, Dr. Joel Mabonga, School Equipment Production Unit – Kenya (virtual)
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 466
Thematic grouping: AI and STEM Education and Other Emerging Technologies
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Daniel Plaut, Innovation Learning Lead, EdTech Hub
- National Institute of Education, Singapore; Nurturing learner agency through disciplinary deconstruction, Dr. Kenneth Y T Lim, Senior Research Scientist
- RobotsMali; Use of AI to produce Transformative Children’s Literature Rooted in Local Culture in Low-Resource African languages, Michael Leventhal, President of Board (virtual)
- Chimple; Transforming Lessons into Engaging Games using Generative AI, Srikanth Talapadi, CEO
- AUDA-NEPAD; “Leveraging Emerging Technologies for Inclusive STEM Education in Africa: A Pathway to Socioeconomic Transformation”, Barbara Glover, Programme Officer: APET
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 308
Thematic grouping: Digital Literacy
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Peter Joyce, Senior Digital Scaling Specialist, mEducation Alliance
- Digital Promise; Challenge-based Learning for Global STEM Skills, April Williamson, Project Director, Global Programs and Karissa Bowen, Senior Project Manager, Youth Voice and Innovation
- Team4Tech and Dost Education; Building a Partnership to Achieve Impact for Learners at Scale, Julie Clugage, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Team4Tech and Anar Amin, Chief of Staff, Dost Education
- EdTech East Africa; STEMtastic Adventures: A Collective Action Approach, Joan Mwachi, Collective Action Lead
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: STEM in Challenging Education Environments
Format: Panel
Geeks Without Frontiers and SMART Technologies Connecting for Success: The N50 Project Leverages Partnerships for STEM Education in the most Challenging Contexts,
- N50 Project/Geeks Without Frontiers, Erin Bown-Anderson, Director of Community Engagement
- SMART Technologies, Kris Astle, Education Strategist
- Dell Technologies, Maia Wagner, Digital Inclusion and Impact Programs, ESG
- Learning Upgrade, Haneen Khalaf, Director of Global Business Development
- Digital Promise, Shayla Cornick, Director of R&D for EdTech and Emerging Technologies
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Lunch
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: STEM in Challenging Education Environments
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Nadia Asmal, Director of Refugee Programs, Imagine Worldwide
- War Child Alliance; War Child’s Can’t Wait To Learn Math Content Framework and Classroom Program: a freely accessible Math resource for Education in Emergencies and Teacher Professional Development programming, Selin Turan, Knowledge Mobilization and Engagement Coordinator
- Learning Upgrade, LLC; Creative Interventions for Out-of-School Youth: How Learning Upgrade Partners with Local Orgs to Transition Youth into Formal Ed, Vinod Lobo, CEO and Haneen Khalaf, Director of Global Partnerships
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: AI and STEM Education and Other Emerging Technologies
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Alexis Lefranc, Education Officer, UNHCR Comité español
- Learning Equality; Progress on human-in-the-loop automation of STEM curriculum alignment using AI, Jamie Alexandre, PhD, Executive Director
- Spix Foundation; Class of 2038 Project, Jim Plamondon, CEO
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 308
Thematic grouping: Global Science of STEM Education
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Jennifer Welsh, Head of Business Development, Imagine Worldwide
- Chemonics International Inc.; Connecting STEM to SEL through Teaching and Learning Materials in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Phillip Butterfield, Chief of Party and Zahina Nazarova, Intervention Specialist
- Smithsonian Science Education Center; Smithsonian Science for Global Goals, Alexia Antunez, Program Specialist and Layla Sastry, Program Assistant
- Global Science of Learning Network; Let’s talk about Classrooms where the Science of Learning meets the Joy of Making, Akshay Nagarajan, Cognitive Science Researcher, University of California San Diego
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: Making STEM Accessible
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Milada Tonarelli Goncalves, Head of Innovation, ProFuturo
- SIL International; Growing Minds: How Bloom Nurtures STEM Learning, Paul Frank, Associate Director of the Language Solutions Portfolio and Cate Burnett Fierbaugh, Bloom Program Director
- Vijana Amani Pamoja (VAP); Sphero the power of football in STEM Education, Enouce Ndeche, Maktaba Football + STEM
- Kids Coding Camp; Kids Coding Camp, Okango Arnold
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 466
Thematic grouping: STEM Empowered Educators
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Shobhana Sosale, Senior Education Specialist, World Bank
- US Department of State, Fulbright Teacher Exchanges; U.S.Department of State STEAM Opportunities for K-12 Educators; Jennifer Gibson, Branch Chief
- Ghana Education Service, Olivia Opare, Director of Science Education Unit
- Liberia Ministry of Education, TBD
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – Break
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: Making STEM Accessible
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Dr. Carmen Strigel, Sr. Director, Education Technology, RTI International
- GIZ; Digital Inclusion of Students with Intellectual Disabilities, Susann Gihr, Junior Policy Advisor
- Benetech; Using Bookshare and PageAI, students with disabilities can learn STEM subjects, Ayan Kishore, Chief Executive Officer
- Ubongo Learning; Creating New Norms: Empowering a Generation of Neurodiverse Learners with Inclusive Edutainment, Cliodhna Ryan, Director of Education and Research
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: STEM in Challenging Education Environments
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Selin Turan, Knowledge Mobilization and Engagement Coordinator, War Child Alliance
- San Francisco State University, Role of Emotion Expression on Math Performance among Korean Elementary Students, Dr. Jae Paik, Professor
- IlluminAid; Harnessing Cordless Pico Projectors to Advance Education and Rural Development, Matt York, Founder, Executive Director
- Ustad Mobile; Improving performance on Android in low-resource contexts for better STEM education outcomes, Mike Dawson, CEO
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 466
Thematic grouping: Peace Tech
Format: Roundtable Discussion
George Mason University – Center for Peace Tech; Discussion on the philosophy of technology and teaching in peace, Dr. Keil Eggers and Dr. John DeRosa
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: STEM and Early Learners
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Peggy Koenig, STEM Education Specialist, Peace Corps
- Afrika Tikkun Bambanani; Play based learning through Technology, Theresa Michael, CEO
- Dost Education; Achieving Language Readiness in early childhood – Role of tech in partnership with community, Anar Amin, Chief of Staff
- SIL International; 98% of the World’s Languages Lack a Literacy Games App. Now What?, Aaron Hemphill, Mobiles for Literacy Advisor
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m., Oct 1, 2024
Location: Room 308
Thematic grouping: Making STEM Accessible
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Sarah Wragg, Head of Education Innovation, Education Above All
- Edutab Africa; Unveiling STEAM Horizons: Science, Exploration, Education, and Foldscope Storytelling in Rural Kenya, Michael Mumbo, Co-Founder and Director
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Strengthening learning equity for STEM through technology: A comparative analysis from Latin America, Santiago Ospina Tabares, Ph.D. student and Nathan M. Castillo, Assistant Professor of Global Studies of Education
- The Wilderness Technology Alliance; The Cycle of Transformation, Lou August, Executive Director
4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Break
Resilient Edtech Standard Project for Educational Courseware and Technologies (RESPECT) Initiative
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Auditorium
Alliance member moderator: mEducation Alliance, David Ferguson, Chairman of the Board
John Kimotho, EdTech Consultant, mEducation Alliance
Mike Dawson, CEO, Ustad Mobile
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Reception (hosted by the RESPECT Initiative of the Spix Foundation)
Location: Multipurpose Room
Day 2
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Registration, Open Breakfast & Networking
Location: Auditorium
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Welcome and Day 1 Highlights, Robert Hawkins, Senior Education Specialist, Global Lead Technology and Innovation in Education, World Bank
9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Interview Plenary Panel: AI and STEM Education and Other Emerging Technologies
- Aanya Niaz, Global Education Equity Leader, Amazon Web Services
- Pat Yongpradit, Chief Academic Officer, Code.org
- Dr. Kenneth Ball, Dean, College of Engineering and Computing, George Mason University
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 308
Thematic grouping: STEM in Challenging Education Environments
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Rebekah Schulz, Senior Advisor, Higher Education, Center for Education, USAID
- ProFuturo Foundation and UNHCR Zimbabwe; Bringing STEM Adventures to Refugee Learners with ProFuturo Mathematics, Milada Tonarelli Goncalves, Head of Innovation and Product, ProFuturo Foundation, Rumbidzai Gwete, ProFuturo Project Manager, UNHCR Zimbabwe and Alexis Lefranc, Education Officer, UNHCR Comité español
- Imagine Worldwide; Sustainably Scaling Edtech in Refugee Settings, Nadia Asmal, Director of Refugee Programs, Imagine Worldwide, Marcel Cirhuza, Executive Director, Fountain Of Hope Africa
- Learning Upgrade and COHERE; Delivering EdTech through Refugee Led Organizations (RLOs) at Global Scale, Vinod Lobo, CEO, Learning Upgrade and Ruth Njiri, Head of Partnerships, COHERE
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: Making STEM Accessible
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Priyanka Sharma, Vice President, World Education
- eKitabu and Sesame Workshop; Improving Foundational Learning through more Accessible Formats, Nadia Nibagwire, Project Manager, eKitabu and Kara Koch, Senior Producer, International Social Impact, Sesame Workshop
- onebillion; Centring neurodivergent voices in STEM education: lessons in content and implementation design from delivering impactful EdTech to marginalised learners, Sam Weekes, Content Author
- Peace Corps – Kenya; Promoting STEM Education among Deaf students, Renalda Mwanyuma, Program Manager – Education
- EdTech Hub; Understanding the potential for EdTech in SEND: reflections from formative research in Malawi, Daniel Plaut, Innovation Learning Lead
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 113
Thematic grouping: Science Museums
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Anthony Bloome, Director, mEducation Alliance
- Hawaii Science and Technology Museum; Making Waves in Hawaii with STEMtastic Adventures, Christian Wong, Executive Director
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute; Our Classroom is a Zoo! Resources in real STEAM; Kaden Borseth, Manager of School and Teacher Learning
- mEducation Alliance, The Science of Animal Senses, Jacqueline Moore, Math Teacher, Arlington County Public Schools; Cristian-Michae Heichen-Cabello, Student, Carnegie Mellon University
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: Science Labs (Physical & Digital)
Format: Panel
- Education Development Center; Bringing Biotechnology Education to the Global South, Rebecca Lewis, Managing Project Director, Monica Cinco, Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) Mexico, ABE Mexico, Eduardo Cortez, ABE Brazil, Akash Dusrath, ABE South Africa.
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: Climate Education
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Adrian Fenton, Senior Consultant, British Council
- Change for Children and Mundo Possible; Climate Change Education MOOC in Central American Indigenous Communities, Tony Llorente, Coordinator for Results, Monitoring and Communications, Nicaragua, Change for Children and Juan Reanda, Technology Facilitator, Mundo Possible Guatemala
- Take Action Global; Coding for Climate: Connecting Classrooms to Take Action for the Planet, Katherine Centore, Senior Partnerships Advisor and Riley Justis, Chief Operating Officer
- World Learning; The Fusion Of AI, STEAM, And Entrepreneurship for a Green Economy, Yacine Hakmi, World Learning Algeria
11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Break
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 113
Thematic grouping: STEM Empowered Educators – and Volunteers
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Milada Tonarelli Gonçalves, Global Head of Product and Innovation, ProFuturo Foundation
- IgnitedThinkers; Igniting Student’s Passion for Space Exploration: IgnitedThinkers, Gitika Gorthi, Founder/CEO
- Ori Consultancy; Building a Community of STEM learners through the introduction of Everyday STEM, Bunmi Esho, Founder & Principal
- Rede Brasileira de Aprendizagem Criativa (Brazilian Creative Learning Network) and MIT Media Lab; Fostering creative and meaningful STEM learning through Festivals of Invention and Creativity, Leo Burd, Founder and President of the Board, Rede Brasileira de Aprendizagem Criativa
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: STEM in Challenging Education Environments
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Conchi Galego, Global Partnerships, ProFuturo
- War Child Alliance; Harnessing the power of digital personalised learning solutions (DPLs) in fragile settings: key findings and policy recommendations from War Child’s KIX-supported research programme, Selin Turan, Knowledge Mobilization and Engagement Coordinator
- Imagine Worldwide; Tackling Education Data Deficits In Contexts of Intermittent Connectivity and Power, Karen Levesque, PhD, Head of Research
- Sesame Workshop; Integrating Watch, Play, Learn: Lessons learned from piloting early learning videos in low-resource settings, Lilith Dollard, Director, International Education and Amin Marei, Senior Director, Impact and Efficiency
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 308
Thematic grouping: Climate Education
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator
- Education Development Center; Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, Rebecca Lewis, Managing Project Director, Amy Chen, NASA Program Director, Irina Karmanova, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: Making STEM Accessible
Format: Workshop
- Benetech/ Inclusive EdTech Working Group: The impact of Accessible EdTech on Inclusive Education and Dignified Work: What is Accessible EdTech and why it is important for students with disabilities, Vanessa Lombardo, Benetech/Inclusive EdTech Working Group
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Oct 2, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: Peace Tech
Format: Panel Presentation
- George Mason University – Center for Peace Tech; Data-Driven Peace Initiatives: An Interview with Dr. Keith Noble; Dr. Keith Noble, Bureau Chief/Data Officer, Director, Office of Advanced Analytics, Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations, US Department of State and Megan Jeans, J.D., Director of Law and Technology, GMU Center for Peace Tech
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Lunch
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Moderator: US Dept of Education: Ed Metz, Program Manager, ED/IES SBIR
Location: Auditorium
- Alchemie Solutions, Inc (Alchemie); Detroit Metro Area, Michigan, USA, Julia Winter, CEO, and founder
- dfusion Inc, Fantasy Sports Math League; Score! Getting boys and girls excited about (and proficient with) data analytics, Scotts Valley, California, BA Laris
- GaiaXus; US / Maryland; Dietrich Ruehlmann, Managing Partner
- Mission.io; Provo, UT, Skyler Carr
- Smart Girls HQ; Charlotte, NC, Abi Olukeye, Founder and CEO
- Snowbright Studio; Cleveland, Ohio (USA), Grace Collins, Founder
Dolphins (our mock investors:-):
Amazon Web Services
Tom Berry, Global Leader, Technology Education
Kimberly Bowman-Carpenter, Education Systems Product Manager
Education Above All
Sarah Wragg, Head of Education Innovation
mEducation Alliance
John Kimotho, EdTech advisor and board member
Ministry of Education, Malawi
Dr. Chomora Mikeka, Director of Science, Technology and Innovation
Prevail Fund
Sameer Sampat, Ed Tech Scout
Reach Capital
Shauntel Garvey, Co-Founder/Partner
World Bank
Alex Twinomugisha, Senior Education Technology Specialist
5:30p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
General Symposium Reception
Location: Mason Square Plaza, George Mason University
Day 3
Thursday, October 3, 2024
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Open Breakfast & Networking
Opening Remarks
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m., October 3, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Highlights from Day #2
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Ministry of Education STEM Panel
Moderator: Michael Trucano, Non-Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution
Panelists:
- Jacinta Akatsa, CEO, The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), Kenya
- Diane Sengati, Head of Department, ICT for Education, Rwanda Education Board
- Dr. Chomora Mikeka, Director of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Malawi
- Dr. Benson Banda, Director, National Science Centre, Ministry of Education, Zambia
10:15a.m. – 10:30a.m. – Break
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Oct 3, 2024
Location: Auditorium
Thematic grouping: National STEM Education Programs
Format: Plenary Presentations and Interviews
Alliance member moderator: Sameer Sampat, Ed-tech Scout, Prevail Fund
- Liberia Ministry of Education and Learning Upgrade; Deploying STEM EdTech in Liberia’s High Schools: a Ministry of Ed and Learning Upgrade Partnership, Sangay Freeman, Director of STEM Education and Vinod Lobo, CEO, Learning Upgrade
- Nahdet Misr Group; EdTech Solutions and Services, Mohamed Aziz, Business Development Manager and Amir Elsawy, Digital Learning Director
- Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad; Impact of Information and Communication technology on teachers’ and students’ engagement in public schools, Dr. Parmod Kumar, the State Programme Officer of Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP)
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Oct 3, 2024
Location: Room 120
Thematic grouping: InspirationSTEM is Girl Powered!
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Priyanka Sharma, Vice President, World Education
- Imagine Worldwide; Personalized EdTech and Gender Equity, Dr. Karen Levesque, Head of Research and Celeste Lopez, Research Associate
- Quest Alliance; STEM Mindset and its myriad challenges, Aparna Balakrishnan, Senior Program Manager, Sameera, Senior Program Manager
- Technovation; AI + Entrepreneurship + PBL + Community = Enduring STEMtastic Adventures for Girls, Rebecca Anderson, Sr. Director of Programs
- UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report 2024, Gender report: Technology on her terms, Dr. Priya Joshi, Senior Research Officer
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Oct 3, 2024
Location: Room 118
Thematic grouping: STEM Digital Courseware (e.g. Infrastructure and Interop)
Format: Workshop
Alliance member moderator: Peter Joyce, Senior Digital Scaling Specialist, mEducation Alliance
- EIDU; EIDU: The Pathway to STEMtastic Adventures for Millions of Children, Nina Bolte, Head of Learning and Tomas Kessl, Director of Partnerships
- Spix Foundation; RESPECT: Making Digital Courseware Better for MoE’s, Donors, and Developers, Mike Dawson, CTO, RESPECT Initiative and Jim Plamondon, CEO, Spix Foundation
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Oct 3, 2024
Location: Room 466
Thematic grouping: Peace Tech
Format: Panel Presentation and Workshop
- George Mason University – Center for Peace Tech; Advanced applications of technology in Peace Research among Women, Dr. Erin McFee, National Defense University and Dr. Ayse Kadayifci Orellana, Georgetown University Women in Peace Institute
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Oct 3, 2024
Location: Room 121
Thematic grouping: South Africa
Format: Panel
Alliance member moderator: Kelly Shiohira, Director, Global Science of Learning Education Network
- Injini; Beyond Expectations: How South African Innovators are Changing the Education Landscape, Kelly Gifford, Programmes Head
- Reflective Learning; Exploring edtech user behavior: a deep dive in what students are doing, Eugene Pelteret, Co-founder and COO
- Resolute Education; Building Africa’s Future Workforce with STEAM: Lessons from 300 Schools, Rajesh Pasungili, CEO
- Western Cape Education Department, South Africa, Coding & Robotics in South African Context, Ashric Don, Deputy Education Specialist: Coding & Robotics (virtual)
12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch & Meet the mEducation Alliance Members
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Multiple Rooms
Thematic grouping: Coding and Robotics Showcase
- VEX Robotics; Creating an Inclusive Computer Science Environment for K-12 Students, Jason McKenna, VP, Global Educational Strategy
- British Council; International partnerships and examples – coding, computing and STEM, Adrian Fenton, Senior Consultant
- STEMLens Network; Building Future Innovators: Robotics and Coding Programs for Competitive Success in Underprivileged Communities, Caroline Maina, CEO
- Project Invent; Empowering Youth With Future Ready Mindsets & Skills Through Invention, Jax Chaudhry, Executive Director
- UNICEF; Tinkering with Tech: Innovating & Developing 21st Century Skills for Teachers and Students; Juan Pablo Giraldo, Education Specialist
- Robotical; From Young Learners to AI Machine Learning – Using Physical Computing to Teach STEM, Hal Speed, Head of North America
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Closing Plenary Session
Location: Auditorium
Anthony Bloome, Executive Director, mEducation Alliance
- ProjeKt Inspire; Disrupting STEM Education in Tanzania; Dr. Lwidiko Mhamilawa, Director
- Foldscope; Creating Billions of Portals Into the Microcosmos; James Cybulski, PhD, CEO
Final Thanks & Audience Reflections
4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Anthony Bloome, Executive Director, mEducation Alliance
Fin!
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
