THRIVE19

This week we held our first annual THRIVE conference, THRIVE19. On two days in late September we came togethers as leaders in our educational community. Students, teachers, support staff, parents, partners, business and other leaders came together to celebrate and learn about what is THRIVING in our schools and educational community and to begin to touch on what still needs to THRIVE. We began with imagining three trees…. A THRIVING tree, a resilient tree and a tree that is just surviving. 

All too often, in our American society, we envision and resource our public schools as places that are just and should just survive.

But we are doing far more than surviving.. In many ways we are THRIVING. Perceptions and narratives though are powerful influencers on those within and those outside the educational community. 

And so this first THRIVE conference in the year 2019 held on the beach in ventura overlooking the great Pacific ocean, set out to establish and experience and reflect on the THRIVING. 

We thank everyone who came. Each was an integral element to the event. We will continue to process the experience by sharing and editing video captured, making websites, sharing thought exchanges, doing some additional surveys and other activities including planning for THRIVE20.

We especially want to thank those who presented or facilitated workshops, explores, or speaker sessions.

Thanks to Sabba Quidwai from Apple for her speaker session on design thinking.

Thanks to Terry Thoren from WonderMedia for his speaker sessions and  David Romano for workshops on StoryMaker animation software.

Thanks to Heli Ruokamo and Marjaana Kangas for their speaker and workshop sessions on playful learning.

Thanks to Jarkko Myllari and Ignacio Mendoza for workshop sessions with students showcasing summer science academy student leader technology activities.

Thanks to Sam Strothers from DMTI – Developing Mathematical Thinking Institute, Fawn Nguyen, and Cesar Rosales for math focused workshops.

Thanks to Dr. Maria Hernandez, Margarita Mosqueda and others for their workshop on bilingual learning.

Thanks to Steve Anderson from Thoughtexchange for workshops on thoughtexchange social media tools.

Thanks to Mike Vollmert and Heidi Baynes for their workshop on Rasberry Pi technologies and Mike’s beach walks.

Thanks to Joe Bruzzese from Sprigeo on his workshops on middle grades learning.

Thanks to Phil Shapiro for his multiple workshops and general contribution to the conference as a whole.

Thanks to partners from OUHSD, CSUCI, CLU, UCSB, CDR, Learning Priority, MJP computers, Ventura County Watershed Control,  Myers, Widders, Gibson, Jones, and Feingold Law Firm, Sage Inc, A4E, and other partners for participating in the partnership forum.

Thanks to Juliet Herman and VCOE and Rio teachers for the VC Innovates workshop.

Thanks to Dr. Cordova, Dr Yeager, Dr. Hirsch Dubin and Rio teachers and students for workshops on Inquiry learning and instructional design.

Thanks to Oscar Hernandez and student leaders from RSD and OUHSD for the student leadership forum.

Thanks to Jay Sorenson from OUHSD for his workshop on HighSchool Technology.

Thanks to Gena Mathwin and fellow Rio teachers for their workshop on garden learning.

Thanks to Rene Hohls for her workshop on Library learning.

Thanks to Dr. Carolyn Bernal for her women in leadership forum.

Thanks to BiJian Fan for his workshop on origami math art.

Thanks to Dr. Jerome Clifford for his workshop on Summer Science Academy and beyond.

Thanks to Julee Vollmert for her workshop on empathy and learning.

Thanks to Heather Behrens for her workshop on the Rio/ Channel Islands Maritime Museum partnership workshop.

Thanks to Lacey Piper for her workshop on food and health.

Thanks to Rio art teachers for workshops and explores.

Thanks to Rio music teachers and students for their presentations.

Thanks to Dianne DeLaurentis for her workshop on the dramatic arts.

Thanks to HipHopMindset for their performances.

Thanks to TRSB – The River Songs Band for their performance of Songs of the Pacific

Thanks to all those in Rio who worked hard to plan and make the event happen. Thanks to the students – children – who wove the thread of THRIVING into THRIVE19 and who are the reason for the work.