Keynotes
Keynote Description: There are no silver bullets in education, and no one is coming to save us. The good news is that we don't need them to. Our schools have the people, the resources, and the resourcefulness necessary to be beacons of learning, curiosity, and experiences that inspire students and teachers alike. In this keynote, author, teacher, and administrator Zac Chase will examines several key ideas and examples of what we can do today, tomorrow, and next week to make our schools modern cathedrals of learning.
Bio: Zac Chase loves learning and teaching. A classroom teacher of middle and high school students for nearly a decade, Zac’s pedagogy and practice are deeply rooted in building schools that are project-based and inquiry-driven. He has worked with schools and teachers nationally and internationally and is the co-author of Building School 2.0: Creating the Schools We Need. Zac is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for the St. Vrain Valley School District in Longmont, CO where he will return in the fall to serve as District English Language Arts Coordinator after completing a detail at the U.S. Department of Education. He writes at autodizactic.com and you can find him at @MrChase on Twitter.
Kalina Gallardo is a Youth Voice Community Partner and recent graduate of Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy in Denver. She made an impact in DPS throughout her HS career as a member of the executive leadership team on the Student Board of Education, and recently found a love for education and social improvement as a 2015 teaching fellow with Generation Teach Summer Academy. Kalina infuses her interest in the performing arts with her commitment to civic involvement through developing her public speaking and communication skills and incorporating creative approaches into her ongoing collaborations with non-profit organizations such as Together Colorado, in the city with the Mayor's Office of Children's Affairs and in the creative industries as an intern at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and Think 360 Arts for learning.
Adrian Ortiz is a performer and creative artist with a strong focus in theatre and social activism. Adrian spent seven years at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy trying to find a field of interest. During his junior year Adrian joined Bringing Back the Arts and interned at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Education department, completing 100 hours. In addition to interning at the DCPA, Adrian studied acting and musical theater at the the DCPA and performed in Teen Company productions of Legally Blonde as Sandeep and Pippin as Pippin. Since graduating, Adrian has began working at the DCPA as a Classroom Assistant. Adrian plans on enrolling for school in Colorado after taking a gap year to focus on his financial ability to enroll as well as pursue his art interests.
Aileen Alvarado recently graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School as Salutatorian of her class. She moved states from Mesa, Arizona to Denver, Colorado in 2011. The transition was different but she was able to slowly incorporate herself into the new environment and community. In High School she joined several clubs and the swim team. She felt fortunate to be able to serve as Vice President of National Honor Society and volunteer over two years at the Denver Public Library. She hopes to attend Metropolitan State University in the fall and study to become a social worker, and wishes to become a therapist who specifically focuses on teenagers. She tries to help the community as much as possible and believes that has made a huge difference in moving through her years in Denver.
Getssemany Rivera-Martinez was born in Sonora, Mexico and raised in Colorado. She recently graduated Valedictorian of her class at Abraham Lincoln High School with all honors and higher level classes. During high school she was involved in many sports including tennis, swimming, and volleyball. These activities along with her academic opportunities have allowed her to find her passion in law. She will begin classes at the University of Denver in the fall and will major in political science. Her end goal is to become a lawyer and help inform the public of their rights in order to build stronger ties between the justice system and its people.