Through collaboration, best practice discussions, current issue debate, and the presentation of case studies, Cushing Academy and The Bhutan Canada Foundation wish to explore the question, “What does education in the 21st century look like?”

We are interested in presentations that address the following:

Levels
Secondary/University Educators
Principals
Superintendents
Administrators
Education thought leaders

Conference Strands

Strand 1: Fostering Principled Leadership & Compassionate Citizenship through Values Based Education.

How might the Bhutanese concept of Gross National Happiness, an indicator of social and economic progress designed to measure a nation’s overall quality of life, serve to shape educational reform and progress in the 21st century?

How might schools encourage and promote within young people a thoughtful and compassionate approach to both leadership and citizenship? What are the qualities of leading edge curriculum and instructional practices that value the spiritual, ethical, and psychosocial development of young people, in conjunction with the mastery of core content and the fostering of essential skills? How do we foster in young people the kind of emotional resiliency to risk failure in confronting the challenges that lie before them, as well as, the moral integrity needed to make sustainable happiness a real possibility in today’s world?

Strand 2: Designing Experiential Education Opportunities & Cross- Cultural Learning Expeditions.

How might schools around the world foster meaningful cross-cultural learning experiences for students? What are the essential components of a rigorous, experientially-based program of instruction?

How can the world’s schools create cross-cultural teacher exchanges and learning expeditions that foster the sharing of best practices, the development of true cultural empathy, and a mutual commitment to a vision of professional development grounded in lasting patterns of interaction and support?

Strand 3: Fostering International School, Government, Public & Private Sector Partnerships for Educational Research and Development.

How might schools truly become places of inquiry, knowledge creation, and life-long learning for students and teachers? How might the public and private sector work together to create an infrastructure of vibrant interactive relationships aimed at fostering a truly global vision of a 21st century education for students?

The current web of global communication is fostering the economic interests of the world marketplace. How might it serve the educational interests of students and teachers by creating real opportunities for developing greater cultural awareness and mutual empathy – not to mention becoming places for shaping sustainable social and cultural progress through sharing traditional best practices and emerging models of educational delivery involving technology and the latest research on teaching and learning.

Strand 4: Utilizing Technology as an Essential Instructional Tool of Student-Centered 21st Century Schools.

When it comes to the integration of technology into the classroom, what works? What doesn’t? How do we put students at the center of their own learning and foster within them a creative capacity for problem solving using the myriad range of digital tools available to them?

What are the infrastructure demands for schools wishing to provide technological access to every student and teacher? How do we prepare and support teachers to utilize these tools successfully? How do we teach students to use these tools effectively and responsibly?

Benefits to presenters

Free accommodation and meals at Cushing Academy for the duration of the symposium.
Transportation provided from Boston Logan Airport to Cushing Academy.
Free symposium registration; includes attendance at all keynotes, breakout sessions and networking events.
An opportunity to present your ideas to an audience of 200+ educators from Canada, the U.S. and Bhutan.

To apply to present please visit http://www.educatingforhappines.org and complete the "Call for Presenters" form.