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National Education Summit 2022

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On Wednesday and Thursday, July 27–28th, 2022, the Office of the Under Secretary for Education hosted its annual National Education Summit!

This year's theme was: “Together We Thrive: Creating Our Shared Future through Education,” acknowledging that given the right conditions and resources, all children can thrive. PreK-12 educators, librarians, media specialists, and policymakers nationwide participated in sessions exploring: Innovative lesson design for English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Visual Arts, and Civics Methods to cultivate social-emotional learning, inquiry-based learning, and youth creativity Insights from teachers and Smithsonian educators on instructional tools and resources to enhance learning. Participants also had the opportunity to hear about key issues and engaging learning strategies from experts from the Smithsonian and our collaborators at PBS Learning Media, Harvard’s Project Zero, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the Library of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and many more.

You can watch all of the archived sessions here via the Smithsonian Education YouTube page, or listed individually below for replay, and access related resources via the Smithsonian Learning Lab

Opening Keynote: Kurt Russell, 2022 National Teacher of the Year

Opening Keynote: Kurt Russell, 2022 National Teacher of the Year

Kurt Russell was recently named 2022 National Teacher of the Year and the Ohio Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Kurt Russell advocates for classrooms to better reflect the students within them — from a curriculum that reflects their backgrounds and identities to a more diverse teaching profession. 

Plenary: Let’s Talk: Our Shared Future Through Education

Plenary: Let’s Talk: Our Shared Future Through Education

Join Soledad O’Brien and representatives from the National Council for the Social Studies, National Council for Teachers of English, National Science Teachers Association, and National Council for Teachers of Mathematics to discuss their joint position statement "The Freedom to Teach." This panel will begin with remarks from Anna King, the CEO of the National Parent Teacher Association, who will offer a national perspective on what the association is hearing from parents and communities across the nation.

Keynote Presentation: Dr. Aaliyah Samuel

Keynote Presentation: Dr. Aaliyah Samuel

As educators face pressing priorities around students’ learning and well-being, social and emotional learning (SEL) has never been more important. Join CASEL’s CEO, Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel, to explore what it takes to implement SEL systemically and effectively, and discuss what the increased attention to SEL means for the future of education.

Closing Keynote: Jason Reynolds

Closing Keynote: Jason Reynolds

Join the Under Secretary for Education, Dr. Monique M. Chism, for a Conversation with award winning children’s author Jason Reynolds. Reynolds is the current Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and author of more than a dozen books for young people.

2022 Archived Sessions

Bonus Content