Speakers & Topics to Believe In

Kevin Carroll, 2012 Keynote Speaker

Play & Passion
As an author, speaker and agent for social change, Kevin uses his masterful story-telling skills to entertain, enlighten and challenge audiences worldwide. Using lessons garnered from the spirit and dynamics of play, Kevin will inspire you to embrace your spirit of play and creativity to maximize your human potential thereby enlivening and enriching your work life, sustaining more meaningful personal growth, and improving team dynamics and interpersonal communication.

Kevin speaks from his experiences as a child being raised by his grandparents in Philadelphia to serving 10 years in the Air Force to earning multiple college degrees to becoming an athletic trainer at the high school, collegiate and professional level. Currently, he is founder of Kevin Carroll Katalyst/LLC and author of three highly successful books published by ESPN, Disney Press and McGraw-Hill. Kevin has helped organizations like Nike, Starbucks, NHL, NBA, Mattel, Capital One and many others turn creative ideas into reality.

Keith Nord, a 2012 featured speaker

Integrity & Leadership
Based on his experiences as a former NFL player and team captain, Keith speaks about leadership, decision making, character education, and personal excellence. He will host two workshops: a professional educator workshop on personal integrity and guidance and a student workshop on leadership. Educators will be challenged to examine the leadership role of each staff member in the school and also ask, and answer, the question "Do I live my life with integrity?" Students will participate in exercises based on real-life situations, understand the process of making leadership decisions and, finally, developing the skills that help empower others.

Dr. Justin Patchin and Dr. Sameer Hinduja, 2012 featured speakers

Pause Before You Post
As directors of the Cyberbullying Research Center, Dr. Patchin and Dr. Hinduja are dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents. During their sessions, they will update educators on social media issues facing teens today that impact the classroom through a basic overview of online technologies and real-world examples of cyberbullying. Other topics include appropriate prevention and response strategies, legal issues for educators, and online social networking safety.

Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D., a 2012 featured speaker

Bridges Out of Poverty
An educator for over 30 years, Dr. Payne will present information from her seminal book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and provide information that school districts and individual educators can use to help understand the significant impact of poverty upon student achievement. She will also share practical strategies for raising student achievement and overcoming economic barriers.

Mark Scharenbroich, a 2012 featured speaker

Building Connections
A leading expert in leadership and student engagement, Mark will discuss the importance of recognizing people to improve performance and three action steps to building connections so that all students feel a part of the school.

Jess Weiner, a 2012 featured speaker

Dignity & Respect
Jess Weiner is this generation's "go to authority" on women, girls, and confidence. Her company, Talk To Jess, LLC uses storytelling for social change, specializing in helping brands cultivate positive media and marketing messages targeted toward women and girls. She is committed to transforming the self-confidence of women and girls worldwide. With a refreshingly candid and engaging personality, Jess will discuss the attributes of courage, curiosity, compassion, community and, ultimately, confidence. Jess will also provide tools of action for developing these elements of dignity and respect.

Todd C Whitaker, Ph.D., a 2012 featured speaker

Great Teachers
Coined as one of the nation's leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Dr. Whitaker will discuss what great teachers and administrators do differently. He will explain why those actions make educators more effective and how to implement each of them in schools right away.