Over the 2014-15 academic year, the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling brought a number of thought-provoking and community building events to the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses.

CELC Brings TEDx to UST

Charles Vickers delivers his speech, "The Invisible Genius," during the TEDx University of St. Thomas event October 15, 2014 in the Anderson Student Center's Woulfe Alumni Hall. The university's event was hosted by the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling and focused on reimagining education.

Taking Action to Reimagine Education was the theme of the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling’s inaugural TEDxUniversityofStThomas event last fall. The event, held October 15, 2014, showcased a diverse group of nine presenters who shared their ideas on how they would reimagine education. Their six-minute talks focused on ideas in the classroom and in the community and ranged from scientific to creative.

“We put our newest teachers in some of the most challenging positions and the penalty for failure is so immediate and so harsh … our newest teachers aren’t learning to teach, they’re learning how to not get fired,” said Tom Rademacher in his talk Flipping Tenure. The 2014 Teacher of the Year asked those in attendance to imagine what it would be like if tenure was ‘flipped’ and our most protected teachers were the newest teachers.

In her talk Addressing our Children’s Sleep Debt, neuroscientist and University of St. Thomas Associate Professor Dr. Roxanne Prichard explored what society can do to help our children get the sleep they need to thrive.

"We can’t dialogue about transforming education without first considering how the brain transforms itself - because that’s what learning is, brain transformation,” she said. “Sleep is a requirement of the brain. Without it, we die. Without enough of it, we suffer.”

TEDxUniversityofStThomas also featured ideas from Kasim Abdur Razzaq, Adam Katz, Bill Keilty, Cordell Steiner, Artika Tyner, Catherine Thimmesh and Charles Vickers. The collection of talks can be found online along with a saxophone solo performance by Steve Cole, a musician and University of St. Thomas music faculty, and a spoken word performance by five-time Minnesota Music Award winner Desdamona. Photos from the 2014 event can be viewed on the UST Flickr.

GSPP's First Annual Alumni Networking Event

On November 8, the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) hosted its first annual Alumni Networking event where nearly 100 alumni, students, and faculty gathered to hear Why and How Culture Matters, presented by Dr. William Allen. A licensed marriage and family therapist, Dr. Allen’s presentation explored the significance of culture and the influence it has on individual and relational health and how cultural contexts shape perceptions, thinking, and behavior of both clients and clinicians.

Dr. William Allen presents “Why and How Culture Matters” at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology First Annual Networking Event on November 8, 2014 in Opus Hall at the University of St. Thomas.

Dr. Beryl Wingate ’99, and Dr. Mary Hayes, Emeritus Faculty pictured at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology First Annual Networking Event on November 8, 2014 in Opus Hall at the University of St. Thomas.

Educators from Northwest Metro 916 Intermediate School District participate in table discussion during the Education for Everyone event January 27, 2015 in the Anderson Student Center's Woulfe Alumni Hall.

Education for Everyone

Woulfe Alumni Hall was buzzing with the excitement of more than 270 guests, including middle and high school students, UST students, teachers, counselors, and community members, who gathered for the Annual Education for Everyone Event Series on January 27.

Education for Everyone is intended to share information and raise awareness that leads to individuals being valued and celebrated for who they are and supported to be included in our schools and communities in active ways that enhance the learning and growth of all.

For the fifth annual event, the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling again partnered with CLIMB Theatre, this time to discuss diversity and cultural responsivity.

The theater company presented their play A Deeper Look, where performers bravely shared personal stories through monologues, scenes, music, dance and slides, taking each guest on a journey of deeper understanding of others and themselves.

CLIMB Theatre performers present, "A Deeper Look," during the Education for Everyone event January 27, 2015 in the Anderson Student Center's Woulfe Alumni Hall.

Over pizza dinner, attendees shared their reflections about the play and discussed with their table-mates stories related to race, ethnicity, religion, and physical differences, and how they have been stereotyped or judged.

From these discussions guests generated a personal action plan to improve their cultural competence and shared the plan with the group at-large.

“I plan on using the action plans that we created as a group,” shared a teacher in attendance. “I really liked the plan about making yourself vulnerable. I think you have to put yourself in a place where you may not be super comfortable in order for you to learn and have paradigm shifts.”

For more information about upcoming events at the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling, visit www.stthomas.edu/celc/newsevents.