Campus News

College of Education to Co-Sponsor Education Innovation Summit

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 1, 2012) — The University of Kentucky College of Education and AdvancEd Kentucky are co-sponsoring the 2012 Innovation Summit, Nov. 29-30, at the Lexington Convention Center. This professional gathering of Kentucky educators from P-12 and higher education will include business and community leaders interested in transforming education for an increasingly diverse, globalized, and technology-rich world.  Those involved include school districts, business, government, and the UK colleges of Agriculture, Arts & Sciences, Business, Communication and Information, Education, Engineering, Dentistry, Design, Fine Arts, Pharmacy, and Public Health.

The Summit is focused on creative ideas, research and innovation to help transform P-12 and higher education in Kentucky.  This year’s theme is "Local Focus…Global Impact," focusing on developing a deeper understanding of how to narrow the global achievement gap and better prepare our students for a highly competitive and challenging future.

"We hope that by bringing education and business innovators all together from preschool through college we can reduce barriers to preparing all Kentucky students for success in 21st century careers and global citizenship," said Mary John O'Hair, UK College of Education dean.

Among the featured speakers is Tony Wagner.

"We are excited to have one of the nation’s leading authorities on the global achievement gap and educational innovation at the Summit this year. Dr. Wagner’s interactive presentation will draw from his two most recent books, 'Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change The World' and 'The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don’t Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need—and What We Can Do About It,'" said Tom Jones, director of AdvanED/SACS Kentucky.

Global and local business and P-12 and higher education leaders will participate, including UK President Eli Capilouto; Gene Wilhoit, executive director, Council of Chief State School Officers; Ron Townsend, executive vice president of Battelle’s Global Laboratory Operations; Herb Miller, president, Columbia Gas; Bob Quick, president and CEO, Commerce Lexington, as well as more than 100 school leaders from the Kentucky P20 Innovation Lab’s Next Generation Leadership Academy, who work daily to create innovative learning environments for all students to succeed in school, college and life.

The Summit will launch new and innovative programs and standards such as the Kentucky STEMx Network and the Next Generation for Civic Readiness - The State Standards for Social Studies. The Summit will conclude with an Education IDEA Festival led by Kris Kimel, President, Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, and other entrepreneurs.

To register, visit www.cvent.com/events/innovation-summit-2012/event-summary-4cedf49763ea4a5c8179009206b70e76.aspx

MEDIA CONTACT: Jenny Wells, (859) 257-5343; Jenny.Wells@uky.edu