Dr. Melissa Crum is an artist, education consultant and diversity practitioner who works with many educators in urban schools. She noticed that many teachers had challenges teaching and relating to students who did not share their same cultural background. So, she worked with a museum educator to create an arts-based professional development series that helps educators think about how they are thinking about their diverse students. Her personal story and professional practice work together to tell a creative, inspiring, and eye-opening message that everyone must hear.

With tart humor, Hayley Yeates makes the case that investing in cultural diversity is just as important as fostering gender diversity.

As an 8th grader Elijah realizes that his private school may not be preparing him for life after school.

Sagithjan Surendra challenges us to imagine a world where everybody – no matter the social and financial circumstances – can embrace their full potential. In the process he spells out the characteristics of an education system that teaches to our individual needs instead of promoting academic excellence as the ultimate goal. He investigates the lack of equality in education even in a progressive and democratic country like Germany. Surendra's argument is inextricably tied to his own personal story and why he saw, at the age of 19, the need to found his NGO.

We strive to embrace diversity and inclusion in our schools and workplaces, but we often fail to understand what this looks like practically. Dr. Dawn Bennett-Alexander believes that with a little effort, we can move diversity and inclusion from theory to practice. ​

Are diverse companies really more innovative? Rocío Lorenzo and her team surveyed 171 companies to find out -- and the answer was a clear yes. In a talk that will help you build a better, more robust company, Lorenzo dives into the data and explains how your company can start producing fresher, more creative *ideas* by treating diversity as a competitive advantage.

Getting into college for disadvantaged students is only half the battle. Anthony Abraham Jack, Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, reveals how and why they struggle and explains what schools can do differently if these students are to thrive. He urges us to grapple with a simple fact: access is not inclusion.

(Filmmakers: Geeta Gandbhir and Perri Peltz)                                                       

In this mix of live-action and animation, a young boy of color navigates bias in the classroom and its impact on his future. The film also includes the voices of other children sharing their experiences, at school and at home, as they grow older.

Why do some classrooms look the same now as they did 70 years ago? In this passionate talk, second grade teacher Kayla Delzer speaks about her mission to revitalize learning and the classroom environment. Kayla explains how to release the power in the classroom by giving students ownership of their learning and making it relevant to them. 

Karen Leung is currently in her second year in Woodring’s Early Childhood Education at Western Washington University. Through her involvement in this program, she has found that her passion lies in social justice and linguistics, and the overlap that exists between these two in bilingual education. Being in Woodring allows her to apply her passions to her teaching career, and gives her the opportunity to break down language barriers in education. Growing up as a native Cantonese speaker, Karen took ESL classes in school, all the while interpreting for her parents during teacher conferences at just seven years old. Through this experience, she realized that there is a need of increased awareness of the linguistic biases in our society and the need for more resources for immigrant families who are working in tandem with schools to provide the best possible education for their children. Karen also sees the potential of linguistic diversity in education, and believes that it is crucial for multicultural education.

From sleepovers to favorite foods, Gracia Bareti shares her personal experiences growing up, navigating multiple cultures and how she shapes this into legislation that confronts an education system that is not representative of the people that utilize it, nor a world it exists within.

In this talk Roberto discusses his three phase system which he uses to teach English without teaching English, to improve the learning experience for students and the teaching practice for professors.

Marianna Pascal shows how the secret to speaking a new language with confidence is all about attitude, not ability.

Shinyoung, who prefers to be called Grace, was born in Bryan, Texas, and is originally from the Republic of Korea. She moved to Saudi Arabia when she was 5 years old. She enjoys cuddling in a blanket while watching movies, and doing unnecessary challenges such as making 5000 paper stars. Her hobbies are drawing, baking and debating. She dreams of being the president of Korea one day.

Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.

Speaking a second language is a terrifying experience. Comedian and sociologist, Áine Gallagher, shares stories about the fear and absolute humiliation she experienced in her journey to become an Irish speaker. Ultimately, she describes this as an empowering experience, but likes to focus on the horror! 

It’s obvious that knowing more than one language can make certain things easier — like traveling or watching movies without subtitles. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual (or multilingual) brain? Mia Nacamulli details the three types of bilingual brains and shows how knowing more than one language keeps your brain healthy, complex and actively engaged. 

Lesson by Mia Nacamulli, animation by TED-Ed.