Collaborating for a New Educational Paradigm: A One-Day Convening aims to bring together a dynamic coalition of youth, educators, policymakers, industry experts, and thought leaders in a vigorous exchange of ideas.

Our agenda includes insightful presentations, interactive panel discussions, breakout sessions, and collaborative workshops—all centered on reshaping college admissions. Join us to share your insights and explore practical solutions so that together we can craft a new gateway into college that catalyzes a fundamental realignment of K-12 education.

Our ultimate goal: a K-12 education in America that genuinely meets the needs and aspirations of our children and nation—nurturing human flourishing, bolstering our democracy, and energizing our economy. Expect to leave with actionable strategies to drive change in your community, state, and nationwide.

Background

A 2022 report from Transcend reveals a stark reality: most young people say that their experiences in school feel irrelevant and offer few opportunities for agency and choice. In a separate nationwide survey of 21,000 US high school students, Yale researchers found that most students’ days are spent “tired,” “stressed,” and “bored.” These critical insights underscore the urgent need to realign our educational system to better meet the needs of our children and nation.

Families, communities, K-12 educators, states and the public at large know this. In recent years, they have independently articulated their goals for education, which reveal a previously unknown consensus: America strives for its young people to achieve seven key competencies: essential-knowledge literacy; civic engagement; collaboration & leadership; curiosity & courage & resilience; well-being; thinking; and communication.

Yet, they are stymied in their efforts to align elementary, middle, and high schools with these competencies in large part by archaic college admissions criteria dating back to the 1890’s, which reward memorization of facts related to outdated subject areas rather than the deeper, relevant learning that our children and nation need. This impacts the educational experience of all children, whether or not they pursue college.

Event Information

About our Venue: West End Labs perfectly aligns with our mission of realigning education. Originally built in the 1920s as an automotive showroom and repair facility for the Chrysler Corporation, West End Labs is now a breathtaking newly renovated modern engine for innovation. WEL embraces its industrial roots and moves ideas through a new physical and cultural framework while reimagining the look, feel, and systems needed for cutting edge R&D.

Event Schedule

8:00 - 8:55 AM: Registration/Breakfast

9:00 - 9:55 AM: Opening + Keynote

10:00 - 10:40 AM: Panel Discussions

10:40 - 10:55 AM: Coffee Break

11:00 - 11:55 AM: Breakout Sessions

12:00 - 1:10 PM: Networking Lunch

1:15 - 2:25 PM: Collaborative Workshops

2:25 - 2:40 PM: Afternoon Break

2:45 - 3:55 PM: Collaborative Workshops

4:00 - 4:55 PM: Plenary/Closing Keynote

5:00 - 7:00 PM: Networking Reception

Registration

To register for this event, please complete the RSVP form below.

There is no registration fee to attend this event.

FAQ

Housing

There is no official hotel room block for this event. Below are recommendations of hotels that are near to the convening location at West End Labs. We encourage you to conduct your own search and select the housing option that is best for your stay.

Fairfield Inn & Suites New York (10 minute walk)

538 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

The Empire Hotel (10 minute walk)

44 W 63rd St, New York, NY 10023

Hotel Beacon (15 minute walk)

2130 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

Arthouse Hotel New York City (15 minute walk)

222 W 77th St, New York, NY 10024

Transportation

Airports

Local airports we recommend flying into are either LaGuardia Airport or Newark Liberty International Airport.

Transit Information

For directions from the airport to your hotel, we recommend reviewing the NYC Tourism website.

Parking

If you plan on parking a vehicle as part of your stay, we recommend visiting BestParking for a comprehensive directory of nearby parking garage options.

Have additional questions?

Please reach out to Shilpa Igdalsky with any event-related questions at: shilpa.igdalsky@realigneducation.org.