Kristen MacConnell Director of Professional Development and Curriculum
International School of Nido De Aguilas
This year’s AASSA conference theme was, “Empower Partnerships,Transform Learning.” At Nido de Aguilas we imagined a wide variety of partnerships that our colleagues might showcase as transformational learning at their schools. Little did we know, one of the most powerful transformations of learning would happen right under our noses.
Our conference organizational team partnered with 20 high school student ambassadors for this year’s AASSA conference. The purpose of this partnership was to support and enhance our visitors experience at Nido de Aguilas. The ambassadors were charged with several tasks: (1) student liaisons to help guide people around our large campus, (2) technology support for presenters, (3) photographers to document learning throughout the conference, and (4) presenters at the plenary session to showcase the student ambassador program.
Each day, the ambassadors arrived with smiles on their faces and fulfilled their duties with pride. Once the conference presenters were successfully connected to the internet, the projectors were functioning and participants had found their way to their sessions, the student ambassadors were encouraged to join sessions and be a part of the conference learning. The students embraced this opportunity. The student ambassadors joined a variety of sessions from women in leadership to designing an escape room. On the last day of the conference, the ambassadors shared some very powerful reflections about their experience. Click here to listen to what the conference was like from a high school student’s perspective.
We go to conferences and trainings to become better at our craft for our students. What we if we participated in these events with our students, learning alongside one another and from each each other? I would argue that might be some of the most transformational learning we can experience as educators.