New EdTalks Featured At Michigan's Free Education Expo

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI — Sure, you’ve heard of TedTalks, but have you heard of the new EdTalks around town? They are by some of the brightest, most forward-thinking minds in education around metro Detroit and they ready to share their ideas and passions through this new forum.

The event is for parents seeking to better understand Michigan’s education crisis and get tools and resources to help address the issues. Attendees will hear from experts through the new feature called EdTalks at this year’s 23rd annual Education Expo.

Mark your calendars for the free event, which will be held noon-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30 at the Cranbrook Institute of Science.

So what are EdTalks about? Developed by Metro Parent and Bridge Magazine, EdTalks will include a series of short dialogues and a panel discussion featuring education experts representing parents, educators, advocates and administrators.

EdTalks will include three short talks by Gary Abud, the 2013-2014 Michigan Teacher of the Year; Sal Vassallo, a tuition financing expert, who will speak about saving for college and 9-year-old Elena, a metro Detroit blogger and book reviewer, who will talk about the importance of diversity in reading.

Elena is the forum’s youngest speaker, but she’s already made a name for herself in the world of reading and education.

“What I love most about reading is that you escape into a different world and learn stuff,” said the local fifth-grader who runs the blog Elena Reads.

She’s inspired by books like Malala Yousafzai Malala’s Magic Pencil, a book that taught her to stand up for what she believes in, she said, and Sharon Crecch’s Walk Two Moons, one of her favorite authors with a diverse character.

“Especially as a kid, it’s good to learn about different kinds of people so that when you’re an adult you’ll recognize different kinds of people you’ll have to work with,” Elena told Patch. “Children when they learn about different kinds of people can have sympathy, empathy and they are nicer to everyone.”

For anyone just jumping into reading about diversity, Elena recommends first reading “All Are Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman.

“I think that it’s a perfect book,” she said. “You learn that everyone is welcome at school and on earth.”

Want Elena’s top 10 recommended books? She’ll be giving her list during her talk next weekend.

In addition to the talks, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Chastity Pratt Dawsey, an award-winning reporter for Bridge Magazine who has covered education for nearly two decades. That panel will include four education experts representing parents, educators, advocates and administrators. After the panel, Bridge’s engagement team will conduct an interactive town hall, similar to the town halls that have been held throughout the state this year.

For decades, Education Expo has brought parents and families together with the educational resources and options they are looking for. This year’s program acknowledges that parents want and need more information about education. With EdTalks, Metro Parent partners with Bridge and the Center for Michigan by involving the parenting community in what is an issue for all of us: Educating our children.

Families can enjoy the free event, lunch courtesy of Nino Salvaggio and access to the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Register for the event here.

Subscribe to Patch for more regional news and real-time alerts. Connect with Detroit Patch on Facebook. Main image by Lauren Jeziorski of Metro Parent