2020 GlobalMindED Conference
June 6-8
Sheraton Denver Downtown
GlobalMindED is a 501(c)(3) innovation network that closes the equity gap through education, entrepreneurship, employment and economic mobility to create a capable, diverse talent pipeline.
Dr. Michael Torrence was one of the winners of the 2019 GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Awards. He is a generous leader who understands deeply that leadership is about helping others, especially those who don't have a voice at the table, or resources to even get to the table or to even know that there is a table. His vision and passion for technology will allow GlobalMindED to achieve the Bold Goal, algorithmically connecting 25 million First Gen students, First Gen grads, those who work with them and those who want to hire them to role models, mentors, internships and jobs. You will meet him in June at the 2020 GlobalMindED conference.
What is your personal story and who influenced you?

I was raised on the Southside of Richmond, Virginia by a single mother. I was supported in everything I found interesting. As an only child, I spent a great deal of time with my maternal grandmother and grandfather. The dynamic environment of our households was focused on reading and sports. My grandmother was one of the first of a large family to move from Petersburg, Virginia to the city but I also spent time as a youth in the country, on farms, and learning from failure. I always felt nurtured and heard, but knew the importance of listening. Listening and spoken word were of great value within the professions that my mother, grandmother, and grandfather worked. There was a great sense of pride from the communities where I played and high expectations were a norm in my mother's home. "Why settle for number 2, when you can be number 1?" is a question that she posed to me often and I simply translated this to mean that at all times I was to "do my best." 
 
My mother believed in hard work and accountability. As a "latchkey" kid, I was self-driven to do as she asked, 1) Homework as soon as I came in the house with the snack she left out. 2) Play outside until the streetlights came on. 3) Take a bath or shower, warm my dinner, and read before going to bed. 4) Do, but do as if I am watching you. She  is an organic intellectual and the application of her lessons and my grandparent's wisdom resonates with me daily. This triumvirate of souls are the shoes I am still trying to fill.
 
What was school and learning to you?

"School is for learning, and you can play when you get home" is another directive my mother shared, and she was resolute about the importance of learning. My Saturday mornings began with reading and cartoons, but always reading and then sports. My mother supported my extracurricular activities with attendance and a loud voice. She disciplined me with truth. You shouldn't complain if you are not going to do the work that prepares you for success in class or on the courts/fields. The point for my mother was not to allow the "ball to use me, but to use the ball". A solid work ethic and repetitious behavior leads to success. I excelled academically in what would now be known as STEM and attended what was then arguably one of the best school systems in the country, in Chesterfield County, Virginia. A year of attendance at Blue Ridge Preparatory School and a return to public school was enlightening. 

I served in the Air Force and afterwards went back to school at South Dakota State University majoring in English on a full athletic scholarship with the University Men's Basketball team. I honed leadership habits that have placed me in positions to impact generational success within higher education, economic and community development. 
Successful leadership is about more than work and attention to detail. It is about preparation and relationships. It is the ability to connect and communicate across social norms.

I later earned a PhD and rose within the ranks at the Motlow State Community College. I serve the faculty and students every day so that they can be the best in their roles now and in the future. My role requires that I work with Tennessee State government officials, national government officials, HBCU partners in the community college network, other inclusive tech companies and partners. One of which is GlobalMindED that has extended opportunities for our students and faculty.
 
 
I dress the way I remember my grandfather dressing. I dress in a suit and tie daily. If you feel good about what you have on, the rest is about your preparation. I hope that discernment is a quality I have inherited from my grandmother. Actions do speak louder than words, so I use both to treat others with dignity and respect no matter what the ultimate outcome must be. I am my mother's son, so I hope I have her work ethic and sense of humor. She lives in the light and I do my best to do the same. I am passionate about what I have been entrusted to do. I am in love with my family and grateful for their support.
 
What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from a place of service. I am inspired by the faces that I see every day and solving my personal question about supporting humanity; how does the integration and advancement of emerging technology improve the human condition? I am moved by this question and seek to explore the bounds of its possibilities through AR, VR, MR, XR, AI, Voice Technology, Predictive Analytics, CAV Technology, Robotics, Gaming, and of course design thinking and sharing. I believe that we are all interconnected in ways that we don't always acknowledge nor recognize. I believe that equity, inclusiveness, and diversity exist as domain descriptors to be annexed from our language. What we are is simply universal. I am inspired by the design of "things" that are applicable and look as if they are senseless. Seeing the world through my children's eyes allows passage betwixt responsibility and exploration. This is the space that overturns and infuses life into the creative within me. My happy is simple: wake up! This is why the Bold Goal means so much to me and the impact to influence so many lives at scale.
 
It is an honor to have received the GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Award in the Higher Education sector. I will use this honor to strengthen my resolve to get more First Gen and underrepresented students to college and career success, so that they can win one of these awards in the future. I am committed to the hard work that will make this happen.


Join us to recognize the most inclusive leaders in key industries for their innovations and bold actions to promote access and equity for women, people of color, and underrepresented populations in their recruiting, development, senior management on their boards, and in their pipeline strategies from education to employment. 

If you would like to nominate a student from your institution for the 
2020 GlobalMindED First Gen Student Leadership Program so that they can meet role models and mentors while networking for internships and jobs with companies who are dedicated to creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline , please encourage them to apply HERE
 
If you are an educator, you can attend  by yourself, a team or with your First Gen student delegates. If you come with more than 5 people from your institution, you are eligible for the discount.

GlobalMindED and the SDG Impact Fund are delighted to announce GlobalMindED's Donor Advised Fund for your year-end giving and planning your 2020 investment goals. 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and and the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Women's Declaration and Action Platform. Many from around the world are thinking of 2020 as the gateway to our most vital decade for delivering equity, the Sustainable Development Goals, and a world where all can thrive. Our key time for these outcomes is 2020-2030.

GlobalMindED DAF and the SDG Impact Fund are a powerful combined force for good as the 2019 year comes to a close and we reflect on the gratitude and the commitments we make to the causes we care most about. The DAF offers immense power and flexibility for giving prior to the year's end as you plant seeds of generous intention for 2020 and the decade ahead.

When you contribute to GlobalMindED, you support students like Emanuel Walker whose story is below. He was in the class of 2018. Since 2015, we have served more than 300 students by connecting them to role models, mentors, internships and jobs. Your generous support will allow us to take our work 10x and reach these talented students at scale who lack the resources and support we provide. Your support also helps teachers who can't afford the conference fees, faculty at colleges which are under resourced and students who persist at those universities despite food insecurity and/or housing insecurity.
PARTNER NEWS
The ILO is calling on individuals and organizations to share innovative ideas and solutions to address the skills mismatch challenge. The ILO Skills Challenge Innovation Call will recognise and support the development of solutions that aim to address the different forms and dimensions of skills mismatch.   


Submission deadline: April 13, 2020.

As you start the New Year, are you looking for ways to re-engineer your classroom culture? Check out Designing the Future: How Engineering Builds Creative Critical Thinking in the Classroom. The associated website has lots of activities, projects, and resources you can implement immediately. Our fall workshops using the book as a roadmap for change have been highly successful. Start designing the future today - try using the customized Study Guide for a book study in your PLC. Or contact ProjectEngin or Solution Tree to learn how you can bring professional development based on Ann's book to your school, district, or conference.

CONTACT US 


Since 2006 when the flagship TGR Learning Lab opened its doors in Anaheim, CA, TGR Foundation has had a lot to celebrate, including its most recent milestone of one million students impacted by TGR EDU: Explore, alone.

Developed in partnership with Discovery Education, TGR EDU: Explore is a free digital resource library that offers interactive web experiences, lesson plans, training videos and tools for educators, students and families to explore new disciplines and gain skills for a modern and expanding workforce.


The climate crisis, rape culture, the wall-we think the patriarchy has done enough. Introducing " When Feminists Rule the World", a new podcast series from the Nobel Women's Initiative and producing partner MediaStyle. Hosted by Nicaraguan-born comedian, Martha Chaves, we're talking to badass feminist changemakers around the world about the future they are creating. It shouldn't be groundbreaking. But it is.
Entertainment For Change creates original song and dance (#SDGGROOVE) to educate young people on the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Like any meaningful social change, the original song and dance is a collaborative effort between more than 20 singers, dancers, writers and choreographers. Lauded vocalists Natalie Weiss and Antonio Cipriano lend their voices to the powerful lyrics, while each SDG is  danced by performers of all calibers.

To learn more about Entertainment for Change and #SDGGROOVE, visit our  website
Join the #NeedHerScience Campaign that is aimed at addressing journal-level gender bias. For decades, studies have demonstrated gender bias in publishing. This may occur at various stages in the process, including at the level of the 
journals. The equitable inclusion of women editors at every level is long overdue. Addressing journal gender bias starts at the top. 

AMWA is a strategic partner for the Need Her Science Campaign which is part of the Be Ethical Campaign. More information is available at www.SheLeadsHealthcare.com.

The goal: To raise awareness about gender bias in publishing and share with stakeholders, including journal editors and owners, the overall number of scientists, healthcare professionals and others who have taken the pledge. The pledge can be taken anonymously. Educators and others are encouraged to take the pledge and share information about this issue with colleagues and trainees. 

GET INVOLVED 
Here are 3 quick and easy things you can do to join the #NeedHerScience Campaign: 1. Disseminate the infographic Tips for Publishing in Medical Journals. 
2. Take the #NeedHerScience pledge. 
3. Encourage others to take the pledge. 

TAKE THE PLEDGE 
PLEDGE: "As part of determining where to submit my manuscripts, I will look at the list of editors and consider whether a journal has equitably included qualified women at every level."

The Conrad Challenge is an excellent opportunity for industry, government, research and academia to help support the youth of today and take an active role in shaping our future workforce. Students participating in the Conrad Challenge create innovative solutions to real-world challenges, while preparing for success in a global workplace. The competition encourages creativity, critical thinking and entrepreneurial collaboration among teams around the globe. Learn more and become a judge HERE
GlobalMindED | 303-327-5688 | contact@globalminded.org | www.globalminded.org
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