KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Friday, April 9

Christopher Gardner, an acclaimed motivational speaker and author of the bestselling autobiography and later popular Hollywood movie,The Pursuit of Happyness, will share his amazing life story and inspire principals to overcome obstacles and reach new levels of success. In his address, scheduled for Friday, April 9, Gardner will share his philosophy and the crucial steps behind, creating a fulfilling, successful life, which he explores in his second book, Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Having conquered seemingly impossible challenges on his way to becoming an entrepreneur, popular speaker, and dedicated activist, Gardner’s aim in Start Where You Are is to motivate others to claim ownership of their dreams. To read and see more videos about Chris go to the Chris Gardner site and videos.

LEARN from Chris Gardner’s accomplishments to better understand your hard-to-reach students who have tremendous challenges to overcome!

Saturday, April 10

Marlee Matlin is an award-winning actress who is hearing impaired. She received worldwide critical acclaim for her motion picture debut in "Children of a Lesser God," a performance for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. As a long-time advocate for the hearing impaired—especially children—she published a novel for children titled Deaf Child Crossing in 2002 and the sequel, Nobody's Perfect, in 2006. She was instrumental in persuading the U.S. Congress to pass legislation requiring all televisions manufactured in the United States be equipped with closed captioning technology. In her Saturday, April 10 address, Matlin will draw upon her autobiography, “I’ll Scream Later,” to describe how a person’s will, not his or her circumstances, is the determining factor for achieving dreams. To learn more, go to the Marlee Matlin site and Marlee Matlin on Youtube.

GAIN insight from Marlee Matlin’s experiences to better understand and support children and families with both extraordinary needs and limitless capabilities!

Sunday, April 11

Greg Mortenson, humanitarian, world peacemaker, and award-winning author, will share his remarkable story of how education can change the world. Mortenson’s bestselling book Three Cups of Tea, tells his inspiring account of how he overcame huge cultural and political obstacles to establish 130 schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of the world. His newest book, Stones into Schools, picks up where Three Cups of Tea ends and brings to life the heroic efforts of dedicated educators who are transforming the lives of young women and creating lasting peace. His Sunday, April 11 address will focus on his inspiring story and provide encouragement to all educators. Follow his book signing calendar and tour and listen to his NPR interview.

REFLECT on how Greg Mortenson has dedicated his life to others and how you make a difference everyday in the lives of your students!