KDSL Global Education Branding Project

Are you interested in becoming an education consultant? Starting up a new education company? Scaling up your education business?

Then join KDSL Global during  22-28 July 2018 for the Education Branding Project. This week long online journey will provide you with daily tasks leading to a toolkit.

For more information email kdslglobalinfo@gmail.com.

 

Testimonials from previous participants:

“Thank you, Kevin, for being an invaluable resource! As you know, I am new to the world of education consulting and you are the ONLY resource I have found to answer my questions related to building the business. You not only provided timely responses to all of my questions, but also you have made me feel comfortable about asking those sensitive kinds of questions, like pricing, that I cannot answer on my own. You are a wealth of information, and I appreciate your willingness to share your expertise individually and through the upcoming workshop.”

“My work with Kevin Simpson through his ED Branding program has been an incredible resource for me as I establish my consulting business. Not only did I learn a lot during the initial sessions, Kevin’s continued support and referrals have been invaluable to me.”

“Kevin Simpson has a talent for conveying in simple steps something daunting like starting a consulting business. During the week-long gig Kevin guides you with practical information and motivation to keep you going to achieve your goals. It’s a great way to connect with others and start to build your ED network.”

 

 

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Global Schools Network

KDSL Global Founder Kevin Simpson is a new member of the Advisory Committee for the Global Schools Network Power by P21.  The network is a community of schools committed to inclusive and equitable quality education for all with a focus on global awareness, global competence, cultural competence, and linguistic development.

 

The Goals of the network are to:

Increase global connections between teachers, students, and school leaders.

Increase global competence, global awareness, and linguistic competence among teachers, students, and educational leaders.

Expand recognition of successful organization and program models.

 

To learn more please visit https://p21global.org/.

KDSL Global Fellow at British Council Forum

With a rapidly changing world, reflecting on how education brings learning experiences for the next generation to make a lasting difference becomes crucial. As part of the internal forum the British Council held recently in the Dead Sea, Jordan, our fellow Hiba Ibrahim was invited, in addition to another 6 experts in the fields of entrepreneurship, the arts, education and gender equality, to speak to the British Council MENA staff and lead individual workshops on challenges and opportunities the region is to face for the next decade.  Hiba has been involved in projects to create effective solutions to some of those stressing challenges and avenues for international organizations to pursue effective collaboration for creating change. Bringing her educational career, academic research and personal projects to the discussion, Hiba highlighted two main challenges the region’s education has continued to struggle with for decades. The first lies in the fact that national curriculums are still not equipping learners with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to be become independent engaged learners. Teachers are still heavily relying on textbooks as curriculum and content coverage is still the learning goal to achieve. Alternatively, learning goals should lie in empowering students with competences that enable them to transfer their learning into unique situations to solve challenges they experience in their local communities and beyond. Hiba then shared about her course project she has been building as part of her fellowship with KDSL Global, which aims to promote design thinking and collaboration strategies to become more effective problem-solvers and globally competent citizens.

The other challenge she highlighted was refugee students with no access to a quality basic education. This has caused a lot of tension in host communities and made 86,000 Syrian students in Jordan and 480,000 others in Lebanon vulnerable. Due to the on-going conflicts in Libya and Yemen, around 2,300,000 children are in need of education. For that, social-emotional learning and professional development programs for teachers and school leaders on social inclusion and dealing with PSTD are a must. Showcasing effective solutions, Hiba highlighted her work with Umnyat for Training, an NGO started by her mother that brings “Labeeb’s Friends”, a program that promotes social emotional learning through storytelling to schools in Jordan and other countries in the region such as Kuwait and Palestine. She also stressed on the positive impact of intercultural dialogue that bring students of different backgrounds to a space where they feel safe and open to share perspectives on topics such as culture, religion, daily life, community, immigration, conflict and challenges to learn how to be more understanding and accepting to one another.

The day was concluded with bringing those conversations into a workshop to inspire the organization’s staff to reflect on solutions they can drive with other stakeholders in the region to take part in the region’s growth and development for the upcoming decade.

MENALearns Portal

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STEMCON 2018

Our KDSL Global Fellow Tiffany Johnson recently attended the STEMCON conference in Chicago, Illinois. STEMCON is a platform for STEM educators and administrators from all around the nation to share their best practices. Below is a reflection on her experience as a first time participant.

Year after year, STEMCON is where all STEM educators want to be. Just to put things into perspective, STEMCON is like the Coachella for all things STEM. From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. Upon arrival, I noticed Dr. Carolyn Hayes, the former president of National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), sitting amongst several of her colleagues. I was instantly star-struck! After setting my obnoxiously large teacher bag down, I wasted no time to introduce myself to Dr. Hayes. Dr. Hayes has an energetic personality that is highly contagious and seeing a woman achieve the “Lifetime STEM Leadership” award was very inspirational. After breakfast & coffee, the stage was graced with the first female civilian Afghan-American pilot and the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft, Shaesta Waiz. Ms. Waiz has an amazing story, and a unique purpose that motivates her in the work that she does.

After breakfast, there were numerous breakout sessions that I attended throughout the day, such as Innovative Ways to Sustain STEM Interest and Career Paths for Girls, Bringing the Outside In: Making an Ecosystem in a Bottle, and last but not least, How Hip-Hop Music and Culture can Bridge the STEM Gap for Underrepresented Populations. There was not enough time for me to attend all the sessions, but I did make connections with the presenters of the sessions I did not attend.

Being a person of color in STEM, I am constantly questioning myself about how do I influence students that look like me, to be like me. At STEMCON I was exposed to many different versions of what STEM looks like for different people. One of the sessions I attended talked about connecting STEM to the culture of Hip-Hop and broke down the science behind the movement. After getting the opportunity to bounce ideas off of the presenters, Darlyne de Haan and Damiso Josey, we agreed to continue the conversation even after the event and beyond!

I departed STEMCON feeling inspired, educated, connected, and supported which are all the reasons why I would recommend this conference to anyone in STEM.

P.S. – Among the many lessons I learned at STEMCON, one of the top lessons I learned was don’t be afraid to ask people for a picture! This is the only picture I have of myself at STEMCON. Thanks to the photographer.

Tiffany Johnson learning more about STEM.

Dr. Carolyn Hayes receiving the Lifetime STEM Leadership Award.

Shaesta Waiz, the first female civilian Afghan-American pilot and the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft

 

To learn more about Tiffany visit https://kdslglobal.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/kdsl-global-fellows-2/ and STEMCON visit www.stemcon.net.

 

 

 

KDSL Global Founder joins the Center for Educational Improvement as an Advisory Board Member

 

KDSL Global Founder Kevin Simpson has joined the Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) Advisory Board. This group features national and international experts in the fields of education, neuroscience, and technology. Collectively, they provide CEI with critical strategic advice in fulfilling our mission to support and uplift schools through 21st century learning and leadership.

The Center for Educational Improvement (CEI) identifies, shares, and applies 21st century innovations in learning to guide school leaders as they improve their schools.

CEI’s approach is based on input from school principal advisors as well as their environmental scans and conversations with psychologists, neuroscientists, educators, engineers, scientists, other researchers, and policymakers. Bolstered by their relationship with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and its Foundation,  they are grateful for their continuing support.

CEI advises principals, teachers, leadership teams, and districts on how to implement evidence-based best practices to “fast track” academic progress and close gaps between the latest research on student achievement and what is practiced in schools. CEI also collaborates with principal mentors to design, implement, evaluate, refine, and disseminate research with the principal in mind. As they build bridges to educational excellence, CEI teams with other researchers, private companies, and government agencies.

 

To learn more about The Center for Educational Improvement please visit http://www.edimprovement.org/

International Women’s Day 2018

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.  Started by the Suffragettes in the early 1900’s, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911. International Women’s Day belongs to all communities everywhere – governments, companies, charities, educational institutions, networks, associations, the media and more.

Here are 15 women who have had an impact on us and who we celebrate at KDSL Global on this year’s International Women’s Day, 8 March 2018:

Dr. Toyia Younger-Vice President for Leadership Development and Member Services at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Rama Chakaki-Principal at TURN8 Fund, Board Member at edSeed, Co-Founder of Baraka Advisors

Abigail Swetz-Senior Associate at Globesight

Maree Comerford-IB Leader and MYP Coordinator at Shanghai Community International School

Cynthia Buck-Retired Principal in Fairfax County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools

Melanie Stanley-Retired Administrator and Elementary Social Studies Supervisor in Fairfax County Public Schools

Arlette Yonkers-Educator in Alexandria City Public Schools

Reem Labib-DC Thought Partner and founder of EDspired

Liria Gjidija-Assistant Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement at NYU Abu Dhabi

Hiba Ibrahim – KDSL Global Fellow and Education Entrepreneur in the making

Tiffany Johnson – KDSL Global Fellow and Education Entrepreneur in the making

Dr. Sudha Sunder – CEO of Teacher Leaders International

Jacqueline Burns – Global Mathematics Consultant

Rayna Yaker – Founder of RYE Consulting

Dr. Paulette Simpson- Mother of KDSL Global Founder Kevin Simpson, Minister

Global Education & Skills Forum

KDSL Global Fellow Hiba Ibrahim is attending this year’s Global Education & Skills Forum. This is the sixth year of the event, which focuses on addressing the challenges of education, equity and employment for all people. Each year, the Global Education & Skills Forum brings together over two thousand people from all over the world to share, debate and shape new ways for education to transform our world.

Hiba Ibrahim graduated with a BA degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Jordan in 2009. She started her educational career as a foreign language curriculum designer and in different institutions in Jordan and the US. Hiba was a Fulbright grantee to teach as a full time instructor at Baldwin Wallace University in 2013.

She recently finished her Master’s degree in Education from the Institute of Education at University College London. She has also worked in virtual intercultural exchange programs and developing teacher training and student learning programs. In her free time, you find Hiba blogging on women issues, Islamophobia and education through her blog Thoughts of an Arab Woman. She is also involved in some social work projects online and in Jordan.

For more about the Global Education & Skills Forum visit https://www.educationandskillsforum.org/ehome/gesf2018.

10 Lessons from an Education Entrepreneur – eBook Released

1 March 2018: International education entrepreneur, Kevin Simpson, releases an eBook today charting his journey from classroom teacher to globetrotting entrepreneur. The KDSL Global Story: 10 Lessons from an Education Entrepreneur is a fascinating, insightful read for any educators who are seeking to take the plunge, find their passion, and start their own company. If you’ve ever wondered how one might transition from a teacher to an entrepreneur, or how one can find a way to work in education all the way round the world, Kevin will have helpful advice and insight for you.

Readers will find out how having standards of excellence, taking risks, being open to change, and learning when to say no have helped Kevin launch and successfully maintain his dream company. The foreword is written by education investor and advisor Bernard West, who says that, “This book is a welcomed addition addressing multiple points of view: The teacher seeking an entrepreneurial path, the student charting a career in international education, and the social entrepreneur aiming to have a global impact.”

Kevin Simpson’s career has taken him from classrooms in Michigan to Virginia to collaborating on education projects in Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and 15 other countries. His company, KDSL Global, is a leading international learning organization focused on empowering educators and education businesses globally. Kevin believes passionately in sharing knowledge and skills around, growing others, and having fun in the collaborative process. Reading his 10 Lessons will give any education entrepreneur the inspiration and initial tools they need to get started and make their dreams a reality.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of the eBook will go to the organizations listed with the KDSL Global Gives 10 Initiative. To order the eBook visit www.kdslglobal.com and click on Celebrating 10 years.

 

For further information, please contact Kevin Simpson

Tel: 312.478.1695 | kevin@kdslglobal.com | http://www.kdslglobal.com

 

 

About KDSL Global

KDSL Global is a USA and UAE-based leading learning organization focused on empowering educators and education businesses globally. To find out more information visit http://www.kdslglobal.com

GAUSE Educational Network, LLC

GAUSE Educational Network, LLC, wants to engage students, champion literacy and accelerate learning. Led by Jacqueline Gause, the organization recently published Friendship in Any Language. This book highlights young friends reaching out and learning about cultural differences.

Jacqueline Gause is the founder and CEO of GAUSE Educational Network, LLC. She has extensive experience in teaching, developing curricula, and is now working in the United Arab Emirates and in the United States. Her knowledge of international expat realities informs her work, and she is passionate about children receiving the best possible education they can.

 

KDSL Global had a chance to connect with Gause. Here are her answers to questions about her organization and vision, in her own words:

In the future, is GAUSE going to expand into other literacy areas, like hosting conferences? Or will it stay in publishing alone?

GAUSE Educational Network, LLC has a desire to expand in the future in numerous ways. We are an education and publishing company built for scholars of all ages. The company serves passionately to champion literacy. The aim and mission of the company is to provide scholars and educational practitioners with support, products, and skills to develop literacy confidence.

 

What is the vision for GAUSE’s books?

One important aspect of GAUSE Educational Network, LLC books are to foster a sense of cultural responsiveness, diversity and promote a love of literacy for scholars of all ages. The company’s first book is Friendship in Any Language. This is a children’s book about the challenges and successes of making and sustaining friendships.

 

Do you plan on having GAUSE’s books translated into and published in other languages?

GAUSE Educational Network, LLC books may be published in different languages in the future.

 

To learn more about GAUSE Educational Network, LLC please visit http://gause-ednetwork.com/.

 

 

Kate O’Neil
KDSL Global Intern
Website: http://www.kdslglobal.com
Twitter: @KDSL07
Facebook: KDSL Global