On Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, the College of Staten Island and the School of Education are hosting the 49th annual New York State Foundations of Education conference. This two-day conference, themed “Making Democratic Education Abundant,” will feature a host of workshops and presentations. This will be the first time the conference is held at the College.

More than 50 registrants are expected to be in attendance, both in-person and via Zoom, for the conference. Participants are expected from the local area, from across the country, and from as far away as China and South Korea.

CSI Interim President Dr. Timothy G. Lynch will introduce the conference with Opening Remarks in the Gordon and Lorraine Di Paolo Conference Room (1A-404), which will be followed by a trio of presentations made to the group on a broad range of higher education topics, including assessment of alternative schooling, re-writing writing instruction, and higher hopes for higher education. Interim Provost Michael Steiper will offer remarks to close the academic discussions of the day. Friday’s program will close with a performance of In the Court of the Conqueror by George Emilio Sanchez, a nationally recognized performance artist and Professor of Theater at CSI.  

The Conference continues through Saturday, exploring such topics as personalizing pedagogy, worthwhile learning, pointing policymakers in productive directions, and CSI’s doctoral program in community-based leadership. School of Education Interim Dean Burnett Joiner will be on hand to spark conversation during lunch on Saturday.

“The School of Education at the College of Staten Island is truly honored and very excited to be hosting the NYSFEA Conference this year,” said Associate Professor Deborah De Simone on behalf of the CSI NYSFEA Planning Committee, which also consisted of Associate Professor Margaret Berci, Associate Professor Kenneth Gold, and Professor Greg Seals. “We anticipate a strong turnout and, given the participation of international scholars, we hope participants gain a deeper and broader understanding of the issues facing democratic education today. We are very proud that this conference highlights the performance artist, George Emilio Sanchez, and his work regarding social justice as well as the doctoral students in CSI’s Community Based Leadership Program. Understanding the foundations of education is critical to improving education, and we are grateful that this conference will play a small role in that process.”

For more information on the New York State Foundations of Education Association and the conference, visit their Website.