Prizmah Day School Conference Delivers Fresh Approach and Exciting Collaboration
Source: eJewish Philanthropy
Attended by more than 1,000 people from across the Jewish community, the Prizmah Jewish Day School Conference in Chicago this week was fresh, exciting, and full of innovative approaches to Jewish education that were embraced by energetic attendees. The three-day conference lived up to expectations as an “interactive learning experience” with well-known speakers, dozens of panels and small group interactions, coaching sessions, and an “innovation playground” that showcased the Jewish community’s most advanced education technology and approaches.
Conference attendees represented both Jewish day school educators and professionals, as well as lay leaders, which had an entire constellation of programing dedicated to enhancing their leadership. The theme was “The Power of Story,” and messaging was artfully incorporated in most sessions. From the welcome by Prizmah board chair Kathy E. Manning to the closing session, everything was designed to advance the visibility, effectiveness, and impact of Jewish day school education.
Prizmah (the organization’s full name is Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools) was founded last year with a mission to transform the North American Jewish day school landscape. The Conference was billed as a fresh approach, and neither programming nor branding disappointed.
Noted futurist Jane McGonigal explained in an all-attendee plenary that game design theory could help unlock the promise of education in a host of ways, including helping teach students about that all-important but often-illusive quality of empathy. This TED-quality presentation by a best-selling author was one of the conference highlights, a sentiment echoed by many in attendance.
Prizmah bills itself as a powerful resource, thought leader, and advocate for the Jewish day school field that offers rich programming, vital services, professional and lay leader training, as well as research, data analysis, and relevant publications. Its overarching goal is to help schools achieve educational excellence, financial vitality, and to amplify the profile of day schools within the Jewish communal agenda and beyond. The Conference agenda was true to those goals.
Read the entire article on eJewish Philanthropy.