Empowering Students Through Place-Based Learning with Geoffrey Canada | SXSW EDU 2024

Educator, author, and social activist Geoffrey Canada has worked much of his life to provide educational opportunities and improve the lives of children and families in poverty-stricken communities. He took on this responsibility even before he launched Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit supporting students from Harlem in their educational journey and through graduation.

At SXSW EDU 2024, Geoffrey Canada, joined by Christian Rhodes, dove into place-based learning and its long-term effects on getting students from the classroom to a career. Discover how practices developed in Harlem and beyond are leading to scalable solutions and systems change, how Harlem Children’s Zone was created, Canada’s relationship with current Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse, so much more in the Featured Session The Power of Place: Transforming America One Block at a Time.

“Your role in ensuring our young people don't give up is critical. And you need to recognize how important you are in children's lives and you've gotta be strong and visible and powerful. So these young people know there's somebody there who won't ever let them down.”

Geoffrey Canada
President, Harlem Children’s Zone

Canada talked about his own experiences from how he almost studied to be a doctor to creating Harlem Children’s Zone, which improved the safety, education, and overall look of the neighborhood. Plus, he dove into what he learned from these experiences and the solutions he can offer now, including:

• How to design a full and comprehensive strategy that allows every student to have a fair shot
• The truth about what it takes to save kids in our community
• How to connect with after school partners, summer partners, and more so that school faculty are not the only ones putting in the work

“Half the reason our stuff doesn’t work is because we haven’t asked for what we really need.”

Watch the full Featured Session, The Power of Place: Transforming America One Block at a Time, now to learn more:

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Photo by Miguel Esparza