New Keynote Announced, Plus Additional Featured Sessions, the Podcast Stage Lineup, and More Join SXSW EDU 2024

This March, comedy is coming to the SXSW EDU main stage! We are excited to announce Sarah Rose Siskind, a science comedian, to join the Keynote lineup and will teach you the importance of humor as a means of communicating. You will get the inside scoop on how to communicate information effectively in a way that is entertaining, digestible, and compelling.

Plus, three new Featured Sessions have been added to the program. Discover how to develop your leadership soul and hear from local musicians, artist council members, and more on the importance of music education and storytelling.

The Podcast Stage is back! Presented by GitLab Foundation, the 14 podcasts selected to record an episode live from the SXSW EDU stage will explore how poverty affects children and their schools, the attack on LGBTQ+ representation in schools, education-to-career pathways, and more. Two podcasts will make their debut at the event, making this year’s program one you won’t want to miss.

With new festival additions to the program, you can now explore the complete Film, Performance, and Mentor lineups. Dive into more than 30 new mentors added to the Mentor program. Plus, don’t miss the latest film addition, which stars a brilliant 9-year-old boy, and two exciting new performances confirmed to take the stage.

Keynote

Science Comedy: Why It's a Thing & How to Do It

Science comedian Sarah Rose Siskind will teach you the importance of humor as a means of communicating complex ideas in STEM in an entertaining way. She will explain more than a dozen experience-tested principles of, well, how to be funny. Comedy is a backdoor into understanding: it can demonstrate confidence, creativity, humility, empathy, and rapport. Studies show audiences retain more information longer when they enjoy receiving it. Laughter increases energy, interest, and approval of a topic. Plus it’s just fun. I mean, why are you reading this right now?

Sarah Rose Siskind, Science Comedian & Founder, Hello SciCom

Featured Sessions

ACL: 50 Years of Live Music, 50 Years of Music Education

Music has the power to inspire, move, and teach impactful lessons in and out of the classroom. Join for this discussion to explore 50 years of music captured by Austin City Limits including iconic moments from the show with educational and social impact. You’ll hear from the team behind the iconic show, a musician on how ACL has shaped her formation as an artist, and a music educator on working with ACL and PBS to bring innovative education resources to her classroom.

Benjamin Kramer, Chief Education Officer, Austin PBS
Elizabeth Hulse, Music Specialist (K-6), Manor ISD
Jackie Venson, Recording Artist
Terry Lickona, Executive Producer, Austin City Limits, Lickonavision

Finding Your Leadership Soul

Leadership Soul - the path toward helping young people see themselves in their teachers, mentors, and leaders - can’t exist without love, care, and vulnerability. It takes a patience of practice, an empathetic mind, and a humble heart. In this conversation - and as a complement to Leadership Journeys - inspiring leaders will share their own personal journeys to their Leadership Soul, peppered with joy, pain, and growth.

Bettina Love, Author, Punished for Dreaming
Carlos Moreno, Co-Executive Director, Big Picture Learning
Jacqueline Woodson, Author, Brown Girl Dreaming
Sharhonda Bossier, CEO, Education Leaders of Color

On the Record: Music in Every Classroom

What deep truth is absent and which songs are missing when we teach a history of American popular music crafted by gatekeepers rather than one informed by creatives and their audience? What kind of unlearning and rethinking empowers teachers to provide students with the dynamic classroom experience that was not available to us when we were kids? Join us for a real conversation with recording and performing artists who bring music — a powerful social resource — into the lives of 21st century learners.

Bill Carbone, Executive Director, TeachRock.org / Rock & Soul Forever Foundation
DJ Reborn, DJ & Sonic Artist, DJs for Justice
Imani Wilson, Director, Media & Culture, TeachRock
Rapsody, Emcee & Recording Artist, Roc Nation

Podcasts

The Amendment with Errin Haines: An Examination of Gender, Politics, & Power
Conversando: Building an Ecosystem for Latina Prosperity
The Cusp, a Work Shift Podcast: Leveraging AI to Benefit Learners & Workers
EdSurge Podcast: Examining the Impact of the 'College is a Scam' Narrative
Educator Well-Being Podcast Series: Conversations on a Purposeful Priority
EWA Radio: Considering Concentrated Poverty in K-12 Funding
Getting Smart on Creativity: Podcast with Stanford d.school
Horizons: Banning LGBTQ Education Means Banning LGBTQ Educators
NAF Research & Tech Talks: Why the Future of Work Needs a Work-based Learning Movement
No Silly Questions Podcast: Early Childhood Education in America's Largest School System
Route K-12 Podcast: Myth Busting: Math Is for Everyone
Taking Off The Mask: What's up with Young Men?
Tomorrow's Principal Podcast: Will A.I. Be Your Next Principal?
Trending in Education: March Madness of Learning Trends 2024

Film

Marshall Man

Director: Marshall Sepello

Marshall is your average eager 9-year-old. When a science experiment at school goes awry, he suddenly transforms into Marshall Man, a tiny superhero with some...interesting new superpowers. Marshall Man uses his new abilities to help those in need while teaching us an important message through his main moral: NGU - "Never Give Up!"

Performances

Lucha Libre in the Global Arena

This original bilingual performance for most ages (recommended 6 and up) from Glass Half Full Theatre features wrestlers who represent solutions for Climate Crisis: Alternative Energy, Carbon Capture, El Resourcerer, and Zorro Waste. These luchadores each have their own plan to save Planet Earth, but they don’t agree which will work best. Blending the Mexican form of Lucha Libre with digital media and puppets, two actors perform six characters en español e ingles to wrestle their way to a global solution for Climate Change.

Moving Myths of India: Integrating Dance & Culture into Education

This session begins with an interactive solo dance and storytelling presentation that weaves together India’s rich cultural heritage for elementary school students. Through a mesmerizing fusion of traditional dance, compelling narratives, music, and rhythms, this performance brings to life myths that have been passed down through generations. Immediately following this, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in movement strategies for the classroom designed to teach academic concepts, comparative ideas, and more.

Mentors

More than 30 new mentors have been added to the Mentor Program.

Don’t Miss Out On SXSW EDU 2024

Register and book your hotel today to break new ground in education through compelling sessions, in-depth workshops, mentorship, film screenings, trailblazing competitions, a dynamic expo, networking opportunities, and so much more at SXSW EDU from March 4-7, 2024.

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SXSW EDU 2024 Keynote, Featured Speaker, and Performance photos provided by the speakers. Jacqueline Woodson photo by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.