Announcing Closing Keynote and Featured Sessions, the Full Podcast Stage Lineup, and more for SXSW EDU 2025

We are thrilled to announce the SXSW EDU 2025 Closing Keynote! Challenge your views on what it means to be strong in the face of opposition and learn how to turn conflict into cooperation with Shamil Idriss, CEO of Search for Common Ground.

In addition, dive into the newest Featured Session with the creators of the PBS Kid’s show Carl the Collector as they discuss the tools, research, and collaboration needed to ensure authentic representation of neurodivergence in media. Plus, join us in welcoming Dan Porterfield, president and CEO of The Aspen Institute; Shaniqua McClendon, vice president of politics at Crooked Media; and Vanessa Van Edwards, bestselling author and founder of Science of People to the speaker lineup.

Plus, the Podcast Stage lineup is here! 14 podcasts will record an episode live at SXSW EDU in front of an audience. Get workplace and career advice, hear from teen journalists on what they’re seeing in schools, unpack essential skills often missing in formal education, and more.

Don’t miss this new special program: Join Mic Check: Podcasting with NPR, The Bell, & PBS News SRL for a student-led program celebrating podcasts’ role in helping students expand their agency, literacy, and storytelling skills.

Plus, check out 14 new mentors added to the mentor lineup. Browse the full announcement below.

Keynote

Turning Conflict into Progress in Our Divided Times

Every leader today - whether a student activist or community organizer, corporate CEO or country President - is challenged by debilitating polarization and escalating conflict. Even for the rest of us, the rancor and animosity of culture wars and political clashes is exhausting. Drawing upon lessons learned on the frontlines of conflict in the U.S. and abroad, this session will replace the despair many of us feel with well-founded hope, challenge our views of what it means to be strong in the face of opposition, and inspire us to turn conflict into cooperation for a better future for all.

Shamil Idriss, CEO, Search for Common Ground

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Featured Session

The Full Spectrum: A Raccoon & Neurodivergence in Kids’ Media

“If you know one autistic person, then you know one autistic person,” Dr. Stephen Shore. In November, PBS KIDS introduced Carl the Collector, its first series centering on an autistic main character. How does a series like this come to fruition? What are the challenges and opportunities in showcasing the many unique aspects of neurodivergence? Join the team as they discuss the tools, research, and collaboration used to ensure authentic representation, and how the series has already been resonating with children, families, and educators alike.

Lisa Whittick, Director, Yowza! Animation
Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President & General Manager, PBS KIDS, PBS
Tim Frost, Musician & Speaker, All Things Frost
Zachariah O’Hora, Creator & Executive Producer, FUZZYTOWN PRODUCTIONS

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Podcasts

College Matters: Why Is the GOP Gaga for Higher Ed’s ‘Western Civ’ Centers?
Ed-Technical: Evidence Eats AI for Breakfast
Education Beat: Undocumented Student Civic Engagement in the Trump Era
From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood: Is This Conversation Against the Law Now?
Getting Smart Podcast: Humanizing Pathways: Leadership Soul in Action
Million Dollar Advice: Navigating the Workplace with Amy Poehler’s Top Execs
MindShift KQED: Can Better Conversations Improve Media Literacy Among Students?
P.S. Weekly: Teen Journalists Dig into Educational Inequities in NYC
The Disagreement: Are ESAs the Answer for Students, Parents, & K-12 Ed?
The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators: Youth at the Center
Tomorrow's Principal Podcast: Leading Through Political Turmoil
Trending in Education: March Madness of Learning Trends 2025
Voices for Justice: Navigating Priorities & Realities on US College Campuses
Women at Work: Navigating the Hidden Curriculum: What Schools Don't Teach Women About Work

Mentors

An exciting 14 new mentors have been added to the Mentor Program.

Explore the newly added mentors

See You at SXSW EDU 2025

Registration is open for SXSW EDU 2025! Book your hotel early for the best rates and hotel options March 3-6, 2025 in downtown Austin.

Sign up for SXSW EDU email updates, check out the News feed, watch videos, and follow us on Bluesky, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok to get the most up-to-date information.

Speaker photos provided by the speakers