Educators meet to discuss the education for 2025

By Emma Cartledge

   As the wise Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” 
   The community has a firm belief in the importance of proper education and is trying to introduce new ways to strengthen the system in the future. 
   On Jan. 29 a panel of powerful Roanoke educators will meet and collaborate on ways to better the future of education in the community. These leaders include North Cross alumna and TED speaker Katherine Fulton, Dr. Rita Bishop, Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools, Dr. Robert Sandel, President of Virginia Western Community College, and Dr. Christopher Howard, President of Hampden-Sydney College.
   In a press release to the community Headmaster Dr. Christian J. Proctor said, “We are excited to have Katherine back on campus, and honored to host Dr. Bishop, Dr. Sandel and Dr. Howard. With the constantly increasing presence of technology in the classroom and an emphasis on creativity in the classroom, we are in the midst of an incredibly dynamic time in the field of education.  Education: 2025 is a tremendous opportunity to hear from three insightful educators from diverse educational communities.  Having these educators on stage with Katherine Fulton, a dynamic and imaginative thought leader, should make this an entertaining and thought provoking evening.”
   “This all began because the North Cross Alumni Association felt we needed another way to acknowledge some outstanding graduates of the School,” said Director of Development and Major Gifts Chris Moore. “We have been giving the Alumni Service Award since 1999, and we regularly have alums that are nominated that don’t live in Roanoke and don’t have a lot of direct contact with the school. This was a way to acknowledge a different group of alums who have distinguished themselves since their graduation from North Cross.”
   The topics of discussion at this forum will be mainly of the goals for 2025. These topics are the future of a liberal arts education, and how technology will continue to have an impact on the way the community learns.
   Fulton, a graduate of North Cross School and Harvard College will be mediating during this event. Katherine is a director at the world’s largest consulting firm, Deloitte Consulting, where she leads the practice dedicated to nonprofits, philanthropy and social change. Her most famous talk, on the future of philanthropy, was given on the TED main stage, and her innovative course design at Duke University was featured in Time magazine.

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