Written By Bowie State University Newsroom
Bowie State University held a pair of conferences this past weekend which focused on supporting education professionals at all levels by providing a space for them to meet, fellowship and network as they continue the work of creating positive outcomes for their classrooms.
Saturday featured the inaugural Leadership Empowerment Conference, which focused on equipping leaders within the education profession with foundational support tools such as financial planning, tips for self-care and information for different career paths or entrepreneurship. Dr. Julius Davis said the topics the conference covered are often an afterthought for educators, and it was time to address those gaps.
“Leaders go to a lot of conferences to improve their craft,” said Dr. Davis, who noted that organizers exceeded the initial estimate of about 100 registrants. “But they rarely go to a conference to help take care of themselves. We initially wanted to keep it small, but we exceeded estimates. Everyone found value in it.”
Simultaneously, Dr. Davis also organized and facilitated the sixth annual BOND Academy, a conference which focuses on mentorship and support for Black male educators and students. The BOND Academy was also a sold-out and featured over 400 registrants who came to Bowie State to network, exchange information on pedagogy and encourage each other as they navigate the challenges of teaching. They also gathered to remind themselves of what they’re doing through their work by helping young people realize and become the best and most holistic version of themselves.
“There’s foundational elements that go into delivering quality instruction, and also moving our kids into positive outcomes,” said Corey Carter, the director of the Sherman Teacher Scholars program at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “When we stop paying attention to who’s in front of us, then we start to dehumanize those other things that we do. We prioritize things like control over the humanity of celebrating joy, having folks feel welcome or recognizing the gifts that people bring to the classroom.”
Dr. Davis hopes that next year the BOND Academy can fill up the new Martin Luther King Jr. Communication Arts and Humanities building, which is scheduled to open this coming fall.