OpenCitizen Gathering 2021 Talks

Cultivating a Growth Mindset

Meg Riordan talks about cultivating growth mindset through feedback and practice.

Meg Riordan walks us through her perspective on cultivating a growth mindset. Watch to learn about the importance of letting go of our fixed mindset that limits our abilities, and how to build a growth mindset that embraces challenges and gives us the desire to learn. Meg shares her journey as an athlete to help us appreciate the practice of using feedback to further our growth.

The Why, How, and Role of Question Asking

Turner Bohlen discusses the why, how, and role of question asking.

Turner Bohlen discusses the why, how, and role of question asking as he shares three important lessons he learned from conducting market research interviews at his startup, Beagle Learning. Watch to learn best practices, such as giving people space during interviews to think about big topics and reframe the moment, avoiding providing leading questions, and practicing asking questions about your ideas using the 5-Why tool to get the best outcome when interacting with others.

Social Change Through Community Innovation

Alexis Hope talks about social change through community innovation.

Alexis Hope talks about the exciting projects she has been part of to make social changes through community innovation. She walks us through her philosophy of taking action by bringing people together as a community and creating a space where individuals can build better solutions based on their personal experiences. Watch to learn more about Alexis and her work on supporting breastfeeding as an economic and social justice issue in healthcare.

Be Well; Create Well: Designing your Wellness Playbook

Nakeyshia Kendall’s talk entitled “Designing Your Wellness Playbook.”

Nakeyshia Kendall discusses the importance of wellness and how we can implement it in our lives. She engages the audience in a practice of wellness, encouraging everyone to become change-makers and connect to our core values to make choices toward a more successful existence. Watch to build a better understanding of wellness through Nakeyshia’s group activities

The Power of Community

Maria Anguiano discusses the power of community.

Maria Anguiano talks about the power and meaning of community. She highlights the powerful impact of mentors, professors, and teammates in our lives. Watch to learn more about how ASU Local is helping students build and leverage their community as part of their educational journeys. And hear a testimonial from one of the first students at ASU Local, Eliot, who is empowering students to become change-makers.

On Being Open to New Ideas 

Greg Mendez’s talk entitled “On Being Open to New Ideas.”

Greg Mendez discusses the concept of being open to new ideas as he walks us through how open inquiry learning provided a mindset shift at their high school. Watch to learn more about the transformation possible with student-led learning, and hear Angel’s story, a student who changed his life forever while taking their inquiry project beyond the classroom.

The Collapsible Space Between Us

Michael Littig’s talk on the collapsible space between us.

Michael Littig shares his experience with refugees in Africa to talk about the collapsible space between us. He discusses his view as a teacher, the impact of hearing student stories, and the value of working together to solve a problem. Michael also talks about creating The Post Pandemic Task Force within the Zuckerberg Institute, where students are at the center of solving real-world problems as they help small businesses in their communities.

How to Build a Movement 

Tara Chklovski talks about how to build a movement.

Tara Chklovski shares her thoughts about how to build a movement, embrace the power of a group, and build a team. She walks us through the 4Es to create efficacy within the group: energy, exposure, expectations, and experience. Watch to learn how to practice the 4Es and how Tara’s company, Technovation, empowers girls and families to use cutting-edge mobile and Al technologies to solve real-world problems in their communities. 

Amir Banifatemi, XPRIZE

Amir Banifatemi, XPRIZE

Amir Banifatemi talks about XPRIZE and its focus on technology-based innovation that helps solve global challenges. The design and launch of these competitions empower participants to solve problems in their communities and globally. Amir discusses the importance of learning how to ask hard questions, literacy, and learning together when solving global issues.

Learning through Iterative Action

Carolyn Bickers’ talk entitled “Learning through Iterative Action.”

Carolyn Bickers gives us tips on taking iterative action and launching new projects. She shares her story of how she got into entrepreneurship and how it taught her to embrace critical feedback. Watch to learn how to practice iterative action on your next project. Gain techniques for sourcing, running, and taking action on interviews with important stakeholders.

Consider the Public Library

Katherine McConachie encourages people to consider the public library.

Katherine McConachie shares her passion for community-based learning and encourages us to consider the public library. She shares her appreciation for public libraries from a young age to give us an insight into all the qualities we can earn from spending time with the community there. Watch to learn the importance of such a reliable source with trustworthy information in a world of fake news.

An Invitation to the World

James Tanton sends an invitation to the world.

James Tanton shares his love of mathematics as he walks us through his story of teaching in high school and taking action to create better learning environments. James talks about how teaching polynomials using “Exploding Dots” inspired him and his team to declare Global Math Week and later launch the Global Math Project. Now reaching over 6.9 million students from over 150 countries, the Global Math Project transforms and unites students in a joyous and transformative approach to mathematics.

On Taking Action

Randy Mahlerwein talks about the importance of taking action.

Randy Mahlerwein talks about the importance of taking action as he shares his incredible story. Randy talks about his drive to make positive changes in the system and walks us through the vision behind Mesa Public Schools in Mesa, Arizona. He invites us to be creative and innovative and encourages teachers to create an inspirational environment in the classroom.