It’s quite simple. Without Mary Catherine Swanson, there would be no AVID education program. The lives of many students would be different in both America and Australia. Her impact to change millions of lives was recognised by Time and CNN when they named her America’s Best Teacher in 2001.
From 27 March to 31 March 2017, Mary Catherine will be visiting Australia to see how her vision is impacting the lives of Australian teachers and students just as it has in the USA. For AVID Australia schools and people interested in the AVID journey, this is the chance of a lifetime to meet and hear from the inspirational person who started this program, nearly 40 years ago.
A public seminar will be held on 29 March 2017 with Mary Catherine and a panel of experts to discuss the contention that students have the right to fail. We invite AVID schools and the general-public to join us for what is bound to be a fascinating discussion.
For AVID schools, we’re also giving you the opportunity to experience and engage with Mary Catherine in a school setting. We’re hosting the Student Showcase, where students will take part in an Advanced AVID Workshop that will apply classroom skills to real-world scenarios in a high engagement, applied learning context – the kind of which AVID is famous for.
The Leadership Workshop is a one-day professional learning event building on the first leadership Summer Institute strand held in 2016. A series of activities will form the basis to explore how AVID schools can continue their whole school improvement journeys in the short, medium and long term with Mary Catherine providing insights and learning from her life’s work.
Below, you will find further event details and information on how you can register. We hope to see you in Melbourne, late in March.
Events
AVID Student Symposium: Taking charge of your world
Monday, 27 March 2017, 8:30AM – 5:00PM
City Convention Centre, Victoria University, Flinders Campus
Level 12, 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Register: Download the AVID Student Symposium Registration Form and return it to AVID.events@vu.edu.au by 15 March 2017. Schools can register up to ten students, subject to availability.
Leadership Workshop
Tuesday, 28 March 2017, 9:00AM – 4:00PM
City Convention Centre, Victoria University, Flinders Campus
Level 12, 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Register: RSVP with the names of your attendees (including dietary requirements) to AVID.events@vu.edu.au by 16 March 2017. Registering is absolutely essential to attending this workshop.
Controversies seminar: “The F Bomb in education: Do all students have the right to fail?”
Thursday, 30 March 2017, 5:30PM (for 5:45PM start) – 7:30PM
City Convention Centre, Victoria University, Flinders Campus
Level 12, 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
If you have any further questions, please contact AVID Australia at AVID.Australia@vu.edu.
