‘TRANSFORMATIVE’
Annual EAST Conference draws nearly 4,000 to HS
Nearly 4,000 students, educators and guests convened at Bank OZK Arena Tuesday for the national Education Accelerated by Service and Technology Conference.
The annual event, which goes through Thursday, kicked off Tuesday night with a blacklight dance party at the Hot Springs Convention Center, before this morning’s opening session.
According to its website, the EAST initiative advocates lifelong learning and community service by “empowering people with technology, by encouraging critical thinking and creative problem-solving, and by engaging them in positive, real-world experiences.”
Along with 29 breakout sessions over the two days, students will hear from Morrilton native and EAST alumna Trina L. Fletcher, who will present the conference’s keynote address. Fletcher is an assistant professor of engineering and computing education at Florida International University, who recently completed a three-year rotation as a member of the EngineerGirl steering committee.
EngineerGirl, according to a news release, is the leading initiative for the National Academy of Engineering to increase the number of girls pursuing engineering.
“Last year we crossed our fingers, held our breath, and it was an incredible show,” EAST President and CEO Matt Dozier said of coming off the two-year COVID hiatus.
“It was one of the first things where the schools got out to do something like this all year, so there was lots of excitement. But this year, we are back full — full participation, massive attendance — and for many of these students it’s the first time they’ve seen something like that. And to be a part of something, not just to go to it, but to be a part of it, that’s transformative,” he said.
Lexi Jarrett, a student from Cross Country High School, said she was “pumped” about the event.
“There’s just so many different schools and so many students that are here, so you get to hear all these different stories and just get to learn more about what EAST is and see it in action across, you know, not just Arkansas, but you have schools from Oklahoma and places like that,” she said.
Jarrett, who serves as co-leader of the conference ambassador team along with Hot Springs High School student Chance Fisher, oversees registration, the gear store, and other parts of the conference to ensure it runs smoothly.
Little Rock Central High School junior Kevin Durden agreed.
“This is my seventh EAST conference, and every year, it’s the most excited I am all year. And this year I’m even more excited; we’re finally getting back from COVID. Everyone’s back in person and I’m just so excited to be with all the same EAST students, hear about the awesome projects, and see the fun sessions,” he said.
Durden is co-leader of the technical support team at the conference.
Osceola High School student Kadan Newsome recently won the EASTCon23 Logo Competition. He said he is “100 out of 10” excited and encouraged everyone to keep believing in themselves. “It’s only impossible if you do not try,” he said. Dozier said the conference is all about collaboration and student involvement.
“When we’re talking to people about what we do or when we’re talking to people about adding EAST, we say come here,” he said. “Because at our exhibit hall, they’re not trying to sell you the vendor stuff; the kids are actually the exhibit hall. They’re 95% of this exhibit hall. We think that that’s educational accountability at its very highest level.
“It is showing up and showing what you can do. It’s going up against your peers and working collaboratively to see how what you’re doing can be improved or how other people are doing it. But all the way down to the planning and logistics, our leadership team, we have almost 60 students between our ambassadors, our documentarians, our social media, our videographers, and our livestream team, 60 students that come in to the EAST staff of about 25 and make any of this possible.”
Although now in four states after starting in Arkansas in 1996, he said EAST has a lot of room to grow.
“We have not yet closed out recruiting for this year. There are still a small number of grants from the Department of Education. The state of Arkansas been with us since Day 1, and we love growing EAST,” he said.
“These guys love getting brothers and sisters and cousins. It’s an incredible thing, and we think it’s the way education should work. There’s nothing they enjoy more than actually learning things that they actually put to use that actually make a difference in the lives of others. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”