Exploring the Future of Education: The Inaugural Ohio EdTech Summit

More than 200 innovation focused educators and technologists gathered in Cleveland at John Carroll University on Thursday, March 2, 2023, for the inaugural Ohio EdTech Summit co-hosted by OhioX and the Boler College of Business.

The Summit's theme was "Imagining the Future of Education" and attendees from across the state joined for an afternoon of panels, keynotes, and roundtable breakout sessions led by educators, non-profit leaders, and tech pros. Organizing partners for the Summit included: Ohio Department of Education, Women in Analytics, Dublin City Schools, Laurel School, University of Cincinnati, and the Ohio Cyber Range Institute.

State of Play: Disruption happening now and what every student will need to know

The opening session of the day was the "State of Play: Disruption happening now and what every student will need to know" panel discussion which featured Jessica Cohen (Director Community Engagement at Verizon), Lisa Gray (President of Ohio Excels), Rehgan Avon (CEO of AlignAI and Founder of Women in Analytics), and Mimi Chizever (VP of Technology Innovation at Nationwide). During their session, the four women shared insights into how industry adopts and embraces disruptive technologies and what skills the workforce of tomorrow will require.

The Future of Education: Ohio's opportunity to lead

The second panel of the Summit, "The Future of Education: Ohio's Opportunity to Lead," brought together leaders from education and non-profits including Fred Bolden (Superintendent of Solon City Schools), Stephen White (Chief Strategy Officer of COSI), Detra Price-Dennis (Director of Digital Education at The Ohio State University), and Lisa Chambers (Executive Director at TECH CORPS). Together, they explored Ohio's potential to lead in shaping the future of education through embracing emerging technologies and building industry and education partnerships.

Technologies defining our future

A highlight of the event was the keynote address by Steve Grubbs, Co-Founder, and CEO of VictoryXR. Grubbs took the audience on a journey, delving into "How Four New Technologies Will Define Our Future," offering valuable perspectives on the transformative power of emerging technologies in education and how leaders can be on the forefront of change.

Interactive Breakout Roundtables

To close the Summit, attendees joined curated breakout roundtables where attendees actively participated in discussions on various topics led by educators and technology leaders. Topics included the future of computer science education, the impact of artificial intelligence in the classroom, building tech pipeline through education and industry partnerships, and more.