Announced January 16, the Reagan Institute Summit on Education (RISE) falls under the foundation’s mission to encourage students to be informed and engaged citizens. The bipartisan conference, scheduled for April 11 and 12 in Washington, D.C., will convene thought leaders in education, policy, business and technology to address K-12 and post-secondary education issues at large.
“We know we have a lot of work to do, but we also are very hopeful because we know we’ve made progress in the learning sciences area and we have better data to work from today,” said Janet Tran, director of learning and leadership at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “We’re hopeful to bring together the experts and bring controversial, delicate tensions to the surface because the way we view education and the vantage point we come from certainly affects what we believe should be done.”
Salient higher education issues the RISE summit will address at the two-day event include college access and affordability, preparation at the K-12 level for students going to college and where thought leaders can illuminate innovative cross-sector collaborations in education.
“We’re very hopeful that we answer a need at this time to ensure that 35 years from now, we have not rested on our laurels and actually pursue a path for collaboration to ensure our children learn at the best capacities as possible,” Tran said.
The Reagan Foundation will not approach the event with a set agenda, she said.
“We approach it with core values. Every aspect of society is responsible for our children. In spite of political differences, we do share this common goal of building and maintaining a world-class educational system that prepares America’s children and college students to become engaged citizens and then, of course, to be competitive in the 22nd century.”
