Nantucket Lighthouse School’s Educational Speaker Series will bring author and educator Zoe Weil (pronounced Zoh While) to the island on Monday, March 26th. Generously funded by the Community Foundation for Nantucket’s ReMain Nantucket Fund, the Series brings prominent educators and industry leaders to the Nantucket community, providing parents with free informative workshops on timely topics and offering Nantucket educators and administrators free and accessible on-island professional development.
Zoe is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE) and is considered a pioneer in the comprehensive humane education movement that works to create a peaceful, healthy, and just world for all people, animals, and the environment. Zoe created IHE’s online M.Ed., M.A., and graduate certificate programs as well as IHE’s acclaimed workshops and courses. She is the author of seven books including The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries (2016), Nautilus Silver Medal winner, Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life (2009), The Power and Promise of Humane Education (2004), and Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times (2003). She has written numerous articles on humane education and humane living and has appeared frequently on radio as well as television.
In 2010, Zoe gave her first TEDx talk “The World Becomes What You Teach” which became among the 50 top-rated TEDx talks. Zoe speaks regularly at universities, conferences, and schools across the United States and Canada, and is a frequent keynote speaker.
Weil’s visit on Monday, March 26th, will begin with a half-day workshop for island educators entitled “The World Becomes What We Teach,” named after Weil’s latest book. The workshop aims to bring global ethical issues into classrooms (and communities) through innovative activities and approaches that enable others to become solutionaries—effective problem solvers for a more humane, peaceable, and healthy world. Educators will be charged with thinking deeply and developing their critical-, creative-, strategic-, and systems-thinking skills; making compassionate and responsible choices, fostering appreciation and empathy for people; and focusing on solutions by offering opportunities to collaboratively engage in problem-solving and the implementation of ideas. The workshop will be hosted at Nantucket Lighthouse School and is free and open to all island educators, school administrators and community leaders. Workshop attendees can pick up a free copy of Weil’s book, The World Becomes What We Teach, once they register for the workshop by calling Nantucket Lighthouse School – 508.228.0427.
Following her workshop, Weil will give an evening lecture that is free and open to the entire community. The lecture is from 6-7:30PM at the Nantucket Historical Association’s Whaling Museum.
Shared Nantucket Lighthouse School Head of School, Emily Miller, “Several years ago, in an effort to provide ongoing professional development for island families and educators, Nantucket Lighthouse School launched its Educational Speaker Series. Recognizing the costs and challenges associated with off-island professional development, we dreamed of bringing nationally recognized speakers, researchers and educational leaders to Nantucket. Over the past few years, we have hosted a series of speakers including Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, Dr. Ross Greene, Tony Wagner, Meenoo Rami and Cindy Horgan. In addition to discussing timely, relevant topics related to education and parenting, the Educational Speaker Series joins educators and families in a shared vision of supporting Nantucket children.” Continued Miller, “We are so grateful for the opportunity to bring such noteworthy industry leaders to Nantucket, and we thank the Community Foundation for Nantucket’s ReMain Nantucket Fund for making the Series possible. A special thank you to the Nantucket Historical Association and Cape Air for sponsoring Weil’s visit.”
