Dr. César Rey Hernández

Dr. Rey Hernández holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, where he received the Gabino Barreda Award, the highest national accolade of doctoral studies. He has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and International Relations from Oberlin College.

DERRY HANNAM

Derry practised as much democracy and student control over their own learning as he could get away with in his twenty years as a state secondary school teacher. He ended his school career as vice-principal (at times acting principal) of a large English secondary school which pioneered the role of the school being a resource for the whole community and the whole community being a resource for the school.

Chloe Duff

Chloe Duff is a democratic school graduate, event’s organiser and democratic education advocate.

Jerry Mintz

Jerry Mintz has been a leading voice in the alternative school movement for over 30 years.

Ian Cunningham

Ian Cunningham works with organizations at various levels including assisting with organization-wide change, boards on strategy development, team development and coaching of managers, directors and CEO's.

Dana Bennis

Dana Bennis has been deeply involved in the growing network of democratic education practitioners and supporters since 2001, dedicating his time to researching, teaching, and advocating for education that respects young people to be meaningfully involved in their learning.

Isaac Graves

Isaac Graves began his journey in democratic education at a very young age having attended The Free School (Albany, NY), the longest running inner-city democratic school in the United States. Since graduating, he has worked extensively in the field as an educator, speaker, and organizer.

Scott Nine

Scott Nine is the Executive Director of IDEA. A dynamic public speaker and organizer, he enjoys teaching and learning about leadership, social justice, community, educational reform, environmental sanity, personal growth, entrepreneurship, and how we get along with one another.

Pedro Subirats Camaraza

He is a professor of philosophy and education, teaching Educational Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities courses at the University of Puerto Rico and the Interamerican University, Metro.

Elizabeth Baker

Elizabeth Baker is the co-founder and Director of Community Development at a democratic, free school called The Patchwork School in Louisville, Colorado.

Khalif Williams

Khalif Williams, Director of The Bay School in Maine, is passionate about building the social movement toward just and sustainable societies through education.

Justo Méndez Arámburu

Justo Méndez Arámburu is the founder and executive director of Nuestra Escuela, alongside his wife and Deputy Director, Ana Yris Guzmán Torres.

Kirsten Olson

Kirsten Olson is President of the Board of IDEA, a national not-for-profit that forwards democratic practices in education.

Shelly Loeffler

She has been a teacher at Saskatoon Public Schools for the past 31 years, a school system that works hard to be open-minded and progressive in their programming.

Eylem Korkmaz

Eylem Korkmaz, one of the founding members of Alternative Education Association and Another School is Possible Association

Anita Yudkin Suliveres

Anita Yudkin Suliveres is a Professor at the College of Education of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. She has a doctorate degree in Educational Psychology.

William Miranda Torres

Mayor of the Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico. With a cutting edge, visionary and civic upbringing, William Miranda Torres is the son of the late Mayor William Miranda Marin and Sara Torres Carmen Figueroa, a woman of great mettle and social conscience.

Santiago Rincón Gallardo

The relationship between subjects (agency) and institutions (structure) is at the core of his interests as an educator and scholar.

Ginny Marxuach Lausell

Ginny is the founder and director of espacio a (space a), a community of natural, integral, and democratic learning in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Jaime E. Conde Matos

He has a Juris doctor and a Master’s degree (LL.M.) in Childhood, Adolescence and Family Law. Is an Associate Professor at the School of Law, University of Puerto Rico as well as external consultant at the Office of Children's Affairs of the Autonomous Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Melia Dicker

Melia Dicker, a writer and educator who has worked with students of all ages, is the Communications Director of IDEA. She has a degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University and is an alumna and board member of AmeriCorps' Public Allies. Melia co-founded Spark, a nonprofit organization empowering youth through leadership development and apprenticeships in their dream jobs.

Gabriel Cámara

Doctor of Education from Harvard University. His work is noted for his research and promotion of alternative models of education at basic level and in community settings.

Yaacov Hecht

Yaacov Hecht was born in 1958 in Israel. He was the founder and the principal (1987 to 1997) of the Democratic School in Hadera, the first school in the world that called itself a democratic school.

Ana María Careaga

She is a psychologist (UBA) and journalist with an extensive professional experience and trajectory in the field of human rights.

Gladys R. Capella Noya, Ed.D.

Professor at the Department of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Education of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, in the area of Curriculum and Instruction.

Amukta Mahapatra

After being a volunteer teacher in a village school in Anaimalai, TN, Amukta worked at the Krishnamurti Foundation India school in Chennai when it was started.

Beatriz Rodríguez-Fiol

Beatriz (aka “Triz”, pronounced “trees”) develops and facilitates cultural empowerment programming with youth in the US and Puerto Rico.

Ravi Karkara

Ravi is an experienced Social Worker (with specialization in Social Development); globally advocating human rights for over 17 years with focus on Social Inclusion and Social Justice.

Ana Helvia Quintero

She teaches Mathematics at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. Earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico; her MA at the University of California at Berkeley; and her doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both in the same discipline.

Lourdes M. Aponte Brigantty

Lourdes Aponte Brigantty was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, where she studied at Colegio San José, Notre Dame, and José Gautier Benitez School.

Courtney Martin

Courtney E. Martin is an author, blogger, and speaker. Her most recent book, Project Rebirth: Survival and the Strength of the Human Spirit from 9/11 Survivors, was published this fall.

Jean-Robert Cadet

Jean-Robert Cadet is an advocate for children enslaved in the Haitian Restavek system (spelled restavec in French) He is an author, husband, father and onetime member of the UN Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. He has collaborated on several documentaries and has testified before the United Nations and the U.S. Congress regarding his experience as a survivor of slavery. Cadet has been featured on Oprah, 60 Minutes, and CNN.

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IDEC 2012

Dr. César Rey Hernández

DERRY HANNAM

Chloe Duff

Jerry Mintz

Ian Cunningham

Dana Bennis

Isaac Graves

Scott Nine

Pedro Subirats Camaraza

Elizabeth Baker

Khalif Williams

Justo Méndez Arámburu

Kirsten Olson

Shelly Loeffler

Eylem Korkmaz

Anita Yudkin Suliveres

William Miranda Torres

Santiago Rincón Gallardo

Ginny Marxuach Lausell

Jaime E. Conde Matos

Melia Dicker

Gabriel Cámara

Yaacov Hecht

Ana María Careaga

Gladys R. Capella Noya, Ed.D.

Amukta Mahapatra

Beatriz Rodríguez-Fiol

Ravi Karkara

Ana Helvia Quintero

Lourdes M. Aponte Brigantty

Courtney Martin

Jean-Robert Cadet

Meet Our Speakers

Welcome to the Frontpage