K-12 Education

Paralympic medalist and APB speaker Blake Leeper was recently at Scott Sabolich Prosthetics in Oklahoma City being fitted for prosthetics when he discovered that a toddler was down the hall, preparing to walk for the first time in his new prosthesis. In a heartwarming video that has now gone viral, Leeper is heard encouraging and supporting the 2-year-old, saying: “I got my legs on now! I am ready! I’m ready for you! You’re doing great! You’re doing awesome! Look…mine look like yours!”

Former NASA Astronaut and New York Times bestselling author Mike Massimino is a veteran of two space shuttle missions and four spacewalks. The first person to tweet from space, he holds the team record for the most spacewalking time on a single space shuttle mission. Recently Mike’s book, Spaceman, was chosen by the National Science Teaching Association as one of the “Best STEM Books 2021." Written especially for young readers, the book tells the incredible story of his arduous journey to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. 

As a teacher, educational consultant and parent for 40 years, Dr. Michele Borba has never been more worried for young people than she is about this current generation of kids. Across the nation, student mental health is plummeting, depression rates among teens are rising, kids are reporting severe anxiety at ever-younger ages–and the pandemic has only exacerbated this crisis. In her forthcoming book—and new speech topic of the same name—Dr. Borba offers a sharply insightful look into the essential character strengths kids need to flourish in a rapidly changing, digitally-driven and uncertain world.

As we come to the close of what has been a very difficult year for all, we've been reflecting on how fortunate we are to have clients and speakers such as you. The continued collaboration we've had with you throughout 2020 has ignited creativity and innovation, as we together found new ways to navigate life and business while our collective worlds turned upside down. For that we thank you.

Wishing you and yours a very healthy and safe holiday season, 
The APB Family

CEO of The Robin Hood Foundation, APB speaker Wes Moore is a bestselling author, combat veteran, and social entrepreneur. His first book, The Other Wes Moore, a New York Times bestseller, captured the nation’s attention as it examined the difference between success and failure in our communities and in ourselves. That story has been optioned by executive producer Oprah Winfrey and HBO to be made into a movie. Most recently, the book was picked by NBA all-star Stephen Curry as the first for his new book club. "It's just a wild story of two different paths starting from pretty much the same spot." Curry said.

The APB Virtual Platform (APBVIP) is the next best thing to live, in person events during COVID-19. APBVIP allows clients to recreate the full spectrum of a 1-3 day live conference, including keynotes, panels, workshops, sponsor/exhibitor booths, and more. Recently, the University of New Haven was able to bring their Centennial to life via the APB Virtual Platform. Read about their incredible and successful experience!

APB speaker Jeffrey Selingo, best-selling author and co-host of the podcast FUTURE U, reports on the future of work and its impact on lifelong learning, paying for college, the financial sustainability of traditional higher education, and what employers and the public increasingly want in a college degree. His latest book, Who Gets In and Why, takes readers on a journey from the inside of admissions offices, revealing what really matters in the selection process and how ultimately decisions are based a college’s agenda and its priorities rather than the quality of applicants. Now the question is how will this pandemic change college admissions?

APB speaker Steve Pemberton’s triumphant life story is about defying seemingly insurmountable odds as a child orphaned into foster care. His best-selling memoir, A Chance in the World, documents his childhood filled with adversity and the priceless acts of kindness he received along the way. This month, Learning Company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) introduced A Chance in the World Integrated SEL Curriculum for students in grades 8-12. This SEL curriculum is designed to bring students and educators together around Steve’s inspiring story of resilience, which portrays his experiences in the foster care system and his quest to uncover the truth about his origins. “This integrated SEL curriculum from HMH provides a dynamic framework for understanding the themes of empathy and resilience, and inspiring readers to overcome challenges to create a better future.” 

Gifted interviewer and sought-after speaker Kelly Corrigan is hosting a new heartfelt interview series called Tell Me More (inspired by her book of the same name) on PBS NewsHour. In the series, Corrigan will conduct candid conversations with influential leaders in their fields, and her first guest is late-night host, actor and writer James Corden!  

APB speaker David Epstein has made it his mission to uncover the keys to achieving high performance in any domain, and to debunk popular myths along the way. In his recent speech at TEDxManchester, he discussed why specializing early doesn't always mean career success. Be sure to check out the video on TED.com!