What are the material conditions that affect urban youth before they even step foot in our classrooms? What does it mean to develop educational environments that are relevant and responsive to these circumstances? How should these educational spaces define success for students and teachers? In this presentation, Jeff Duncan-Andrade, founder of the ground-breaking Roses in Concrete Community School, provides solutions for these important questions. He shares how to develop educators who are better equipped to understand and create educational environments that respond to the social toxins that emerge from racism and poverty. He closely examines the types of social stressors young people face in the broader society and discusses the impact of these conditions on student identities and school performance. Duncan-Andrade draws from nearly 30 years as an urban educator to explore the concept of hope as essential for nurturing healthy and sustainable youth development. Through the voices of young people and their teachers, and the invocation of powerful metaphor and imagery, Duncan-Andrade proclaims hope as a foundational element for an education that replaces undeserved suffering in communities with wellness.

Why is success defined differently depending on your zip code? What happens to communities that define winning for their young people by how far away from the neighborhood they can get? How can we redefine success, so that our children understand how important they are to the project of improving the conditions in our communities?  In this presentation, educator, researcher, author and activist Jeff Duncan-Andrade shares how critical our young people’s wellness is to the pursuit of democracy, justice and freedom for all people. Drawing from the late Tupac Shakur’s concept of “unconditional love,” this presentation tests the double standard that is frequently used to define success in this country. It challenges poor and working-class youth and their educators to redefine dominant notions of success that encourage them to “escape” their communities—distancing themselves from the struggles of their neighborhoods while simultaneously increasing resources in areas that are already well resourced. Using a range of popular cultural frameworks, the talk presents a new definition of success for young people in our country—one connected to changing the conditions of inequality that regularly crush dreams and squander the potential of this nation to be truly democratic and socially just.

Is it possible to have a staff that is productive, creative and happy with their jobs? Categorically yes, says author and activist Jeff Duncan-Andrade. Drawing on his experience as a teacher, professor, researcher and leader, Duncan-Andrade discusses why getting the best out of your team is not rocket science. He argues that study after study shows that creating a company culture that actually cares about employees is the key to sustainable growth. In this talk, Duncan-Andrade shares the secrets of developing a company culture where individuals and teams are more joyful, more productive and less likely to get sick. This is only possible with the kind of intentional leadership that prioritizes people over profit and sees clearly the promise of the triple bottom line. Allowing the long view to shape the present is the future of sustainable and profitable business in the 21st Century economy.