Van Jones to Moderate Panel on MOOCs hosted by LPFI at 2013 Fairness Matters Forum

Van JonesYou are invited to spend an evening engaged in thoughtful dialogue. On November 7, 2013, the Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI) will host its annual Fairness Matters Forum at Google (San Francisco). Our exciting panel topic is “Downloading Opportunities: The Real Impact of MOOCs and Other Online Learning Platforms on STEM Equity”! This debate-style forum will examine the recent popularity of online learning tools, namely massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the impact that these approaches have on educational equity, particularly as they relate to STEM fields and underrepresented students.

The panel is to be moderated by Co-host of CNN’s Crossfire and President of Rebuild the Dream Van Jones. Confirmed panelists include: Dan Garcia, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer SOE in the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department at UC Berkeley; Sergio Sandoval, 3rd year Summer Math & Science Honors Academy (SMASH) Scholar; and Julia Stiglitz, Director of Business Development for Coursera with more to be announced; Tressie McMillan Cottom, Ph.D. Candidate, covers education debates for Slate Magazine; Raymond Ravaglia, Associate Dean and Director of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies and founder of Stanford University’s Online High School.

Said Van Jones, “I’m looking forward to playing my part in order to make this a successful event. The mission of Level Playing Field Institute is one I’ve admired for quite some time. It will be vital for the US to tap into all the talent we have if we wish to remain competitive in STEM and that includes providing more access and opportunity to underrepresented students. MOOCs and online learning platforms are one attempt to do this and I’m eager to explore these options in more depth with our other experts on the panel.”

In addition, LPFI will honor two education equity pioneers this evening with the Lux Award:

Ana Roca Castro, CEO of Plaza Familia (the first bilingual education platform) and Founder of Latinos in Tech Innovation and Social Media (LATISM) for her work empowering the Latino community in the areas of education, health, technology and business.

Walter A. Robinson, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions at UC Davis, for his commitment to providing students in underserved communities access to higher education.

Click here for ticket information.