Providence Day is playing host to a grown-up sandbox, where top innovators, educators, design specialists, and thought leaders from around the country will spitball on the future of education.
Sandbox 6.0 will come to campus on February 15 and 16 and showcase Providence Day’s IDEAS Xchange space and its redefinition of new-look computer science, among other spots.
“We’ll take a tour of the school, go to different locations on campus, and then take some time to have pressing conversations,” says Matt Scully, Director of Digital Integration and Innovation. He’s worked at Providence Day for 25 years and has been to more than six Sandbox events. “We get to show off the work we’re doing in the IDEAS XChange, as well as the vision of where Providence Day is going next.
“It all ties in pretty well.”
The Sandbox network, also known as Sand Fleas, spends time annually at one site, where they take part in unstructured learning, networking, and fellowship. This year’s themes include Artificial Intelligence, or AI, and its impact on schools, how to get in front of it, and how to build a sense of community on campuses.
“It’s really neat that we’re part of this conversation,” Mr. Scully says. “[Providence Day] has built a sense of community, and we have thoughtful leaders. It’s neat that we’re a part of this whole collection of people to pick brains.”
The Sand Fleas represent organizations in education across many fields of influence, from national organizations and independent schools to innovation think tanks and consultants. Organizations include the National Association of Independent Schools, Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, NEOM Education, Research and Innovation, Girl Scouts of North Texas, DigiCred, and independent schools from the U.S.
“Providence Day School is excited to host the upcoming Sandbox event,” says Michael Magno, Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs. “We are fortunate to have industry experts and thought leaders on campus for a few days to engage in the process of organizational design.”
Magno continues: “This is not the first time that we will host such a dynamic group of educators; we host groups from the Southern Association every summer as well as peer school cohorts throughout the school year. We have also hosted the National Association on campus, as well. We are an institution designed for learning and look forward to learning from colleagues around the world.”
Mr. Scully agrees.
“I’m grateful I get to hang out with this particular group of people,” Mr. Scully says. “Helps us facilitate us moving forward with a lot of energy and new ideas.”