EDTalks: Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

New Lens, New Perspectives
Gayle J. Smaller is Executive Director of the New Lens Mentoring Society, which he created in 2014 to close the opportunity gap between students of color and their white peers in Saint Paul Public Schools. Gayle draws on his vast experience as a teacher, principal, and educational consultant and uses a unique multi-generational mentoring and experiential approach. Born and raised in North Minneapolis in a family well-known for its commitment to education and civil rights, he is also a spoken-word artist and poet. He holds a B.S. in Designing K-12 Alternative Learning Environments and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota.

Engaged Learning through Experiential Education
Jenny Wright Collins is Executive Director of the University YMCA/Beacons Network and a proven non-profit leader who is committed to transforming Twin Cities communities through youth development, educational equity, cross-sector collaboration, and innovative leadership development. She manages programs that engage 8,000+ young people state-wide, including the Beacons Network, University of Minnesota college student development programming, Statewide Youth in Government and the Teen Thrive program in Y branches across the Twin Cities. Jenny grew up in South Minneapolis and attended Minneapolis Public Schools. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota.

Our emcee for the evening is Adia Morris.