2016 EARCOS Teachers Conference

Senior Associate Ray Sparks enjoyed the annual East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) Conference held in Manila March 31 – April 2. Ray was in excellent company, among nearly 800 educators—school counselors and teachers of various areas of instruction, such as physical education, music, drama, visual arts, and dance.

Participants at the conference chose from many enriching workshops to attend. Search Associates candidates, plentiful in number, visited Ray at our display table, grateful for the good fortune of having been placed by us. Those in attendance were captivated by three main keynote speakers.

The first, Mike Kuczala, a dynamic speaker, had the audience up and moving from the opening moments until the closing remarks! Mike explained the importance of the brain/body connection. He demonstrated very well one aspect of a six-part framework for using movement thoughtfully and purposefully in all content areas and grade levels!

Mark Jenkins, another keynote speaker, has been a contributing writer for National Geographic and Writer-in-Residence at the University of Wyoming. A critically acclaimed author and internationally recognized journalist, Jenkins has written hundreds of articles about topics such as landmines in Cambodia, gorillas in Eastern Congo, and climbing Mt. Everest in Nepal. In this presentation, Mark took the audience across Vietnam, culturally and geographically—into its violent history, remarkable recovery, vibrant present—and down into the dark belly of the earth. Mark relayed to the audience his expedition to descend into the largest cave ever discovered: Hang Son Doong.

The third keynote speaker, Doug Goodkin, is internationally known for his work during 41 years as a music educator with a dynamic approach to music. Author of eight books, numerous articles, and a featured speaker in the TEDx, Doug addressed several questions: What can music contribute to the special challenges of the 21st century? How can music education help create future citizens prepared to meet those challenges? How can we expand our notions of both music and music education to create a humanitarian future?

The Search Associates presence was very well received by attendees of this conference. It is a privilege each year for us to participate in national and international conferences, where we join thousands of brilliant educators from around the world who wish to elevate themselves, connect with friends and colleagues, and receive much-deserved support.