Dena Simmons of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to Present TED Talk in New York City - Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence | Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Dena Simmons of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to Present TED Talk in New York City - Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence | Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence:

On November 1st and 2nd, Dr. Dena Simmons will present at the inaugural TED Talks Live at the Town Hall Theater in New York City’s Theater district under the umbrella topic of “The Education Revolution.” Dena’s talk will draw on her life experiences as a student, teacher, researcher, and activist, and will attempt to engage the audience in a discourse about race, power, and privilege in our nation’s education system. Dena posits that if educational initiatives for students are to be successful, these initiatives must address the history of racism and inequality that perpetuates an unsustainable cycle that disadvantages some students–mainly students of color. More than that, she pushes us to consider the emotional danger students experience when they are forced to erase who they are in order to experience success at school.

Dena and her two sisters were raised by their immigrant mother in the Bronx, New York in a one bedroom apartment. From a very young age, Dena excelled at school, which led to her gaining access to a prestigious boarding school in New England.  It was there where she first realized the disparities in our education system. Dena later attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where she graduated with honors. Her educational experiences caused her to wonder why she had to leave the Bronx to gain access to a quality education. As a result, she made it her mission not only to provide her students with a quality educational experience when she returned to the Bronx as a middle school teacher, but also to speak out against and to work towards solving our nation’s educational inequities.

In her young career, Dena has already accumulated numerous national awards, degrees, accolades, and fellowships over the years, including but not limited to the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a J. William Fulbright Fellowship, a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a Arthur Vining Davis Aspen Fellowship, a M.S.Ed. from Pace University, and her M.A. and Ed.D. from Columbia University, Teachers College. She currently works as the Director of Implementation at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where she oversees education, training, and coaching initiatives at the Center as well as the scaling up of the RULER program, the Center’s approach to social and emotional learning.

Dena’s wealth of experience, both as a student and educator, have led her to publish several popular articles on teacher education, social justice, education reform, and bullying. She has been profiled in the AOL/PBS project, Makers: Women Who Make America, and has spoken at nationally televised events, including two TEDx talks: It’s 10pm. Do You Know Where Your Children Are? and What To Do If Your Student Comes At You With Scissors.

This will be the first TED event in New York City open to the public and a great chance to enjoy TED Talks in person. If anyone is interested in attending Dena Simmons’ TED Talk, tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster as well as at the Town Hall box office.  Tickets for the orchestra seating are $100.

Other notable individuals presenting alongside Dena on the Education Revolution include former White House Chef and nutritionist Sam Kass,  Sal Khan of the Khan Academy, author and parenting expert Julie Lythcott-Haims, adversity and resilience expert Victor Rios; and Andrew Mangino of The Future Project. The night will be co-hosted by Sara Ramirez of Grey’s Anatomy.