Conferences and Events Highlights: February 2014 – Part 1

February has seen a flurry of activity by our team, as our staff has been busy presenting at and attending professional conferences and public events. In Part 1, here’s a taste of what we’re up to this February:

Exhibiting at the 2014 State of the Valley Conference

Over 1,000 Silicon Valley business executives, government and community leaders and citizens packed the Santa Clara Convention Center on February 7 for Joint Venture’s annual State of the Valley conference. Our team was there, exhibiting our work and making some great connections. The event follows Joint Venture’s recent Inside Silicon Valley radio conversation with our CEO, Jim Fruchterman.

Joint Venture CEO Russell Hancock and Silicon Valley Community Foundation CEO Emmett Carson opened the conference by discussing the challenges accompanying the new wave of prosperity in Silicon Valley. The event also featured keynotes by Khan Academy founder Salman Khan, University of Southern California professor Dr. Manuel Pastor, one of the nation’s foremost demographers, and California’s second in command and former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Other highlights included stimulating talks and performances, a panel on funding future innovation in the Valley, and the presentation of the 2014 Packard Award to Salman Khan.

Presenting on 3D Printing for Students with Disabilities at WebWise 2014

What promise does new 3D printing technology have for transforming education for students with visual impairments? How does this new technology fit into the landscape of other advances in digital access to images for those with print disabilities?

At this year’s annual WebWise conference, which was held on February 10-12 in Baltimore, our Global Literacy team introduced recent research by our DIAGRAM Center and its partners in the application of 3D printing and other technologies to the creation of accessible educational materials.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) annual WebWise conference brings together representatives from museums, libraries, archives, systems science, education and other fields who are interested in the future of high-quality online content for inquiry and learning. WebWise highlights recent research and innovations in digital technology, explores their potential impacts on library and museum services, and promotes effective museum and library practices in a digital environment. On its official blog, IMLS highlighted our Global Literacy team’s presentation at WebWise as part of a post on promising developments in accessible publishing.

This year’s WebWise theme was “Anchoring Communities,” drawing from the IMLS’s goal of promoting museums and libraries as strong community anchors that enhance civic engagement, cultural opportunities and economic vitality.

Come back for Part 2, where we feature additional events our team members are attending this month!