Education. Schools for a Thriving Community: Sonia Woodbury at TEDxSaltLakeCity2.0

Sonia has had a vision to improve public education in Utah for the 30 years she has taught. "When I was teaching in the public school system, I got through to the majority of the students, but there were always the students who were sitting in the back of the classroom that weren't engaged. It was with these students that I thought, if I was given some time and flexibility, I could reach them."

This was the challenge. Sonia founded City Academy (a college preparatory tuition-free public charter school) in 2000, which is a large step forward in achieving her vision. "I think it's really happening. We have such a wide range of students and learning styles and it takes serious effort to figure out how to reach each learner but the longer we do it, the better we get." Further, Sonia believes a transformation of the public school system is inevitable and she knows City Academy can help. "The vision has always been about public education and changing it for the better." Sonia knows there are better ways to teach so more students will learn -- she does it every day. She and her staff have designed a learning environment where each student can learn best given their unique backgrounds and learning styles. Sonia wants this for all students in the public education system, not just the ones that are lucky enough to attend City Academy. Her vision is to provide a foundation of research and results that can then be leveraged to change the public education system

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)