Leaders in Education, Business and Government Join Forces to Solve Critical Issues Facing Young People at CFES Global Conference

COVID-19 and social unrest across the globe have changed our world forever.  The CFES Brilliant Pathways Global Conference on October 27-29, will explore implications of this disruption and how we can ensure that our children succeed in education and the workplace in our new world.

Holding its conference virtually for the first time in three decades, CFES Brilliant Pathways will gather leaders from education, business and government to tackle some of our most pressing issues. With students struggling to keep their postsecondary dreams alive amidst the pandemic, speakers will focus on innovative ways to help students, teachers and communities stay on track during, and beyond, the pandemic. 

The conference, involving 2,500 participants and spanning 11 time zones, will be broadcast from CFES headquarters in rural Essex, NY. 

“Our virtual model allows us to bring an amazing collection of leaders together to tackle pressing issues facing young people and educators across the globe,” said Rick Dalton, CEO and President and CFES, a global non-profit that has helped over 100,000 students become college and career ready since 1991.

The “College and Career Readiness in the New World” Conference will tackle current issues such as social injustice, setting up a successful virtual school, college and career readiness in a changed world, paying for college by taking advantage of new financial opportunities, and other ways to help underserved students persevere through the pandemic to reach their goals.

The conference will consist of daily keynote addresses, workshops, at-large panels and sessions for students. ABC News Correspondent John Quinones kicks off day one with a keynote address, followed by workshops featuring government leaders Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY); experts on setting up effective virtual schools including Vermont Secretary of Education Dan French; and an at-large panel moderated by former EY COO Gary Belske and EY Americas Vice Chair of Talent, Carolyn Slaski.

Paul Luna, President and CEO of the Helios Foundation, brings a wealth of knowledge on philanthropy, education and community development as the Day 2 keynote speaker. An-at large panel, featuring three college presidents John Simon of Lehigh University, Fayneese Miller of Hamline University and Ray DiPasquale of Clinton Community College, focuses on readiness and trends in the new college order. A workshop on building corporate partnerships includes Jin Lee, Vice President of TransPerfect, Taleah E. Jennings, Partner, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, and Danny Fried, Associate Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Colgate-Palmolive.

Leilani Brown, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Projects at K12 Inc. opens the final day with a keynote address backed by her decades of experience in marketing, brand, and communications. Multiple panels address the topic of racial injustice in America, including “Social Justice in the New World” featuring Don Outing, Vice President for Equity and Community, Lehigh University, Dean Garfield, Vice President of Public Policy, Netflix (AMS), and former NFL executive and CBS Sports analyst Scott Pioli.

Please click here to register for the conference.