Theme: Seriously: Play

PLEASE NOTE: WE POSTPONED THIS SALON DUE TO THE LA FIRES.
The new date is March 1

“To be playful and serious at the same time is possible and it is the ideal mental condition” espoused progressive education pioneer John Dewey. What if play could save us all – children, parents, and educators? (Seriously.)
This TEDxUCLA event is hosted by educators Dean Tagawa, Melinda Tsapatsaris, Neal Wrightson, and Nnenna Nwachuku whose lifetime of work centers on harnessing the power of play towards children and adults living out ideals of democracy, critical + creative thinking, cooperation, and engaged citizenship. Seriously: Play will expand and hone in on the serious work of play and how in fact, play is the work we must be doing.

Westland School
16200 Mulholland Dr. Los Angeles, CA, 90049
Los Angeles, California, 90049
United States

Dean Tagawa

Executive Director for the Early Childhood Education, LAUSD

Dean Tagawa, Ed.D., is the Executive Director for the Early Childhood Education Division in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Under his leadership, early education and transitional kindergarten programs in LAUSD have grown to serve over 30,000 students

Helen Davis

Author and Program Director of Early Childhood Education at UCLA Extension

Dr. Helen Davis is an experienced Director of Teacher Education Programs, from Early Childhood and K-12 to College Counseling and TESOL. Demonstrated quality and scholarship program improvement outcomes and program development. Strong education professional skilled in Program and Curriculum Development, Team Management, Grant Writing, and Adult Teaching. Dr. Davis holds an Ed.D. in Developmental Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Melinda Tsapataris

Head of School of Westland School

Melinda Tsapataris is a progressive educator and school leader in Los Angeles. She is serving her eighth year as Head of School of Westland School, a progressive elementary school founded in 1949. Melinda’s areas of expertise include democracy in education, play, project-based learning, leadership, and equity and inclusion. She writes a monthly blog called “In Context.” Melinda worked at Wildwood School for 15 years. Before moving to Los Angeles, she taught high school English in public schools. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Ohio University and her Masters Degree in Teaching from Brown University. She is the mother of three children (ages 15, 12, and 10) and enjoys play in the form of pick-up basketball games with her children, Greek dancing, camping, watercoloring, yoga, reading, and baking.

Neal Wrightson

Founding Head of Children’s Community School

Neal Wrightson is a Founding Head of Children’s Community School. He recently retired after 40 years as a teacher at all grade levels (K-6) and as the Head of School. He has also been a long-time member and Board member of the Institute for Descriptive Inquiry, previously the Prospect Institute. He has taught at the college level and served on many Boards of independent schools and public charter schools.

Nnenna Nwachuku

Founding Head of School at Nova Pioneer Schools

Nnenna Nwachuku brings over 15 years of education leadership expertise to improving learning outcomes and increasing access to quality education. She has launched and managed new schools and trained teachers and academic leaders in progressive learning. As a Founding Head of School at Nova Pioneer Schools, she gained valuable experience in achieving academic and operational excellence at Pre-K to 12 institutions. She served as an advisor to the Nelson Mandela Institute for Development Studies and has served on several school boards to drive educational equity. She currently consults with purpose-driven organizations to advance innovative learning models and scale impact in the education ecosystem. Nnenna holds a BA from Duke University, a MS in Education from University of Pennsylvania GSE, along with certifications from HBS and Harvard GSE. She is fellow of AWEC, an initiative of the Center for Global Enterprise.