LatinX EdTech Summit Will Develop Sustainable Solutions for Underserved Communities

The event will bring together edtech companies, teachers, education leaders, and families to find edtech solutions that can easily be obtained and deployed, thus creating cultural change

EduLab Capital Partners, a leading global edtech and workforce technology venture capital firm based in Boston and Tokyo, today announced that the Success Through Technology Education (STTE) Foundation’s LatinX EdTech Summit 2023 will take place on June 16 in El Paso. Also sponsored by The Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) and the ECMC Foundation, the summit’s mission is to support teaching and learning by connecting innovative edtech companies, teachers, and education leaders so they can develop sustainable ways to close the digital divide.

While advances in technology are radically impacting the education system through innovative platforms that deliver experiential and immersive learning, the development is often not uniform across the country. Underserved Latino communities, specifically small school districts in rural areas that historically have limited resources, continue to suffer from a lack of access to education resources.

“EdTech is continuing to revolutionize the way we learn, work, and live,” said Joseph Sapien, co-founder of the event and the executive director STTE Foundation, the event’s organizer and co-sponsor. “As this rapid transformation continues, education leaders must embrace innovative approaches to ensure that all students in Hispanic populations are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in the future.”

Dr. Maria Armstrong, Ed.D., the executive director of the co-sponsor Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), will deliver the summit’s keynote address. Her welcoming remarks will be followed by four major events:

Teacher awards featuring holographic models of the best educators will give attendees the chance to witness the intersection of education and the future of learning experiences.
Working lunches with moderators will bring educators, administrators, edtech companies, parents, and the local community together to develop short-term and long-term actionable solutions.
Action panels: The summit will feature five high-level panel discussions among edtech founders, superintendents, higher education presidents, and leaders striving to close the digital divide.
2nd Annual ECMC Foundation “Pipeline Pitch”: Edtech entrepreneurs will pitch their emerging technology solutions to K-12 and Higher Education decision makers in a unique “Shark Tank”-style event focusing on addressing the educational digital divide.

“As edtech progresses at a great pace, many of the homes in our community continue to experience obstacles such as the lack of broadband access or access to edtech in Spanish,” said Dr. Veronica Vijil, superintendent of Fabens Independent School District. “We look forward to participating in the LatinX EdTech Summit once again to gain insight into solutions that may benefit the learning community of Fabens ISD. We are grateful to STTE for this opportunity and their immense support.”

Organizers with a wealth of experience in the education system designed the LatinX EdTech Summit to identify digital disparities in rural and underserved communities. By emphasizing swift action through the implementation of nimble edtech solutions that can easily be obtained and deployed, the summit aims to create cultural change.

“The pandemic and the digital divide have created unique challenges for the Borderplex area,” said Liam Pisano, Managing Partner at EduLab Capital and co-founder of the summit. “Our Fund is dedicated to help solve problems for underserved and underrepresented communities. We are thrilled to partner with STTE and ECMC to unearth entrepreneurial activity and highlight successful case studies in this unique region of the US.”

The summit will take place from 9 AM to 5 PM MDT at the Starlight Event Center, 6650 Continental Dr., El Paso, Texas 79925 (MAP), and is open to the public with an admission fee. For more information, to submit to participate, or to register for the event, go to STTEFoundation.org.

American Consortium for Equity in Education

The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.