San Francisco 2023 : Learning. Life. Work

Today, education is often defined as hybrid. Hybrid delivery in-class and online. Mixed theories of teaching and practice. Cross-disciplinary courses and programs. Alternative modes of enquiry. Community and student engagement. Concepts of explorative learning. Multicultural perspectives on subjects. The combined arts and sciences of STEAM – to name but a few. The same hybridity is true of life and work. We value a work-life balance. We seek self fulfilment in professional contexts. We see education as continual through professional development and life-long learning.

In this context, education plays many roles, and serves many people and purposes. It takes on many forms. In embracing this hybridity, the Learning. Life. Work. conference seeks to explore the numerous ways education morphs and blurs – through varied methodologies across a multitude of disciplines, geographies, and mind sets. As such it welcomes perspectives from the arts and humanities, design and media studies, science and technology, education and training, health and the social sciences.

In this diversity, the event reflects the place and institution in which it is set: the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. A city famous for its counter culture, history of gay rights, its Hispanic heritage, Asian diaspora and its cutting edge arts scene. It is a place renowned for alternative models of thought. Home to the first free public school on California, San Francisco has also spearheaded various education initiatives in United States. It implemented the Indian Education Program in the 1970s, supporting Native American communities. It led in the adaption of the Beacon Initiative to use schools for community needs, and it is home to one of the largest publicly funded university systems in the United States.

Welcoming delegates from locations across the world to consider the future hybridities of teaching and learning, we aim to share perspectives and disseminate best practices. We look to educators, students, artists, theorists, and industry professionals. We hope to share initiatives, programs, and projects.

To achieve this, we seek contributions from various disciplines across a whole range of themes: from Fine Art practice to industry collaborations, and from design studio models to the technologies of contemporary teaching. In addition, we are interested in developing strands revolving around key, but opened, ideas and words:

Living-Life | Teaching-Learning | Enquiry-Inquiry | Practice-Engagement | Academia-Work | Intersection-Integration… and more.