Moderator: Barbara Bleyaert, Ed.D, Associate Professor, EMU.

Panel: Rebecca Westrate, Principal of Hamtramck High School, plus past and current students. Together Dr. Bleyaert and Ms. Westrate will present a vision of what a truly successful school looks like.

Bleyaert was a leader in the Coalition of Essential Schools, a research-based school reform initiative at Brown University. Her decades-long work there focused on transforming schools from adult-centered organizations into student and learner-centered organizations. Westrate has successfully worked at transforming Hamtramck High School into such a student-centered school for the past four years. She was recently named as a School Superhero by the General Motors Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan and B.L.A.C. Detroit Magazine. Students will share their own views of the changes that have been made at Hamtramck High School.