REDDING, Calif.—Shasta County Teachers of the Year Matthew Fowler and Holly Jones will be featured speakers at Simpson University during the fourth annual Better Together: California Teachers Summit on Friday, July 27.

Simpson University is one of more than 30 hosts statewide for the free summit that gives educators an opportunity to network, share successful practices and re-energize for the school year. An estimated 10,000 teachers statewide will participate.

Free summit registration is available online at cateacherssummit.com.

The North State event will be in the James M. Grant Student Life Center on the campus at 2211 College View Drive in Redding from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m.

All pre-K-12 California teachers, teacher candidates, school administrators, and other educators are invited to attend and are eligible to receive continuing education credit through Simpson University.

Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally acclaimed expert on creativity and innovation, will be the statewide keynote speaker, introducing the summit’s theme, “It’s Personal: Meeting the Needs of Every Student.” His remarks at CSU Fullerton will be simulcast to all sites.

The summit hosted by Simpson University will feature a panel by local elementary and high school teachers of the year Jones and Fowler, Edcamp discussions on teacher-selected topics, and opportunities to network and share ideas and resources.

Matthew Fowler teaches science at Foothill High School, and 2018-19 will be his 20th year. He advises the school’s Science Club and Science Bowl teams and has been active in developing field trips and a “Starry Night” event. He recently took a six-day trip to Iceland with honors students to observe geologic events and processes.

As stated by leadership at Foothill: “Matt exhibits a subtle charisma or charm brought about by his passion to teach and educate students in the disciplines of Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics which captivates students from the time they enter his class until the dismissal bell. He has a contagious enthusiasm that the students cannot ignore which simply leads to a positive learning environment for all and a student eagerness to learn about the subject being taught.”

Holly Jones has been a teacher at Boulder Creek Elementary School for 16 years, overseeing kindergarten, first, second, fifth and sixth grades. She planned and organized the school’s first Family Literacy Night.

As stated by her administrator: “Holly pays particular attention to each and every one of her students’ individual social and emotional needs in order to achieve the desired environment for academic achievement to take place. She brings her students’ parents/guardians on board by creating the same safe, at-ease relationships with them, and she provides them with constant communication about the progress of their child.”

The statewide summit is organized by the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), the California State University (CSU), and New Teacher Center.

For the past three years, teachers have described the summit as a powerful day of learning that made them proud of what they do and reminded them what an important difference they make in the lives of their students. The Better Together community convenes a series of online and offline events to help teachers stay connected throughout the year.

Learn more at cateacherssummit.com.

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Simpson University, established in 1921, is a Christian university offering undergraduate, graduate, and teaching credential programs. The School of Education has graduated more than 2,500 students, many of whom teach or serve as school administrators in Northern California. For information about the university, or to arrange a campus visit, call 1-888-9-SIMPSON or visit simpsonu.edu.