First I needed to get permission to go to CrossRoads after having accepted the invitation. This required more than a simple, "hey, I'd like to go.". As a classroom teacher in a system where substitute teachers are at a premium, it isn't a simple request. Both my district technology director Jason Rubo and my principal Quinn Craugh were very supportive of me participating but neither could guarantee that this was something that could be approved for both the days I would be gone or any monetary support.
Before approaching them, I had already made the decision that I would take unpaid days and pay my own way if it was the only way I could get there. Of course, I was not guaranteed anything but that didn't stop me from creating a Donor's Choose to fund the hotel and the flight. The hotel was fully funded, mostly by me, in a matching Giving Tuesday... but because of Covid, Donor's Choose had opted to not support teacher PD in person for the entire school year. So now I had my money tied up in a project that would not be approved but I could apply all of the money to a different project. Thank goodness Donor's Choose support received and approved my request to return the money to the donors, which actually is not something that happens often.
So Plan A of using Donor's Choose was not going to happen. A colleague and friend, Porter Palmer, reached out with a donation to help me get started and to encourage me as she has for many years first in the Discovery Educator Network as our leader and now as part of Nourished Teachers on Meta. I purchased my plane ticket and tried to regroup. Realistically I don't have $1500 of my own money for professional development but this is very much a reality for the majority of educators in our country who want to pursue professional development learning opportunities. PD and conferences come at the cost of the educator's personal bank account unless you are a select view who have been designated to be funded to attend.
I continued to look at the possibilities of meeting Kelsey and Matt of CodeJoy, Colleen of Makey Makey, Katie of Micro:Bit, and all of the other invitees and the impact and connections that I could make in person if only I could just get there. So I did the unthinkable, I looked at the remainder of my InfyMakers Grant and started to research if this was important enough to use the remaining money on PD for myself. I knew the remaining $900 was a lot of money for our project but as I read the contract, I also noticed that the money could be used for Professional Development. But could I do it?
Before considering using the grant, I reached out to Kate Maloney and her team at the Infosys Foundation. It was their organization that had provided the amazing grant as well as the invitation to CrossRoads so I wanted to make sure that if I used the money, I was not violating any agreements that I had signed for our school. On a Friday night with a heavy heart because my district had approved the dates of my absence and I would be paid, but my last option before using my own money was to use the remainder of the grant, I reached out to Kate. Honestly I did not think she would even have time to respond much less reply on a Sunday night that she would look into a scholarship but that the foundation did not want me to use the grant to attend CrossRoads.
Instead Kate and her team responded by offering me a scholarship to attend and speak on a panel. Me? Speak on a panel? What did I have to offer this amazing group of individuals? It was through this invitation that I met 3 amazing individuals who I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.
I haven't even gotten to Day 1 of CrossRoads 2023.....