Crawford Central superintendent heads to Helsinki

Mike Crowley, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·2 min read

Oct. 31—Next stop, Helsinki. An international conference opening today in Finland is set to hear from several western Pennsylvania educators, including Tom Washington, superintendent of Crawford Central School District.

The HundrED Innovation Summit 2023 begins today in Helsinki. According to the conference website, the event "celebrates the most innovative and impactful solutions in education."

"It's amazing that we were even invited," Washington said last week regarding the conference. "It's great publicity for Crawford Central School District."

Washington is among 32 speakers listed on the conference website. Other participants include officials from Avonworth, Burrell and Northgate school districts, all located in the Pittsburgh area.

Washington's participation will highlight a Crawford Central effort last December to help parents secure the clearances necessary to volunteer at schools in Pennsylvania.

"One of the barriers to parents volunteering or coming in the buildings and volunteering is the need for clearances," Washington said. "So we created a clearance process night called 'Get Connected' and we put all of the things under one roof."

As a result, he added, a process that typically takes weeks was completed in just one evening.

Washington's journey from Meadville to Helsinki and back comes at no cost to the district, Crawford Central School Board President Kevin Merritt noted. "Everything is paid for by that organization," he said. Board members unanimously approved the trip, along with numerous other travel and personnel matters, at their Oct. 23 meeting.

The HundrED website describes the organization as "a mission-driven organisation specialised in K-12 education innovation."

"We believe," the website states, "that with education innovations we can transform school systems and equip students with the skills to thrive as global citizens."

The "Get Connected" event that drew the organization's attention is likely to have a lasting impact, according to Merritt.

"I think the long-term effects from that will be — 'Yes, that was exceptional, what more can we do to help these parents get into the schools and help their kids?'" he said. "That's what the whole thing was about — getting them involved."

The HundrED Innovation Summit continues through Thursday. For more information or to watch a portion of the conference online, visit hundred.org/en/events/hundred-innovation-summit-2023.

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.