MOST REQUESTED TOPICS
Rebel Educator®: A New Paradigm for Education
In her signature keynote, Tanya shares the key ingredients to creating educational environments where all children thrive. Sharing firsthand experiences from UP Academy, Tanya talks about how to integrate project-based learning and inclusion to give each student the education they need and discusses why micro-schools and learning pods are here to stay.
The Expectations Gap
Fusing her experiences as a mother, entrepreneur, and Founder of UP Academy, Tanya integrates the story of raising a daughter with cerebral palsy with her powerful call to action for educators and parents not to adjust expectations for young people based on their needs and abilities.
Rebel Educator®: Design with the End User in Mind
Whether you are leading a start-up, running a brick and mortar business, consulting with companies, or creating classroom curriculum, explore Tanya’s “project-based approach” to creating programs, products, and services that make clients and learners say YES!
Navigating Motherhood as an Entrepreneur
Discover tips and tricks for running a business, raising kiddos, responding to exhaustion (and even grief), and ramping up the right team to preserve your sanity and fuel success.
SEE TANYA IN ACTION
BIO
Tanya Sheckley is the Founder and President of UP Academy – a progressive elementary lab school in San Mateo, California. UP Academy is reinventing education by customizing learning for each student, integrating project-based learning throughout its curriculum, and supporting students with disabilities to attend school alongside able-bodied students in mixed-age classrooms.
Inspired by the will, drive, and desire of her daughter, Eliza, who was born in 2009 with cerebral palsy, Tanya spent years studying brain injury and neuroscience. Tanya and her husband, Chris, worked with doctors, experts, therapists, and specialists to discover the best methods and systems for recovery and education for children with neuromotor challenges. When they could not find a school that fit their vision of education for Eliza, Tanya decided to create it. Tanya’s vision and mission show it’s possible to celebrate differences, change what’s broken in the American education system, and that all children can receive a rigorous, well rounded education.
Tanya’s success at building a micro-school where all students are celebrated for their differences and contributions as they learn together, learn from each other, solve problems, and collaborate on a variety of interdisciplinary, STEAM-based projects has made her a go-to speaker not only on the future of education, project-based learning, neurodevelopment, and inclusion but also on entrepreneurship, women in tech, and motherhood. Tanya also leads professional development programs for school administrators and educators who want to integrate inclusive, project-based learning into their classrooms.
Whether she is delivering a keynote, being interviewed by the media, or answering questions on a panel or podcast, Tanya fuses powerful storytelling with keen, actionable recommendations – rooted in research and experience. Tanya also hosts the Rebel Educator® podcast where she interviews fellow education pioneers, school leaders and teachers, and students. She earned her BA in Public Health and Dance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and her MBA in Entrepreneurship from California Lutheran University. She is a certified yoga teacher, and she enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, camping, going to local farmers markets, and she is learning to play piano.
TESTIMONIALS
“Tanya’s Up Academy is modeling an important paradigm shift in education. A renegade and trusted thought leader who marries inspiration, heaps of heart, and vivid examples plucked from her provocative work, Tanya will wow your audience as she shares why her unique approach to education is the key to creating a new generation of leaders poised for workplace innovation.”
“Tanya is both insightful and inspiring as she shares her journey into disrupting education. Her perspective is invaluable for organizations interested in helping employees think differently — and become innovative (and disruptive) problem solvers. ”
“How do we ask students to approach risk when traditional education does not create opportunities for students to problem solve? How do we ask students to respect people who are different when we separate our students based on learning and physical capabilities? Are our words matching our actions? Tanya Sheckley challenges the status quo in education. As the founder of UP Academy, her multiage classroom benefits all students by creating a sense of family and community who support each other. Students organically learn to take on mentoring and leadership roles through cooperation and caring versus the competitive hierarchical structure created by traditional schools. UP Academy fosters a community reflective of the caring and conscious adults who shape its nurturing and inquisitive environment. Tanya Sheckley demonstrates how to make our words align with our actions in the educational sphere.”
“Tanya Sheckley is a dynamic speaker and gifted storyteller. It is a unique individual who can take one of life’s greatest losses and transform that into a powerful platform for change in education. Tanya’s message about the expectation gap is one that can be applied to many areas of life; it inspires audiences to evaluate how they think, whether their arena is the classroom or boardroom. In today’s world, we need a broader view of one another. Tanya’s message for inclusion and developing new ways of thinking is relevant for educators and entrepreneurs, alike.”
“Tanya visited the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto to share her story of creating UP Academy. We have speakers every week and Tanya’s speech was by far one of the most memorable. Her story is so inspiring, and tugs so hard on the heart-strings, she literally brought me to tears. She is an amazing woman who, in the face of tragedy, managed to take her pain and grief and use it to fuel a mission to make the world a better place. Hearing about a journey like that is so moving it makes you want to do better and be more. She reminds you that when faced with adversity, you can choose to summon more strength and courage than you would think is possible and find your way to a positive outcome. Her speech is absolutely awe-inspiring.”
“Tanya’s story is nothing short of inspirational. As an entrepreneur it’s easy to get wrapped up in the day to day operations of my business. But Tanya’s story had me stop, think, & reevaluate my purpose. WHY did I want to take this path in the first place? Her story inspired me to remember my own & recommit to my why.”
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