KIPP Summit pics and video

I’m fired up! (As I always am after the KIPP Summit and, in particular, the closing gala, which this year was the best ever.)

 

~15,000 (!) KIPP students, alums, parents, teachers, principals and supporters filled the Toyota Center (where the Houston Rockets play) to celebrate KIPP’s 20^th anniversary – and they weren’t disappointed as the KIPP students put on a fabulous show, as did guest performers Common and Mary J Blige. Below are some pics and links to numerous videos I took.

 

In the pics (clockwise from upper left): my wife and oldest daughter, who came with me to KSS for the first time (and now have a better understanding of why KIPP is so special); Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg honoring the 10 winners of the Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award; the crowd, which filled the arena; Michelle Obama, who spoke via a recorded video; another crowd shot; the ~57 alums from the first two KIPP classes, Houston ’94 and ’95 and Bronx ’95 (truly amazing that so many came back); me with two of my favorite people, Kathleen Nugent, the rock star head of DFER NJ (on the left) and Joanna Belcher, the amazing principal of KIPP SPARK Academy in Newark:

 

 

KIPP has posted two videos:

 

·       KIPP School Summit annual video (Looking Forward): http://vimeo.com/102245560

·       A history of KIPP (Looking Back): http://vimeo.com/102244102

 

Here are my videos:

 

·       The crowd doing the wave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm-_EpUVAfg&list=UU6SeteW-LiLF__C1s35Jjiw

·       KIPP Academy Nashville Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKEKslHtRTY&list=UU6SeteW-LiLF__C1s35Jjiw

·       KIPP Zenith Star Steppers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ddO_7nvJ_w&list=UU6SeteW-LiLF__C1s35Jjiw

·       Dominique Young (KIPP alum and now teacher): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOsVB5l3AAc&list=UU6SeteW-LiLF__C1s35Jjiw

·       KIPP Academy String and Rhythm Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiaqOA2vgHc&list=UU6SeteW-LiLF__C1s35Jjiw

·       Michelle Obama video: http://youtu.be/JVfVbv6YmOI

·       Earliest KIPP alums honored: http://youtu.be/ifOzyf80krY

·       Common performs: http://youtu.be/69nyrlQEe-0

·       Common performs with Dominique Young: http://youtu.be/msgt5a3adw0

·       Common: http://youtu.be/s92W15wQFwg

·       Mary J Blige: http://youtu.be/d4w8UeVF92w

·       Mary J Blige: http://youtu.be/ZnkgZEHIi-A

 

All in all, an AMAZING event! Enjoy!