Learning as a cornerstone of healing, resilience, and community
The 2024 Annual Meeting theme “Learning as a cornerstone of healing, resilience, and community” recognizes the continuing need to respond to global crises, including especially COVID-19 but also war, climate change, and political oppression.
Buffalo serves as a fitting venue to examine the 2024 conference theme. After fifty years of deindustrialization and population decline, Buffalo is experiencing an economic and cultural renaissance boosted by a large resettled refugee population and new population growth.
The city of Buffalo has a rich history that is marked by racial struggle and injustice. In the early to mid-19th century it served as an important waypoint on the underground railroad – a network of secret routes and safe houses that was used by enslaved African Americans to escape into free northern states and Canada. More recently The city has faced resurging racial violence and is engaged in rebuilding efforts. In “the city of good neighbors,” Buffalolians are determined to work together to address these problems. UB supports a variety of efforts for community engaged research and development for growth, for example, forming the Buffalo Education Equity Taskforce to experiment and scale up educational innovation in schools and in the community. The local organizers are planning to showcase and engage conference attendees in these ongoing community-invested endeavors.
Located on the US-Canadian border at the Niagara River approximately 20 miles/30km south of Niagara Falls, Buffalo is the second largest city in New York State after New York City. Its metropolitan area has diverse communities (historically racial/ethnic diversity as well as diverse refugee population), stunning architecture (including seven Frank Lloyd Wright sites), and beautiful parks and green spaces (including Delaware Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, architect of Boston’s Emerald Necklace and New York’s Central Park). Despite a reputation for snowy winters, weather in Buffalo in June and July is idyllic with little rain, and typical temperatures ranging from overnight lows of 15ºC/59ºF to daytime highs of 26ºC/79ºF. The airport in Buffalo has direct flights to major international gateway cities such as New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Miami. In addition, buses and trains connect to nearby Toronto.
Learn more: https://2024.isls.org