Washington, D.C. (April 24, 2024) – CoSN, a premier association of K-12 education technology leaders, honored Tom Ryan, Co-Founder of the K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group, with its Seymour Papert Lifetime Achievement Award.
The CoSN Seymour Papert Award recognizes a CoSN member’s lifelong contribution to technology and education. CoSN first presented this award in 2006, and it was later renamed the Seymour Papert Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. It is granted only when a deserving member is identified by CoSN, and the award has only been presented seven times, including the original award to Seymour Papert.
“I am deeply honored by being recognized for the Seymour Papert Lifetime Achievement Award. CoSN and its members have been and continue to be an inspiration to me and K12 Technology Leaders around the world,” Tom Ryan, Co-Founder, K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group.
Tom Ryan has been a key CoSN leader for the past 20 years, notably serving as CoSN’s Chair of the Board. However, Tom’s influence extends well beyond his Board service, particularly evident in his instrumental role in CoSN’s collaboration with the Council of the Great City Schools on the K-12 Generative AI Maturity Tool.
In addition, Tom has chaired the CoSN Digital Equity Initiative for the past three years. During his time at Santa Fe Public Schools, he advocated for a shift beyond surveys, emphasizing the importance of analyzing student data to gauge their performance amidst the challenges of remote learning. This breakthrough data from 13 school districts informed CoSN, other districts and the FCC around closing the Homework Gap. Moreover, it shed light on emerging obstacles related to video conferencing, impacting home bandwidth requirements, device accessibility, home configurations and more.
This year, CoSN launched a new Digital Equity Dashboard that aligns publicly available data with school district boundaries. Tom helped design our Peer Review program and also remains active on the policy committee. Lastly, Tom’s longstanding support for CoSN’s annual advocacy fundraiser is evident through his donations of handmade woodworking creations.
Learn more about the CoSN2024 awards at: cosn.org/about/awards/.
CoSN held its Annual Conference, CoSN2024: “Leading for Innovation at Warp Speed,” from April 8 to April 10 in Miami, FL. The conference offered three and a half days of unparalleled education, networking opportunities, live technology demonstrations and more. As the premier EdTech leadership conference of the year, CoSN convened school system technology leaders, superintendents and other senior education leaders that were interested in discussing the future of learning in a time of unprecedented change.
About CoSN
CoSN, the world-class professional association for K-12 EdTech leaders, stands at the forefront of education innovation. We are driven by a mission to equip current and aspiring K-12 education technology leaders, their teams, and school districts with the community, knowledge, and professional development they need to cultivate engaging learning environments. Our vision is rooted in a future where every learner reaches their unique potential, guided by our community. CoSN represents over 13 million students and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. cosn.org
About K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group
K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group’s mission is to strategically position the role of technology across the enterprise as a partner to effectively achieve goals through cross-functional alignment. www.k12stag.com/
MEDIA CONTACTS:
CoSN: Makenzie Carlin, mcarlin@fratelli.com
K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group: Tom Ryan, ryan.tomaps@gmail.com
