Sean Slade is a global education leader, speaker, author, and policymaker, with over 25 years experience spanning five countries and four continents. He is Head of BTS Spark, North America, a global education non-profit focused on developing the next generation of educational leaders. He is also a co-founding member for the UNESCO Chair on Global Health and Education; a member of the OECD's Future of Education 2030; a HundrED Global Ambassador; and an NBC Today Social and Emotional Learning Expert. Prior to this role he served for over a decade as the Senior Director of Whole Child/Global Outreach at ASCD, focusing on promoting and expanding the ASCD Whole Child approach across the United States and globally. He led the development and launch of the Whole Child Network spanning 58 countries; the ASCD & CDC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (WSCC); and helped shift public dialogue about K12 education from an academic focus to a whole child approach that encompasses all factors required for successful student outcomes. During his nearly three decades in education he has spoken and written extensively on topics related to the whole child, leadership, school climate, health and well-being, and he has been at the forefront of promoting a youth development focus for school improvement. He has been a teacher, head of department, educational researcher, senior education officer, and senior director. He has taught, trained, and directed education initiatives in Australia, Italy, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and has spoken in over a dozen countries on education reform and a more holistic approach to education. This has included launching education reform reform initiatives across Asia, North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.He has written for The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, EdWeek, The 74, and ASCD's Inservice blog, and has published with ASCD, Routledge, Human Kinetics, & Abingdon Press. He has held a series of Board Member and Steering Committee positions including, VP for Advocacy at the International Union on Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE-NA); UNESCO-FRESH; American School Health Association; International School Health Network; National Coordinating Committee on School Health and Safety; National School Climate Council; Human Rights Campaign - Welcoming Schools; and the Coalition for Community Schools.