What If Everyone Believed They Were Smart? | James "Jim" Shelton | TEDxPennsylvaniaAvenue

The world is changing rapidly, producing trend lines as scary as hopeful. Imagine if what we are able to do is not just teach people academic skills and professional skills, as important as that is, but to change their identities. To let them prove to themselves and everyone else that they are smart. And then turn them loose on the world. Imagine what they could do.

Solving these complex problems and creating a brighter future requires a choice and a bet - a bet on creating innovations in learning that unlock unprecedented human potential.

James “Jim” Shelton is the President of Education of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and was most recently President & Chief Impact Officer of 2U, Inc. Previously, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and the Program Director for Education at the Gates Foundation, he has held a broad range of management, policy, and programmatic roles, which have made a meaningful social impact. Jim holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Morehouse College as well as master’s degrees in both business administration and education from Stanford. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife Sonia and their two sons.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx