Raquell Holmes, Ph.D.

Founder and Director, Improvscience

Title: Humanizing Education: Can We Dare to Care Aloud? 

What does it mean to care? What do we care about? In today’s society, where people take sides and advocate fiercely for their own perspective—what happens to the ways we effectively grow, learn and teach? Let’s explore and consider what becomes possible when we create conditions in which we can hear and build with the dreams and hopes of one another.

Dr. Holmes takes us from that fast, fractured and fearful world we live in and walks the audience through her relational, improvisational approach to community building and learning that has helped researchers and educators in biology, computing and engineering develops brave, inclusive and innovative environments. This methodology nurtures people’s capacity to embrace performance and to work as ensembles in ways that value difference and humanize scientific and academic cultures.

In this inspiring keynote, Dr. Holmes shares her activist journey toward community building and humanizing science through improvisation, performance, and play. It’s an optimistic route to collaboration, courage and care in education

Bio

Raquell Holmes is an educator, author and activist, the founder and director of improvscience, a consulting firm that works with scientists, engineers and artists to build brave and bold environments for diversity and leadership development. Improvscience offerings integrate improvisational performance and emotional intelligence to support scientists’ personal and professional growth as they advance collaboration, inclusion and discovery in their work.

Trained as a scientist, Dr. Holmes has brought her expertise and commitment to developing leaders and teams in science, engineering and technology to renowned institutions from Harvard to National Institutes of Health, major corporations and professional societies. She also founded Cultivating Ensembles, the biannual arts, humanities and STEM conference as well as the improvscience Freedom Festival. This annual festival is a grassroots invitation for attendees to celebrate and explore freedom and independence together from Juneteenth through Independence Day.