Courtney Osborne

Brainstormer, Change agent, Connector, Consultant, Educator/Teacher, Event planner, Parent, Project manager, Public servant, World traveler

I’m an educator, connector, idea-generator and firm believer that teenagers are capable of far more than we sometimes give them credit for. I currently serve as an MYP & Special Programs Coordinator at Seneca Valley High School, an IB World School, where much of my work centers on creating meaningful learning experiences that cross classrooms, subjects, programs, and sometimes even school walls. I love finding the place where a great idea, the right people, and a little bit of organized chaos come together to create something students will actually remember. I began my career as a social studies teacher and have spent more than two decades working as a teacher, department leader, instructional coach, mentor, program coordinator, and student-group sponsor. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and have taught everything from U.S. History and AP Human Geography to adult GED classes. Along the way, I’ve created student ambassador programs, led Model United Nations, coordinated an international exchange program with Korea, supported interdisciplinary projects, helped expand access to advanced coursework, and worked with students on everything from community projects to entrepreneurship. Some of my most meaningful work has happened outside the traditional classroom. I spent years volunteering with the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team, helping coordinate sheltering and emergency assistance after disasters, and I have led students through international travel, service experiences, and leadership programs.

I am passionate about creating the kind of education where students get to be curious, brave, useful, creative, and a little uncomfortable. I love interdisciplinary learning, student leadership, service, global education, ethical questions, entrepreneurship, and projects that begin with someone saying, “This might be crazy, but what if we…?” I’m especially passionate about opening doors for students who may not automatically see themselves as “the advanced kid,” “the leader,” “the IB student,” or “the person whose idea gets heard.” Some of my proudest professional work has involved expanding access to advanced coursework, designing supports that help more students succeed, and building programs where young people can discover strengths they didn’t know they had. Ultimately, I’m passionate about helping people see possibility—in an idea, in a community, in a classroom, and especially in themselves. And I will almost always say yes to an ambitious student idea before I have completely figured out the logistics. That last part has occasionally gotten me into trouble. It has also led to some of the best experiences of my career.

Young people don’t need to wait until adulthood to do meaningful things. Too often, school becomes preparation for some future version of life: You’ll need this someday. You’ll understand this when you’re older. Someday you can make a difference. I think we should stop making students wait for “someday.” Give a teenager a real problem, an authentic audience, meaningful responsibility, and an adult who genuinely believes they can handle it—and something remarkable often happens. They stop completing assignments and start creating. They stop asking, “Is this for a grade?” and start asking, “Could we actually do this?” My work in education has convinced me that some of our most powerful learning happens when students realize their voices can influence their schools, communities, careers, and world right now. The idea I want to spread is simple: Don’t just prepare young people for the world. Invite them to help shape it.

Career & Technical Education Integration, College & Career Readiness, Community Engagement, Crisis Management & Emergency Response, Curriculum Development, Differentiation & Scaffolding, Educational Leadership, Equity & Access to Advanced Learning, Event Planning & Coordination, Experiential Learning, Facilitative Leadership, Global Education, Growth Mindset, IB Education, Instructional Coaching, Interdisciplinary Learning, International Student Programs, MYP Programme Leadership, Professional Development, Program Development & Implementation, Project-Based Learning, Public Speaking & Facilitation, Restorative Practices, School Improvement, Service Learning, Social Studies Education, Strategic Planning, Student Activities & Advising, Student Leadership Development, Student Voice & Empowerment, Teacher Mentoring

TEDx feels like a natural extension of what I’ve spent my career trying to create for students: a place where curiosity matters, thoughtful conversations are valued, and a powerful idea can come from someone you might not expect. As a social studies teacher, Model United Nations sponsor, international student-program leader, IB coordinator, and mentor, I have watched young people wrestle with enormous questions about identity, justice, leadership, ethics, culture, innovation, and their responsibility to other people. I’ve also watched students who initially doubted they had anything important to say discover that, in fact, they did. My work has repeatedly centered on creating those opportunities for student leadership and authentic engagement. That is what excites me about supporting TEDx. I don’t want students simply learning about people who have ideas worth spreading. I want them asking: What idea do I have that is worth spreading? My role is not to give them the answer. It’s to help create the space, structure, encouragement, feedback, and occasional gentle push that allows them to find it themselves. And then, ideally, hand them the microphone.

I am remarkably good at turning “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” into an actual event with a schedule, a spreadsheet, permission forms, transportation, student leaders, matching signage, and probably snacks. I can organize large groups of teenagers, coordinate complicated events, facilitate meetings, design programs, coach teachers, build student leadership teams, and somehow remain genuinely excited when someone adds another idea to the plan. My résumé has included some wonderfully unexpected jobs: teaching GED classes to adults in a pre-release correctional center, coordinating international student travel, teaching CPR and First Aid, and leading Red Cross disaster-response operations. So my oddly specific collection of skills includes: turning chaos into a color-coded plan; talking to almost anyone; finding the person who knows the person who can make an idea happen; making teenagers feel comfortable enough to participate; finding the educational purpose behind something fun; and staying surprisingly calm when Plan A has officially left the building. I’m also very good at asking, “Okay—but what if we made it bigger?” Which is either a strength or a warning label.