About the Presenters

Jorge Valenzuela is a well-regarded and nationally recognized performance and education coach, author, and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. He got his start in education and has helped countless educators improve their leadership and instructional innovation skills. Jorge specializes in emphasizing core instruction and is a trusted deliverer of reputable professional training in team building, project-based learning, STEM pathways, and life-skills integration across the curriculum. He partners with superintendents and provides professional development on behalf of ASCD, Corwin, Premiere Speakers Bureau, and Solution Tree. He has authored several books and is the Lifelong Learning Defined Podcast host. You can find him on Instagram at @JorgeDoesPBL and Twitter at @JorgeDoesPBL

Mark Whelton is Superintendent of Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District in Bridgeport, Michigan. Mark is a sixth-year superintendent and leader of a dynamic group of educators. He is a sports enthusiast who lives a vision of “No Barriers, Just Possibilities,” which requires a student-first focus and an understanding that you can lead a horse to water. Still, you can’t make it drink UNLESS you add salt to its food. So, what is your salt?

Mark holds degrees from Central Michigan University, Marygrove College, and the University of Michigan. Over the past 23 years, he has been a teacher, principal, intervention specialist, data and PLC coach at The Institute for Excellence in Education, and an integral part of the Financial Independence Team at the Michigan Department of Education.

Christopher Young is a seasoned educator, instructional coach for Creative Learning Systems, and STEM facilitator for The Oakwood School in North Carolina. As a Smart Lab instructor, Chris brings 17 years of STEM and computer science education background fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Chris also serves as the Board President of Rho Sigma Omega (a STEM honor society), Instructional Coach, and High School Coaching Mentor.

His academic qualifications include a Certificate in Computer Science from Harvard University, a Master of Business Administration from East Carolina University, and dual Bachelor’s degrees from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Chris is a Certified Network Administrator and a Microsoft Office User Specialist, showcasing his technical proficiency.