Digging Deeper! Educator Conference 2025

Gerald D. Smith Jr. is principal at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy located in DC, one of four schools in the Consortium of Catholic Academies. A former science and math educator for grades 4–12, Gerald has worked at various schools focused on developing differentiated instruction through phenomenon- and project-based learning. After teaching at Bishop McNamara High School, Gerald became familiar with Project Zero ideas and worked alongside colleagues to integrate teaching for understanding practices and visible thinking into the school's culture. As a tenured principal, Gerald is working to promote agency in both educators and students in order to develop strong citizens willing and ready to make the world more just and humane. He has spent the last few years working to cultivate ideas of making, thinking, and understanding amongst his team of educators and scholars. His work has allowed him opportunities to work on both faculties at WISSIT and Project Zero. In the last few years, he has worked to share the narrative of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy at various conferences including the stage of Project Zero Classroom. As a current doctoral candidate, Gerald is working to develop best practices in urban education for Black students and other resilient groups of learners often marginalized by the system of education.

With more than 30 years of experience in education, Sandra has been in the classroom with students of all levels, teaching, supervising curriculum, as school principal, and as owner of a private international education company. Sandra holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in teaching and one in management and leadership, as well as two masters', one in project management and one in educational leadership with a focus on museum studies. In the last 12 years, Sandra has dived deep into museum education, bringing her world-class experience of developing immersive educational programs in four countries: USA, Brazil, England, and Finland. Her "edupreneurship" (entrepreneurship + education) skills bring innovation and a new vision for the Education Department of Museum of the Bible.

Cyndi Parker holds a PhD in theological and religious studies from the University of Gloucestershire and teaches in churches and universities worldwide. She is the creator of Narrative of Place, the host of the Context Matters podcast, and the director of education and conversation at Resurrection Philadelphia. Her desire to help people learn to read the land of the Bible is the core of many of her projects.

Cyndi lived in Jerusalem for five years and continues developing innovative educational trips to Israel, seeking to inspire students of all ages through experiential education. Her research interests include biblical views of place, biblical history, geography, and the correlation between theology and ecology.