
Seriously: Play
March 1, 2025
4-5 pm: Pre-Conference Activities
5-7 pm: Main Event


Join us on March 1 for a fun and serious conversation around play.
“To be playful and serious at the same time is possible and it is the ideal mental condition” espoused progressive education pioneer John Dewey.
What if play could save us all – children, parents, and educators? (Seriously.) This TEDxUCLA event features leading educators and thought leaders Melinda Tsapatsaris, Neal Wrightson, Nnenna Nwachuku and Dr. Helen Davis, whose lifetime of work centers on harnessing the power of play towards children and adults living out ideals of democracy, critical + creative thinking, cooperation, and engaged citizenship. Seriously: Play will expand and hone in on the serious work of play and how play is the work we must be doing. In the TED style, there will be some experiences and engagements to immerse yourself in this event, led by musician and artist Aaron Grooves.
New Date: March 1
Location:
Westland School, 16200 Mulholland Dr, LA, CA 90049
Time:
Experiences and Pre-conference activities: 4-5pm
Event talks: 5pm – 7pm
Cost: $15 per ticket
TEDxUCLA Video (From the cover image)
Aaron Grooves marimba video is below
Image Credits: Child and Teen -- Ann Marie Thomas TEDxUCLA Talk from 2017 Wood Blocks: Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash TEDxUCLA Legos: Olivia and Grant Hutchinson
Speakers
(Subject to adjustments and additions)

Melinda Tsapataris
Head of School of Westland School
Melinda Tsapataris is a progressive educator and school leader in Los Angeles. She is serving her eighth year as Head of School of Westland School, a progressive elementary school founded in 1949. Melinda’s areas of expertise include democracy in education, play, project-based learning, leadership, and equity and inclusion. She writes a monthly blog called “In Context.” Melinda worked at Wildwood School for 15 years. Before moving to Los Angeles, she taught high school English in public schools. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Ohio University and her Masters Degree in Teaching from Brown University. She is the mother of three children (ages 15, 12, and 10) and enjoys play in the form of pick-up basketball games with her children, Greek dancing, camping, watercoloring, yoga, reading, and baking.

Neal Wrightson
Founding Head of Children’s Community School
Neal Wrightson is a Founding Head of Children’s Community School. He recently retired after 40 years as a teacher at all grade levels (K-6) and as the Head of School. He has also been a long-time member and Board member of the Institute for Descriptive Inquiry, previously the Prospect Institute. He has taught at the college level and served on many Boards of independent schools and public charter schools.

Nnenna Nwachuku
Founding Head of School at Nova Pioneer Schools
Nnenna Nwachuku brings over 15 years of education leadership expertise to improving learning outcomes and increasing access to quality education. She has launched and managed new schools and trained teachers and academic leaders in progressive learning. As a Founding Head of School at Nova Pioneer Schools, she gained valuable experience in achieving academic and operational excellence at Pre-K to 12 institutions. She served as an advisor to the Nelson Mandela Institute for Development Studies and has served on several school boards to drive educational equity. She currently consults with purpose-driven organizations to advance innovative learning models and scale impact in the education ecosystem. Nnenna holds a BA from Duke University, a MS in Education from University of Pennsylvania GSE, along with certifications from HBS and Harvard GSE. She is fellow of AWEC, an initiative of the Center for Global Enterprise.

Dr. Helen Davis
Author and past Program Director of Early Childhood Education at UCLA Extension
Dr. Helen Davis is an experienced Director of Teacher Education Programs, from Early Childhood and K-12 to College Counseling and TESOL. Demonstrated quality and scholarship program improvement outcomes and program development. Strong education professional skilled in Program and Curriculum Development, Team Management, Grant Writing, and Adult Teaching. Dr. Davis holds an Ed.D. in Developmental Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Aaron Grooves
Experiences: Multi-instrumentalist, composer, & music educator
Aaron passion for all forms of music-making have led him to become proficient in percussion, piano, tap dancing, singing, ukulele, live-looping, and many other instruments, which he utilizes to pursue his mission of spreading joy and elevating humanity.
Aaron achieved internet fame with his viral video, Mario on Marimba, which has received over 100 million views worldwide. He is the composer of “Jazzy Note Blocks,” the music behind Alan Becker’s Note Blocks, which has racked up over 200 million views. Aaron is one half of the explosive duo, Collision of Rhythm, where he performs, teaches, and keynotes all over the world with his “rhythmic soul brother,” Bronkar Lee.

Dr. Obioma Uche
With over 25 years of dedicated experience in Early Childhood Education, Dr. Obioma Uche has established herself as a leading figure in her field. She currently serves as an Early Childhood Education Director at the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Early Childhood Education Division, where she oversees multiple programs designed to nurture young minds. Additionally, Dr. Uche teaches Child Development courses at various colleges, fostering academic excellence and instructional support.
Her passion lies in empowering both the youngest learners and the educators who guide them. Through engaging professional development opportunities, she promotes instructional innovation and academic achievement. Dr. Uche’s commitment to early childhood education is driven by her belief in the transformative power of early learning experiences.