Since 2015, Nancy Belmont has been creating transformative public spaces that change the way people think about themselves and interact with others. In her presentation, she shows her public art projects that are catalysts for personal change, enabling us to explore who we are and the ties that connect us.

Ian Livingston says perseverence is key to capturing these moments of dramatic weather, which can only be described as magical. As Information Lead of the Capital Weather Gang of the Washington Post, he combines his passions for weather and photography, and chases storms across the country in his spare time. He presents original photographs of weather scenes that he has taken over the years, including tornadoes in Kansas and Washington DC monuments framed by nature, truly once-in-a-lifetime moments. 

Our internal weather system-- our feelings and moods-- often mimics the external world, which can be disruptive and hostile. As a student of meditation and mindfulness, Lindsey Keck bellieves there is power in the act of slowing down. She shares her experiences which made her realize that "the magic lies in how you respond, in each and every moment."

According to Scott Baytosh, Head of School at Alexandria Country Day School, learning and magic are close cousins-- they both engender wonder, curiosity, and fascination. How can educators create these experiences? He suggests that we can look to teacher-archetypes in popular culture, such as Ms. Frizzle, Mary Poppins, and Professor Lupin, as role models and practical guides for keeping the magic in learning.

Kerry Greco is a graphic designer who loves Harry Potter. In her view, it is the friendships that make the story so special, and the same is true for her life. Her presentation describes her close friends from childhood and college, prompting us to value the friendships and relationships in our own lives.

What did you do last summer? Tara Casagrande is a yoga teacher who took a magical trip of a lifetime to China, Mongolia, and Korea last summer with her three children. Her adventures included riding on a yak, eating live octopus, and doing a yoga pose in front of a temple. 

For some of us, "home" is a faraway place, but for Michael Sharp, it is the place where he was born and grew up in, and where he is now raising his son. In his presentation, he describes the places that have shaped him and memories from his childhood in Alexandria, as well as upstate New York and California. He wonders what our children will remember about the places they grow up in.

Something remarkable has been going on at Four Mile Run Park, a trail and waterway that passes through urban industrial areas in northern Virginia, USA. After decades of pollution and neglect, through the efforts of volunteers, the area is coming back to life. Kurt Moser, president of the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation, details how we can sometimes transform nature around us to positive effect. 

In his presentation, Bodhi Ling Patel encourages us to let our inner light shine and to take care of our body, mind, and spirit. As a high school student concerned about depression and suicide among young people, he strives to live life to the fullest and spread the message that we all have a beautiful light within us.

In the summer of 2018, Ling-Yun Tang spent 2 months in Berlin with her children and fell in love with the public playgrounds. As she crisscrossed the city visiting numerous parks and playgrounds, she was impressed by how well play was integrated into public spaces, and learned a valuable lesson about letting go when it came to letting her children explore and take risks on their own.

"Place can be the freedom to explore where roads can't go," says Katie Goode, who explores the theme of inner place in her inspiring, and at times, funny, presentation. She shares some tips and small blessings that have come her way, that have helped her to move to a place where she feels present, clear, and sure.  

For 30 years, Leopoldo Díaz -Moure was in a place of fear. Like a block of ice, he felt frozen and numb. Leo takes us on an inner journey through emotional landscapes that we all inhabit and shares how he was able to move from a place of fear to a place of freedom. What place would you like to be?