An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Next DAF Learning Symposium set for April 16-18

  • Published
  • By Marilyn C. Holliday
  • AETC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --  

Air Education and Training Command officials are preparing and designing the third Department of the Air Force Learning Symposium, to be held in San Antonio April 16-18.

This year’s theme is “Competency: Modeling, Implementation and Measures,” and will bring members together from across the DAF for an agenda that is intended to share perspectives, deepen connections, and exchange knowledge.

“The overarching purpose of this gathering is to build a strong shared vision across the DAF learning ecosystem and strategically plan and implement learning engineering to optimize the development of mission ready Airmen - for the future fight,” Dr. Wendy Walsh, Air Education and Training Command’s chief learning officer, said. Part of my job is creating systems and networks of shared understanding, so that we may leverage each other while moving forward collectively. Our goal is to transform the way Airmen and Guardians learn.”

Walsh has a nine-year strategy that cycles three topic areas three times each: ecosystem mapping (human-centered), storytelling (mission-focused) and competencies (competency-based). That strategy includes regular information flow and an exploration of narratives, which takes place during learning symposiums.

“This is a unique event, one which we design specifically around the participants and their experience,” Marcus Carrion from AETC’s Innovation, Futures and Strategy Division, said. “Our team creates a safe space for the intended exchange to emerge and we take creative and facilitated approaches to inspire the conversations, collaborations, and outputs. The solutions needed to create a mission ready force are in the room, we just need to get them out.”

The symposium documentation team collects various mediums of data, to include survey responses, recordings, and graphics throughout the event, and compiles it all for reporting and analysis. Each year, the data can be used to compliment and guide the next symposium.

“The symposium aims to create opportunities for collaboration, alignment and shared vision in key force development areas,” Walsh said. Data gathered from the symposiums are used to inform key leaders during events such as AETC’s Gathering of the Torch Conference for wing commanders and Force Development Council meetings.”

If interested in attending, email both Carrion at Marcus.Carrion.2@us.af.mil and Dana Horn at Dana.Horn@us.af.mil.