Darren Hudgins
Educator, Public Speaker, and Consultant in Oregon, USA
Darren Hudgins is passionate about creating learning experiences that empower educators and their students to think, do, and thrive. He sincerely believes in this mission and founded Think Do Thrive, where he drives initiatives that inspire critical thinking, promote active learning, and improve educational communities.
With over 20 years of experience in education, edtech, and coaching, Darren understands the challenges and complexities of leading and cultivating effective learning environments. He has served in various roles, including secondary school teacher, district coach, staff developer, speaker, facilitator, and youth coach. His extensive background in education has equipped him to support and foster unique learning experiences on the front lines.
Darren has also held prominent positions, such as the Director of Instructional Technology for a nonprofit consortium known as OETC. He built a vast community of facilitators there, leading several boutique professional development experiences, including IntegratED Portland, AcceleratED Portland, SPARK, and Leading Schools. He has delivered keynote addresses for numerous schools, organizations, and parent advisory groups, covering a wide range of topics, such as instructional strategies, leadership, capacity building, change management, career and technical education (CTE), science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), cohort models, project-based learning, and technology training throughout the United States.
Darren also co-authors two best-selling books on media and information literacy: *Fact Vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News* (ISTE 2018) and *Developing Digital Detectives: Essential Lessons for Discerning Fact from Fiction in the 'Fake News' Era* (ISTE 2021). He has consulted for organizations such as Future Ready Schools, UEN, and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, in addition to working with various school districts.
Let's work together to navigate this complex world. For more information about his work, visit thinkdothrive.org.