Joliet 11-year-old will teach at tech conference for 2nd time

A sixth-grade student at Trinity Christian School in Shorewood will teach at a technology conference for the second year in a row.

Connor Freeman, 11, of Joliet will present at THAT Conference, which will run Monday to Thursday at Wisconsin Dells..

In 2023, Connor taught the basics of electrical engineering through lecturing and small groups working with hands-on activities. This August, he will show students how to create “Scratch” coding games.

Amanda Freeman, Connor’s mother and a quality assurance analyst for a health care company, said she and her son submitted abstracts to THAT Conference last year as part of their application process.

“I didn’t get accepted,” Amanda Freeman said. “But my 11-year-old did.”

Keep your eye on this soon-to-be sixth grader, as he is going places. [He is] quite determined to make an impact on his community and world.”

—  Christine McBride, head robotics coach, computer science teacher and STEAM director at Trinity Christian School in Shorewood

Clark Sell, CEO of THAT Conference who co-founded it with his wife, Carrie, said it’s not unusual for children to speak at his conference since it “gives kids an opportunity to present to kids in things that have heart and meaning for them.”

What is unusual is that most youth speakers are girls – and most youth speakers require help from their parents. Connor creates his own presentations and then delivers them – by himself – to a 50- to 100-member audience of children and adults, Sell said.

Still, the competition for a teaching slot is fierce. Sell estimated that he received 600 applications, with 75 to 100 of them geared toward “the family side of things” as opposed to professional sessions, he said.

Out of those 100 applications, only 12 to 15 of the 90 sessions are geared toward families, Sell said. But Connor delivered a quality abstract on a topic that will draw attendees, Sell said.

Nevertheless, Sell said, it’s important – and rare – for a conference to welcome families and professionals at the same event.

“I think it’s important for the professional folks to create space for the young rising stars to do things – especially in this work, where you don’t get to touch and feel anything,” Sell said. “My grandfather built buildings, and we had farms, and you could touch physical objects. My kids can’t touch a website.”

More fun than a water park

Amanda Freeman said she actually is a certified teacher in the state of Illinois, is certified to teach English and language arts for grades six through 11, and taught as an adjunct for Joliet Junior College before Connor was born and during his first couple years of life.

But as a single mother “from the beginning,” Freeman said she needed a stable income and good benefits. She found a job in the retirement-planning field, started working with Excel sheets, and then taught herself the basics of technology and various programs from there, which eventually led to her current position, she said.

During part of the COVID-19 pandemic, Freeman home-schooled Connor so she could simultaneously manage her work Zoom calls and his education.

That’s when Freeman introduced Connor to technology as part of his curriculum.

“It was one of the best things I’ve done for him,” she said.

Freeman said she downloaded “things on the iPad to help him” and bought him Snap Circuits so he could “build and be curious.”

“And that’s how it all started,” she said.

Freeman said that when she attended the THAT Conference in summer 2022, she brought Connor with her because the conference was held at a water park. But Connor was more interested in the conference then in the water park, Freeman said.

Connor said he was so interested that he decided at THAT Conference to apply for a teaching spot for the following year.

“I saw a lot of the speakers, and it just looked like they were having the most fun out of everybody there,” Connor said. “I think I was just happy to go through the process and try to get it.”

Mentor to other students

Connor said he was surprised at being accepted. Freeman said she was surprised at how much he enjoyed speaking to a roomful of people, especially since he shies away from reading in front of his class at school.

“The night before, I was a little nervous,” Connor said. “But when I walked into the room – probably about 10 minutes before we were meant to start – people just started showing up, and I started greeting everybody. And then, I don’t know, I was just so calm about it.”

Connor said the best part of the teaching experience for him was after the discussion, when he chatted with youth of all ages during a “free-roam” period where they could try the Snap Circuits.

“I got to meet a ton of people, and that was just so nice,” Connor said.

Christine McBride, head robotics coach, computer science teacher and STEAM director at Trinity Christian School, said in an email that Connor “exemplifies all the core values and gracious professionalism that FIRST Robotics teaches in their fantastic program.”

“Connor strives to be an example to the younger students on the team and takes time to mentor and help them grow in their coding skills, engineering skills and leadership skills, all the while learning and growing himself,” McBride said in the email. “He is a remarkable student that thrives in challenges. Connor genuinely cares about his teammates, and it shows in everything he does at practice and at competition.

“We are so proud of him and absolutely love having him on Trinity’s Robotics Team. Keep your eye on this soon-to-be sixth grader, as he is going places. [He is] quite determined to make an impact on his community and world.”