EdCrunch Night is designed in a storytelling format: we will tell in simple words a complex story of relations between students and teachers, kids and adults, all those who go against the system. As a foundation for our story we have chosen the plot of a novel by Bel Kaufman ‘Up the Down Staircase’. We will try to preserve the original idea and add as many spoilers and assumptions as possible. The viewer will not only experience the original story but also will be able to find answers to his or her personal questions with the generous help of our speakers and actors. A story about how to work with today’s teenagers will be presented by Timur Zhabbarov, CEO and Founder of Smart Course. Ways to fight burnout and apathy will be woven into the speech by Pavel Bukov, a psychotherapist, neurologist, expert on the natural healing method. Arkady Tsuker, a marketing expert, business coach, author of educational courses, will share his personal experience of fighting temporary difficulties. The main characters are going to be Valeria Titova, an incredibly young actress, and Gabriel Koni, a poet, actor, acting teacher, who will tell a touching story of author’s personal experience. Up the Down Staircase teaches to never give up or lose heart, stay positive and believe in love and life itself.