Deeper Learning 2026

In this session geared toward school leaders and teachers, you will experience an innovative peer-coaching practice that has proven to connect educators, address burnout, and turbo-charge communities in schools across the U.S.

In this 90-minute session, educators will experience Forum — a peer-to-peer coaching practice that supports well-being, deepens trust, and empowers educators to proactively address their own needs. Come learn how this coaching practice has transformed an East Coast school’s community, and leave with practical resources to bring back to your own staff.

This interactive workshop, led by Education for Sharing (E4S), invites participants to experience how play can be a powerful driver of equity, student agency, and belonging. Using E4S’s Play–Reflect–Act methodology, educators will engage in hands-on games and challenges that model social-emotional learning practices while fostering deeper learning. Through playful collaboration and guided reflection, participants will explore ways to design classrooms where all students feel seen, valued, and empowered to shape their learning journeys and exercise their voices. The session balances interactive activities, small-group dialogue, and whole-group discussion, ensuring participants experience and practice strategies they can immediately apply. Participants will leave with practical, adaptable tools to create joyful, student-centered spaces that nurture curiosity, build community, and promote equitable outcomes.

What if every story leapt off the page and onto the stage? In this energetic workshop, discover how drama can transform literacy learning. Through movement, voice and imagination, students build confidence, expand vocabulary and strengthen communication skills. Participants will experience process drama strategies using quality texts, exploring how arts-rich pedagogy deepens understanding, empathy, and intercultural awareness. Learn practical ways to weave drama into your teaching from Primary to Middle Years - making learning more meaningful, memorable and alive!

Explore the strategies and resources NYC Outward Bound Schools is using to shift Crews and classrooms to be more student-led. The combination of establishing strong, predictable routines and prioritizing student-designed content creates the conditions for students to feel ownership and belonging in school. Grounding in NYC Outward Bound Schools’ Student Voice Spectrum and a multi-media case study of a student leader’s growth in her Crew class, participants will design their own mini-lessons using the same tools students use and will learn strategies to implement in their own school contexts to elevate student leadership. Ideal for educators looking to meaningfully elevate student leadership in Crew/Advisory and classrooms.

Note: This DL session also invites attendees from the National Summit on Improvement in Education to participate. Summit is a gathering and rallying point for a vibrant and diverse community of improvers who are working to create educational systems where all young people learn and thrive. In 2026, we're bringing together the powerful Deeper Learning and Improvement communities through select crossover sessions, culminating in a joint closing keynote. You are invited to dive deeper and make new connections at DL26. Check out our Summit and DL26 comparison to learn more.

What does it take for every student to feel they truly matter? In this interactive session, inspired by the Odyssey Leadership Academy model, participants will engage in hands-on activities, reflective dialogue, and collaborative design to explore how belonging drives deeper learning. Together we’ll practice strategies for centering student voice, amplifying agency, and embedding equity into everyday learning. Through playful community-building and guided reflection, participants will experience the practices that foster mattering—connection, visibility, and care. By the end, you’ll leave with practical tools to cultivate classrooms and schools where belonging is not a byproduct, but the foundation of flourishing.

This session is for teachers, school leaders, and district teams seeking concrete, equity-centered strategies to create joyful, inclusive ecosystems of learning where every student is seen, valued, and essential.

Note: This DL session also invites attendees from the National Summit on Improvement in Education to participate. Summit is a gathering and rallying point for a vibrant and diverse community of improvers who are working to create educational systems where all young people learn and thrive. In 2026, we're bringing together the powerful Deeper Learning and Improvement communities through select crossover sessions, culminating in a joint closing keynote. You are invited to dive deeper and make new connections at DL26. Check out our Summit and DL26 comparison to learn more.

This session introduces Neighborhood Walks as a powerful entry point into a community-connected, place-based learning experience. Drawing on WPS Institute partnerships with urban schools in Massachusetts, we’ll engage with student voices that illuminate the dimensions of learning, connection, and engagement that can happen when young people step outside the classroom. Participants will then experience a Neighborhood Walk near the conference site, guided by simple lenses such as Making a Living or Being in Community. Along the way, you’ll practice skills that scaffold student confidence for learning in the wider world.
Together, we’ll identify the skills and mindsets students develop through these immersions, and leave with practical tools to create neighborhood walks for your own schools and communities.

Note: This DL session also invites attendees from the National Summit on Improvement in Education to participate. Summit is a gathering and rallying point for a vibrant and diverse community of improvers who are working to create educational systems where all young people learn and thrive. In 2026, we're bringing together the powerful Deeper Learning and Improvement communities through select crossover sessions, culminating in a joint closing keynote. You are invited to dive deeper and make new connections at DL26. Check out our Summit and DL26 comparison to learn more.

Research shows that trust is initiated in a cascade of internal chemical reactions that open the doorway to unsurpassed teamwork, strong relationships, and a boost in mental health.
This session is ideal for leaders committed to cultivating more joy, generosity, and connection in their schools and classrooms.
Participants will be treated to activities, games, and reflective prompts that practice developing trust .
Attendees will leave with 3 simple activities, and endless iterations, to bring back to your schools to foster fun and connection, resulting in trust and transformation.