Deeper Learning 2026

Students and community service – passengers or drivers? Shift the mindset from "have to" to "want to" by empowering students as architects of change. This interactive session provides a proven framework for to having students identify needs, create plans, secure seed funding and mentor student-designed initiatives. Through real-world case studies and collaborative planning, you will gain practical strategies and a concrete roadmap to launch student-led service projects in your own community.

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.

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.

Curiosity has been treated as something to manage, contain, or redirect, yet we now recognize it as a critical driver of learning. In this provocation lab, participants will study a range of examples from a variety of contexts and analyze how and why they work to spark and sustain inquiry. Together, we will explore the design moves that place curiosity at the center of instruction and clarify what distinguishes a true provocation from a simple hook, focusing on experiences that require thinking, discourse, and questioning. This session is for teachers and leaders ready to shift from delivering information to creating conditions that invite exploration. Participants will leave with practical tools and a clear framework for designing lessons that nurture curiosity as a durable learning disposition.

What if students could be more engaged because they understood what you were assessing—and why? How do we keep middle schoolers truly invested in their learning? In this workshop, educators will explore how authentic, collaborative assessment—when connected to real-world challenges and student interests—can transform classroom culture and deepen learning. We’ll examine a middle school project that sparked curiosity, built essential skills, and led to meaningful work, while highlighting how student voice and choice played a key role in both the process and the assessment. Discover how inviting students into the assessment conversation can make their thinking more visible, foster ownership, and drive deeper engagement. You will leave the workshops with tools, strategies, and inspiration to co-create learning experiences that matter—to you and your students.

In this session, participants will learn about the student experience through the coping process. Whether you're a school leader, classroom teacher, parent/caregiver, or student this session will offer fresh insights and strategies to help navigate stress, foster well-being, and enhance engagement. Participants will leave with concrete ways to support adaptive coping at home and at school. Come learn from what students are saying in our national data and how coping impacts their ability to thrive in our schools!

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.