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Welcome Deeper Learners!

This digital program is for all things DL2026! Session selection is LIVE. Only registered attendees will be able to select sessions starting March 3rd. Click this link to REGISTER.

You will need to select one Workshop Round 1 or Den Talk [for Day 1], one Deep Dive session [for Day 2], and one Workshop Round 2 or Den Talk [for Day 3]. These sessions have capacity limits and will fill up.

For an overview of the event and session types, campus map and frequently asked questions, check out the event info page here.

We can’t wait to see you!
Monday, March 30
 

8:30am PDT

Pre-Conference Add On: Where Curiosity Leads
Monday March 30, 2026 8:30am - 11:00am PDT
Fleet Science Center
Pre-conferences require a separate registration fee of $250. Please purchase your pre-conference ticket here: https://buytickets.at/hightechhighgse/storeExperience the science process through phenomena and personal curiosity, discovering the joy of figuring things out along the way and then raise questions that can lead to insightful investigations. Learn pedagogy related to scanning and...
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Monday March 30, 2026 8:30am - 11:00am PDT
Fleet Science Center 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
  Pre-Conference Add On Event

10:00am PDT

HTH GSE Degrees Community Mixer
Monday March 30, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High Great Room
Join us for our annual GSE Mixer before we kick off the Deeper Learning Conference! This gathering brings together alumni, current students, faculty, and prospective students interested in the work of High Tech High’s Graduate School of Education.Reconnect with former cohort members, meet the people behind our credential & degree programs, and learn more about the pathways available through HTH...
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Speakers
avatar for Brittney Quinones

Brittney Quinones

Support Staff, HTH GSE

Monday March 30, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High Great Room
  Optional Social Hours

11:45am PDT

Student Makers Market
Monday March 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:15pm PDT
High Tech Elementary Registration Area
This student-run Makers Market will feature student entrepreneurs from the local community. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to meet these young entrepreneurs. Check out their products and learn how they are using entrepreneurship to engage in deeper learning.
Monday March 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:15pm PDT
High Tech Elementary Registration Area 2150 Cushing Road, San Diego, CA 92106
  Conference Experiences

12:15pm PDT

Opening Experience
Monday March 30, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
Schools need more AI. And by AI, we mean Arts Integration, Ancestral Intelligence, Abundant Imagination and Artificial Intelligence. At our opening event, hear from educators and leaders who will speak to each of these important forms of AI.Arts IntegrationMarimar Patrón Vázquez, is a cultural innovator and educator who co-founded Habla: The Center for Language and Culture in Yucatán, México,...
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Speakers
avatar for Dina Buchbinder

Dina Buchbinder

Founder and Executive Director, Education for Sharing
Dina Buchbinder is the Founder and President of Education for Sharing (E4S), a global nonprofit transforming education through the power of play. For over 18 years, E4S has engaged more than two million children, educators, and families across the Americas, fostering empathy, collaboration... Read More →
avatar for Marimar Patrón Vázquez

Marimar Patrón Vázquez

Co-founder, Habla
Marimar Patrón Vázquez, is a cultural innovator and educator who co-founded Habla: The Center for Language and Culture in Yucatán, México, where she was born and her family lived for generations. Trained in literature at Universidad de las Américas and Brown University, she has... Read More →
avatar for Kwaku Aning

Kwaku Aning

Senior Advisor, Retro Futurism Consulting
Kwaku Aning is the Founder and Principal of Retro Futurism Consulting where he leverages 25 years of experience across education, corporate, and non-profit sectors to help organizations: transform how they build and leverage networks, maximize conference and gathering opportunities... Read More →
avatar for Stanley Rodriguez

Stanley Rodriguez

President, Kumeyaay Community College
Dr. Stanley Rodriguez is an esteemed educator, cultural leader, and advocate for Indigenous language revitalization. A member of the Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation of the Kumeyaay, he has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting Kumeyaay culture, history, and language... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
  Conference Experiences

1:45pm PDT

Community Advisory & Student-Led Experiences
Monday March 30, 2026 1:45pm - 4:15pm PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
To find your Community Advisory location, check Sched for the classroom location for your deep dive session. That is where you will meet for the four Community Advisory sessions (and your deep dive)!Your Deep Dive colleagues will become your small group for four sessions during the event. This session will connect you to the other folks that you'll be learning with in your Deep Dive.Intentional...
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Monday March 30, 2026 1:45pm - 4:15pm PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
  Conference Experiences

4:30pm PDT

Creating Communities of Protection, Resistance and Deeper Learning in Sanctuary Schools: Accompañamiento as Innovation
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
High Tech Middle Commons
What if schools moved beyond protection toward innovation to truly accompany immigrant and multilingual students on their educational journeys? In this Den conversation, Lara Evangelista, Executive Director of the Internationals Network for Public Schools, and Chandler Patton Miranda, author of Sanctuary School, explore how schools serving newly arrived students have reimagined deeper learning as...
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Speakers
avatar for Chandler Miranda

Chandler Miranda

Assistant Professor, Author, Molloy University and Internationals Network for Public Schools
Chandler Patton Miranda, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Education at Molloy University and an anthropologist of education whose work examines how schools serve recently arrived immigrant youth in an ever-changing political climate. A former high school teacher, her research explores... Read More →
avatar for Lara Evangelista

Lara Evangelista

Internationals Network, Executive Director
Lara Evangelista is the Executive Director of Internationals Network, a national nonprofit that partners with public school systems to design and sustain multilingual learning environments for newcomer immigrant students that are grounded in deeper learning, whole-child practices... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
High Tech Middle Commons
  Den Talk

4:30pm PDT

From Vision to Action: Bringing Project Based Learning for All to Life
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
High Tech High Commons
Every leader wants deeper learning for students—but turning that vision into reality takes more than inspiration. It takes culture, structure, and courage. In this informal Den Talk, Lisa Mireles—author of Project Based Learning for All: A Leader’s Guide—invites you to dig into what it really looks like to lead school and system-wide change. Hear stories of schools that are doing it,...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Lisa Mireles

Dr. Lisa Mireles

PBLWorks, Managing Director of Digital Curriculum
Dr. Lisa Mireles is the Managing Director of Digital Curriculum and Special Advisor to the CEO at PBLWorks and the co-author of Project Based Learning for All: A Leader's Guide, published in December 2025 by ASCD/ISTE.
A seasoned teacher, school principal, and district leader, she has a special interest in creating learner-centered ecosystems that amplify the powerful intersection of leadership, project based learning, and technology. She has taught and led in schools in California, Indonesia... Read More →
avatar for Bob Lenz

Bob Lenz

PBLWorks, CEO
Bob Lenz became CEO of PBLWorks in 2015, leading the organization’s mission to ensure high-quality Project Based Learning reaches all students. Before joining PBLWorks, he co-founded Envision Education and served as its CEO and Chief of Innovation, pioneering a successful school... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
High Tech High Commons
  Den Talk

4:30pm PDT

Summit Fireside Chat: Deeper Learning or Continuous Improvement: Why not both?
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Deeper Learning is a set of powerful outcomes for students. Continuous Improvement is a set of powerful methods to achieve better outcomes. Deeper Learning needs...
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Speakers
avatar for Ben Daley

Ben Daley

President, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
I'm convinced that deeper learning and continuous improvement need each other. I'm trying to bring two communities I identify with and care about into greater connection with one another.

avatar for Ash Vasudeva

Ash Vasudeva

Education Program Director, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

avatar for Jim May

Jim May

President and CEO, New Tech Network
Jim May is the president & CEO of New Tech Network (NTN), a national education nonprofit transforming K-12 public education. Since joining NTN in 2011 as a School Development Coach, he has held multiple leadership roles, returning in 2022 after a brief hiatus to co-lead the organization... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
  Den Talk

4:30pm PDT

A Way to Shift from Surviving to Thriving
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 116
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...
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Speakers
avatar for DDS Dobson-Smith

DDS Dobson-Smith

Associate Head of School: Academics, Ridgefield Academy
avatar for Jeff Snipes

Jeff Snipes

Founder, Millennium School
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 116
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Activating the Third Teacher to Enhance Learning
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 109
Physical, temporal, and technological contexts of schooling constitute the "third teacher" in education. Too often, these environments work against our learning goals. Authentic learning doesn’t respect the constraints of classroom walls. Community learning experiences get stymied by bureaucracy. Collaboration collides with regimented teacher and student schedules. Efforts to design active...
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Speakers
avatar for Ben Hoff

Ben Hoff

Science Teacher, Grand Rapids Public Schools
avatar for Christopher Hanks

Christopher Hanks

POSA- Innovation Design, Grand Rapids Public Schools
avatar for Edward Montalvo

Edward Montalvo

Director of Field Learning, XQ Institute
Edward Montalvo is the Director of the Educator Network at the XQ Institute, overseeing XQ’s Community of Practice and educator engagement strategy. He writes about education and its intersection with AI and authors the XQ Xtra newsletter. He is based in Washington, DC.
TH

Tamika Henry

Principal, Grand Rapids Public Schools
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 109
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Authentic Community Service: When Students Identify and Lead the Way
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 117
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Erin Gilbert

Erin Gilbert

Instructional Coach, Gifted Education Facilitator, International Baccalaureate Coordinator, Mesa Middle School
With over two decades of experience in special education and instructional leadership, Erin Gilbert brings a wealth of expertise to the field of professional development. She has held diverse roles, including Director of Professional Development at Johns Hopkins University’s National... Read More →
avatar for Liliana McVey

Liliana McVey

Education Program Specialist, Global Doing Good
Hello everyone! My name is Liliana McVey. I am a former Elementary Classroom Teacher, and I now work in the Educational Travel Industry. I am very excited to demonstrate the relationships built between educators and companies that work together to build stronger experiences for s... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 117
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Belonging Through Play: Equity and Student Agency
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 107
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...
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Speakers
BW

Brooke Wallace

United States Country Manager, Education for Sharing
avatar for Dina Buchbinder

Dina Buchbinder

Founder and Executive Director, Education for Sharing
Dina Buchbinder is the Founder and President of Education for Sharing (E4S), a global nonprofit transforming education through the power of play. For over 18 years, E4S has engaged more than two million children, educators, and families across the Americas, fostering empathy, collaboration... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 107
  Workshop Round 1, Abundant Imagination

4:30pm PDT

Books Alive - Exploring Literacy Through Drama
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 150
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,...
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Speakers
avatar for Josie Nardella

Josie Nardella

Primary Teacher & Indigenous Education Academic Mentor, International Grammar School
I am a primary school teacher from Sydney Australia. I have been teaching for over 30 years. I have held different leadership positions in schools however my passion lies in being in the classroom with students. During my early years as a teacher, I did my post graduate studies in... Read More →
avatar for Michelle Weir

Michelle Weir

Primary Teacher & Head of Teacher Accreditation, International Grammar School
I am a Primary teacher from Sydney, Australia. I have been teaching for over 35 years. I have a passion for teaching Literacy through Drama. Drama enables enactment which can enrich student understanding of story, going beyond surface meanings and developing deeper understandings... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 150
  Workshop Round 1, Arts Integration

4:30pm PDT

Building Belonging: Tools for Student-Led Classrooms
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 117
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Hannah Read

Hannah Read

Senior Manager of Program Design and Crew Coach, NYC Outward Bound Schools
In my role as a Crew Coach, I support NYC public schools to implement Crew, an advisory model and school-wide structure that fosters student belonging and social-emotional and academic development, by providing 1:1 coaching to teachers and school leaders, facilitating professional... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 117
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Building Ecosystems of Mattering in Schools
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 113
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Scott Martin

Dr. Scott Martin

Executive Director, Odyssey Leadership Academy
Dr. Scott Martin is a hall of fame educator and internationally recognized thought leader with a PhD in school leadership and moral education who is passionate about seeing schools reimagined for human and communal flourishing. He is the Head of Odyssey Leadership Academy, an award... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 113
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Community Rap Sessions: Fostering Authentic Family & Community Partnership
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 101
Learning environments are often designed without the voices of our most important stakeholders: the people we are meant to serve. Imagine instead working together with families to identify needs, co-create solutions, and celebrate growth. If you’re a school leader seeking to foster these genuine connections, join us to experience community rap sessions, a culturally responsive practice that...
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Speakers
avatar for Clare McKenna

Clare McKenna

Associate Director of Learning, Henry Ford Learning Institute
avatar for Deborah Parizek

Deborah Parizek

Executive Director, Henry Ford Learning Institute
I am excited to return to Deeper Learning this year (my 19th year!) with a new workshop, Community Rap Sessions: Building Authentic Family and Community Partnerships. Engaging meaningfully with others who are invested in deeper learning opportunities for young people and educators... Read More →
avatar for Theo Kozerski

Theo Kozerski

Associate Director of Social Innovation, Henry Ford Learning Institute

Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 101
  Workshop Round 1, Ancestral Intelligence

4:30pm PDT

Curiosity Reclaimed: It Didn't Kill the Cat!
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 114
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Gerlinger

Sarah Gerlinger

Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction, Los Altos School District
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 114
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Designing Projects That Matter: Equity in CTE/IB
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 144
This workshop showcases how real-world learning, equity, and interdisciplinary design come together in powerful project-based experiences for secondary students. Grounded in iLEAD’s innovative blend of IB, CTE, and Deeper Learning, participants will engage with planning frameworks and tools that support students in solving authentic community problems, developing career-ready skills, and...
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Speakers
avatar for Angie Nastovska

Angie Nastovska

Dirrector of Curriculum and Assessment, iLEAD Schools
Dr. Angie Nastovska is a nationally recognized educator, curriculum designer, and thought leader in deeper learning and the IB Career-related Programme. As Director of Curriculum and Assessment at iLEAD Schools and an Adjunct Professor, she designs innovative, student-centered systems... Read More →

Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 144
  Workshop Round 1, Abundant Imagination

4:30pm PDT

Enduring Engagement Through Authentic Assessment
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 146
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Amber George

Amber George

Maker Teacher, High Tech High
Artist, Maker, Teacher, Coach, Mom, Cook, Sailor.
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 146
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Ground Control to Major Tom: Modern Leadership
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 148
In today’s world, what you plan for now may be upended by new forces tomorrow. Educational policies shift quickly, AI is transforming how learning happens, and geopolitical and environmental pressures are adding new layers of complexity. Your school community looks to you to lead through uncertainty with clarity and confidence.In this interactive workshop, you will have dedicated time, tools,...
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Speakers
avatar for Leigh Fitzgerald

Leigh Fitzgerald

Chief Education Officer, Learnlife
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 148
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Human Schools for Inhuman Times
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 158
What does it mean to meet the human needs of students and educators? What choices can we make—as leaders, teachers, and people—to create deeper learning environments that meet this moment in history with respect for the humanity and intellect of our communities? In 2024, Libby Woodfin and Jal Mehta embarked on a research project to discover, describe, and share the qualities of human schools....
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Speakers
avatar for Libby Woodfin

Libby Woodfin

Director of Knowledge Exchange, Deeper Learning Institute
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 158
  Workshop Round 1, Abundant Imagination

4:30pm PDT

Mission-Aligned Targets, Deeper Learning Outcomes
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 102
This workshop explores how to create clear, standards-based learning targets that strengthen project-based learning and reflect a school’s mission. As a new administrator in a PBL-focused school, I quickly recognized the need to strengthen how learning connects meaningfully to both academic standards and the school’s mission. By intentionally aligning learning targets with the mission, we move...
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Speakers
avatar for Laura Flaxman

Laura Flaxman

Author, Educator, Consultant, Asia Pacific International School


avatar for Anna Sea

Anna Sea

Director of Instructions, Asia Pacific International School
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 102
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Ordinary Streets, Extraordinary Learning
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 106
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...
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Speakers
AL

Anna Leonhard Lacerda

Managing Director, WPS Institute
avatar for Carrie Wihbey

Carrie Wihbey

Director of Strategy and Innovation, WPS Institute
I work on learning design and youth development, with a focus on project-based and career-connected learning. Lately, I’ve been exploring how AI can support deeper learning without losing the human side of teaching and learning. I love talking about what actually works with adolescents... Read More →
avatar for Kateshia McAfee

Kateshia McAfee

Youth Experience and Community Lead, WPS Institute
avatar for Laura Tavares

Laura Tavares

Executive Director, WPS Institute

Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 106
  Workshop Round 1, Abundant Imagination

4:30pm PDT

Rethinking Stress to Nurture Thriving Learners
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 107
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Kimberly Tsai

Kimberly Tsai

Director of Programs, Challenge Success
Kimberly Tsai, M.Ed., is a proud first-generation Taiwanese American, mother, educator, and creative, Kimberly Tsai has served for over fifteen years in the education ecosystem and is the author of the ASCD book, The Vital Role of Joy, which will be released in the summer of 2026... Read More →
avatar for Matthew Swenson

Matthew Swenson

Director of Educational Partnerships, Challenge Success
Matthew Swenson is the Director of Educational Partnerships at Challenge Success, where he leads national outreach to help K-12 schools foster student well-being, engagement, and belonging. With experience as an English teacher, assistant principal, and principal, he has a background... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Middle 107
  Workshop Round 1, Ancestral Intelligence

4:30pm PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Adaptive Solutions, Technical Moves: How Check-Ins Address Complex Leadership Challenges
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High International 123
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. The University of Chicago’s Network for College Success has partnered with 14–18 Chicago high schools for over a decade, helping principals and leadership...
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Speakers
LP

Lauren Perez Pietruszka

Senior Transformation Coach, University of Chicago Network for College Success
JR

Joyce Randall

Senior Transformation Coach, University of Chicago Network for College Success
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High International 123
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Beyond Grades and Test Scores: Experiential Learning and SEL Boosts Postsecondary Success
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary 114
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Imagine students who are nearly twice as likely to earn a college credential, all because they had access to experiences that showed them what’s possible. At...
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Speakers
SB

Samantha Brenner

Senior Postsecondary Success Coach - Curriculum & Instruction, Embarc
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary 114
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Leveraging Learning Walks to Align on Student Experiences and Improve Coaching Outcomes
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary 217
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Join NTC in exploring how to leverage learning walks across classrooms to deepen adult understanding of the student experience. Over the past five years, NTC...
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Speakers
KW

Krysten Wendell

Vice President, Program & Partnerships, New Teacher Center
LS

Lisa Schmitt

Senior Director, Impact, New Teacher Center
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary 217
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

Summit Session: Leader's Mindset: Shifting Deeper Learning from Complex Challenge to Improvable Problem
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary 222
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Scaling deeper learning is a complex challenge, not a complicated one, demanding a fundamental shift in leadership mindset. This 90-minute workshop explores why...
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Speakers
avatar for Alisa Berger

Alisa Berger

ED, Deeper Learning Institute - Harvard Graduate School of Education
Alisa has over 25 years of experience as an educator, principal, and school leadership coach. She works with schools, districts and networks to support deeper and more engaging instruction for all students.Alisa is Executive Director of the Deeper Learning Dozen, a project out of... Read More →
avatar for Aurora Kushner

Aurora Kushner

VP, School Programming and Impact, NYC Outward Bound Schools
Always looking for the joyful convergence between equity-centered deeper learning and improvement.
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary 222
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

System-Level R&D: Conditions for Change
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 106
What if school systems were engines of continuous research and design, learning alongside students and educators to create equitable futures? In this hands-on session, Dr. Devin Vodicka and Dr. Katie Martin—co-founders and co-CEOs of Learner-Centered Collaborative—will invite participants to explore what an embedded R&D strategy looks like at scale. Through interactive dialogue, case studies...
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Speakers
avatar for Devin Vodicka

Devin Vodicka

Co-CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative
Devin Vodicka is the CEO of Learner-Centered Collaborative and the author of Learner-Centered Leadership. He is also three-time California superintendent of the year (2016 AASA, 2015 ACSA, 2015 Pepperdine), Innovative Superintendent of the Year (2014 Classroom of the Future Foundation... Read More →
avatar for Katie Martin

Katie Martin

Co-CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative
Dr. Katie Martin is the CIO of Learner-Centered Collaborative, the author of Learner-Centered Innovation, and Evolving Education, and an internationally recognized educator and coach for her approach to educator and student learning. She has worked directly with thousands of teachers... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 106
  Workshop Round 1

4:30pm PDT

The Power of Play: Deepening Trust and Belonging
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 105
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Victoria Veneziano

Victoria Veneziano

Education Strategist, Meteor Education
Victoria earned her teaching degree and certification from the College of Charleston, SC.  For 10 years she taught middle and high school in public and private sectors across the U.S and internationally. As a teacher, administrator, and coach, she designed and implemented mindful... Read More →
Monday March 30, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm PDT
High Tech High 105
  Workshop Round 1, Abundant Imagination

6:15pm PDT

Reception & Dinner
Monday March 30, 2026 6:15pm - 8:15pm PDT
Courtyard Marriott Liberty Station
Join us for a waterfront reception, featuring local restaurants in a farmer's market style dinner, dining alfresco (wear layers!), music, dancing and drinks. Don't forget your drink tickets! 
Monday March 30, 2026 6:15pm - 8:15pm PDT
Courtyard Marriott Liberty Station 2592 Laning Rd, San Diego, CA 92106
  Conference Experiences
 
Tuesday, March 31
 

6:50am PDT

Morning Movement: Awakening AI Through Movement
Tuesday March 31, 2026 6:50am - 7:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary Entrance
"Ancestral Intelligence" is knowledge that remembers. It lives in the body and is awakened in relationship with one another and the land. One of the most powerful ways to access this kind of knowledge is through moving our bodies. I invite you to join me—a Native American educator and part of the Center for Love & Justice at HTH GSE —as we greet the morning and open our day of learning...
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Speakers
avatar for Cereescia Sandoval

Cereescia Sandoval

Cultivator of Community and Liberatory Design, High Tech High Graduate School of Education - Center for Love & Justice
Cereescia Sandoval has been an educator for nearly two decades, with more than ten years at High Tech High. Over the course of her career, she has served as a classroom teacher, graduate school faculty, and now as the Cultivator of Community and Liberatory Design with the Center for... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 6:50am - 7:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary Entrance
  Morning Movement Activities (Optional)

7:00am PDT

Morning Movement: Kayak and Community Paddle
Tuesday March 31, 2026 7:00am - 8:15am PDT
Boardwalk Outside Courtyard Marriott
Join Forest & Tree in collaboration with West Coast Paddle Sports for a morning kayak session focused on connecting outdoor time and building confidence learning in nearby nature. We will meet at 7:00am and paddle from 7:15–8:15am, offering a shared experience that supports skill-building and connection. This session is open to 14 participants of any experience level, whether you are brand...
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Speakers
LM

Leslie Magaña

Outdoor Education Coordinator, Forest and Tree

avatar for Jeff Embleton

Jeff Embleton

Executive Director, Forest & Tree
Jeff Embleton is the executive director of Forest & Tree, an outdoor organization in Oakland, CA. F&T partners with Tk-12th grade youth and their families for outdoor connections in nearby nature through field trips, hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking and camping. 
Tuesday March 31, 2026 7:00am - 8:15am PDT
Boardwalk Outside Courtyard Marriott
  Morning Movement Activities (Optional)

8:00am PDT

Breakfast and Marketplace
Tuesday March 31, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am PDT
High Tech Elementary Gym
BREAKFAST MENUSpinach, Tomato & Feta Quiche Bites (Vegetarian)Bacon, Onion & Swiss Quiche BitesAssorted Fresh-Baked Mini Pastries (Croissants, Muffins, Scones, Danishes)Vegan PastriesCold Oats (Vegan Cold Oats Will Be Made Available)YogurtsHard Cooked EggsFresh Cut FruitMARKETPLACECheck out the DL Marketplace, where you can purchase Deeper Learning merch from our student-run print shop, or...
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Tuesday March 31, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am PDT
High Tech Elementary Gym

8:10am PDT

Breakfast Meetup: Join the Deeper Learning Network: A New Initiative from the Deeper Learning Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Tuesday March 31, 2026 8:10am - 8:40am PDT
High Tech Elementary 122
Drop in and bring your breakfast to High Tech Elementary 122 to learn more about the Deeper Learning Network!Scaling deeper learning requires community and connection. The Deeper Learning Network is a collection of hubs, located in all 50 states, united by shared principles and shaped by local context. We’re inviting you to lead or join a hub and help anchor deeper learning where you...
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Speakers
avatar for Alisa Berger

Alisa Berger

ED, Deeper Learning Institute - Harvard Graduate School of Education
Alisa has over 25 years of experience as an educator, principal, and school leadership coach. She works with schools, districts and networks to support deeper and more engaging instruction for all students.Alisa is Executive Director of the Deeper Learning Dozen, a project out of... Read More →
avatar for Jal Mehta

Jal Mehta

Professor of Education, Faculty Co-Chair, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Jal Mehta is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research explores the role of different forms of knowledge in tackling major social and political problems, particularly problems of human improvement. He has also written extensively on what it would take... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 8:10am - 8:40am PDT
High Tech Elementary 122

9:00am PDT

Community Advisory: Deeper Learning Competencies
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:00am - 9:30am PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
To find your Community Advisory location, check Sched for the classroom location for your deep dive session. That is where you will meet for the four Community Advisory sessions (and your deep dive)!Your Deep Dive colleagues will become your small group for four sessions during the event. This session will connect you to the other folks that you'll be learning with in your Deep Dive.Intentional...
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Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:00am - 9:30am PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
  Conference Experiences

9:30am PDT

A Box Sent Back from the Future
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 101
Step into the year 2051. In this immersive Deep Dive, you’ll open a “Box from the Future” filled with strange ephemera—protest flyers, redacted curricula, AI classroom reviews—and work with peers to collaboratively imagine the story of how education might evolve over time. Drawing from the discipline of experience design, you will experience this participatory world- building process,...
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Speakers
avatar for Marc Chun

Marc Chun

Designer, Independent
Marc Chun, PhD, brings to his design work past experiences as an educator, researcher, facilitator, and playwright. He founded the Positive Deviance Project at the Stanford University d.school.  Based on his academic training in the sociology of knowledge, he explores how our understandings... Read More →
avatar for Tara Odorizzi

Tara Odorizzi

Independent Designer, Mixpanel


Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 101
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

Are Your Structures Sabotaging Your Mission?
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 102
What inherited structures does your school have in place? Are they serving the vision of your school or district?  Are your various structures competing with one another? “Form should follow function” is a valuable adage that can be taken one step further so that your forms are transformed to shape their functions in effective and positive ways. In this Deep Dive, you’ll assess your...
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Speakers
AP

Aziza Purser

student, Asia Pacific International School
avatar for Laura Flaxman

Laura Flaxman

Author, Educator, Consultant, Asia Pacific International School



Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 102
  Deep Dive

9:30am PDT

Collective Design: Designing WITH the Local Genius of Our Communities
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 116
Solutions to complex systemic challenges already exist within the “local genius” of our communities.  This interactive deep dive explores how to shift from designing for communities to designing with them.As we will build a community in real time, we'll explore the attributes of thriving communities and the conditions necessary for true co-creation. You will identify a specific challenge...
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Speakers
avatar for José E Garcia

José E Garcia

School Improvement Coach, New Tech Network

avatar for Kim Frankel Marsh

Kim Frankel Marsh

District Community and Network Design Specialist, New Tech Network
Kim Frankel Marsh serves as a District Community and Network Design Specialist for the New Tech Network where she uses tools and habits from improvement science to support district-level leadership development and systems change .  Prior to joining NTN, she spent 20 years on school... Read More →
avatar for Nick Kappelhof

Nick Kappelhof

Director, District and School Development, New Tech Network
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 116
  Deep Dive, Ancestral Intelligence

9:30am PDT

Crafting Hope in Challenging Times
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 146
In Crafting Hope in Challenging Times, diverse participants from across the educational ecosystem are invited to engage in a shared, reflective experience focused on how today’s social and political dynamics are felt and lived in schools. Blending design thinking, narrative inquiry, and accessible hands-on making (no artistic background required), participants will translate lived experiences...
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Speakers
avatar for Cassiopeia Guthrie

Cassiopeia Guthrie

Distinguished Teacher in Residence, California State University San Marcos
Cassiopeia Guthrie is committed to inspiring the imperative: courageous, creative, equity-minded, and empowered communities ready to change the world. A credentialed educator, university faculty member and researcher, professional journalist, and award-winning theatre critic, her... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 146
  Deep Dive, Arts Integration

9:30am PDT

Design for Belonging Within & Beyond Classroom Walls
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 148
As educators, we design our learning environments with great care - spaces we feel comfortable in and feel will be engaging for our students, leaning on research, wisdom of practice,  and intuition.  What if we could find ways to improve even the best laid plans?  What hidden or untapped resources might be in and around your classroom to help increase belonging, engagement,...
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Speakers
avatar for Cereescia Sandoval

Cereescia Sandoval

Cultivator of Community and Liberatory Design, High Tech High Graduate School of Education - Center for Love & Justice
Cereescia Sandoval has been an educator for nearly two decades, with more than ten years at High Tech High. Over the course of her career, she has served as a classroom teacher, graduate school faculty, and now as the Cultivator of Community and Liberatory Design with the Center for... Read More →
avatar for Miki Tomita Okamoto

Miki Tomita Okamoto

CEO and Founder, Education Incubator
Born and raised on Maui, Miki graduated from H.P. Baldwin High School, earned a B.S.E. in Biosystems Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and a Ph.D. in education at Stanford University.  She has worked in education for 25 years as a teacher, administrator, curriculum... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 148
  Deep Dive, Ancestral Intelligence

9:30am PDT

Empowering Educators to Lead Fieldwork: Doing More with Less
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 105
Place-based experiential learning or “fieldwork” sounds good on paper, but how do you implement a robust, meaningful fieldwork program without ample money, time, and people? In this session, we will venture off-campus to demonstrate how even a simple experience can spark learning, ground existing lessons, and support cross-disciplinary connections. Participants will be challenged to connect...
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Speakers
avatar for Bobor Jones

Bobor Jones

Internship and Fieldwork Coordinator, Templeton Academy DC
I love finding ways to bring all of the learning resources available to students in Washington, DC into the classroom and bringing students outside of the classroom to learn in the city. While I love a good classroom, there are experts who know far more than I do who are excited to... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Laura DeLima

Dr. Laura DeLima

VP of Learning & Measurement (former)/Board Member (current), Templeton Academy
Dr. Laura DeLima has spent the last 15 years moving innovative secondary schools from ideation to implementation. She's kept busy (re)creating mission statements and developing theories of action that meld idealism and pragmatism and then developing all the types of student and staff... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 105
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

ENGAGE! Designing Innovative Project-Based Experiences
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 113
We often hear about hands-on teaching, but how do we actually put student-centered learning into practice? The session will focus on how you can design integrated, multi-disciplinary learning experiences in any classroom and any subject. This deep dive will strike a balance between being actively engaged as learners and pulling the curtain back to explain the ideas and research behind the...
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Speakers
avatar for Kurt Wootton

Kurt Wootton

Director, Habla
Kurt Wootton is a co-founder and director of Habla: the Center for Language and Culture and is one of the founding directors of the ArtsLiteracy Project in the Education Department at Brown University. He is the coauthor of A Reason to Read: Linking Literacy and the Arts published... Read More →
avatar for Marimar Patrón Vázquez

Marimar Patrón Vázquez

Co-founder, Habla
Marimar Patrón Vázquez, is a cultural innovator and educator who co-founded Habla: The Center for Language and Culture in Yucatán, México, where she was born and her family lived for generations. Trained in literature at Universidad de las Américas and Brown University, she has... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 113
  Deep Dive, Arts Integration

9:30am PDT

Experience as Text
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 141
Come learn about standards aligned, data driven teaching and learning through the experience of making chocolate. In this Deep Dive, participants will have the chance to make chocolate in a couple of different ways while learning about the history of this extraordinary food. Throughout the experience, participants will have time to understand the importance of real experience toward Deeper...
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Speakers
avatar for Brian Delgado

Brian Delgado

Community Based Learning Coach, Blue Dot Education; Center for Love & Justice
Social & Environmental Justice
Equity in Education
PBL
Learn by doing

avatar for Andrew Lerario

Andrew Lerario

Co-Founder + Designer, Blue Dot Education
How many ways do you know how to cook a hot dog? I bet you could think of a bunch. A room full of people could probably think of over a hundred ways to cook a hot dog, and it would be an exciting conversation.

But, what if I told you there was only 1 way to properly cook a hot dog... Read More →
avatar for Mike Strong

Mike Strong

Executive Leadership Team/HTHGSE Faculty, Blue Dot Education; High Tech High Graduate School of Education
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 141
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

Gamified Project-Based Learning to Engage your Classroom
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 107
This session is for innovative educators looking to enhance engagement and develop students’ problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills. We will experience a gamified project addressing real-world issues such as eliminating poverty, combating climate change, and peacekeeping. In small groups representing different countries, you will create solutions, trade, form alliances, impose...
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Speakers
avatar for Adam Ko

Adam Ko

7th grade math/science teacher, Model United Nations Trade War
Adam is the creator of Model United Nations Trade War, a collaborative math-based game that empowers students to learn and take action to improve themselves and the world.  Adam is also a teacher at High Tech High, specifically 7th grade math and computer science at High Tech Middle Chula Vista... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 107
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

How to Deeper Learn-ify Your Adopted Curriculum
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 107
Are you committed to Deeper Learning—projects, authentic assessments!—and grade-level curricula (like Springboard or Illustrative Math)? Good for you. You are committed to educational justice. But you may also be feeling the squeeze: there’s only so much time. It doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. The trick is to put Deeper Learning and solid curriculum in service of each other. In this...
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Speakers
avatar for Josette Neal-De-Stanton

Josette Neal-De-Stanton

Assessment Design Partner, Envision Learning Partners
avatar for Justin Wells

Justin Wells

Chief Program Officer, Envision Education
I’m the Chief Program Officer of Envision Education, a Bay Area network of public charter schools with a national footprint through our consulting arm, Envision Learning Partners (ELP). In my role, I support both our schools and our partners across the country to design and implement... Read More →
avatar for Soraya Ramos

Soraya Ramos

Nonprofit Organization, Envision Learning Partners



Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 107
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

Leading PBL Through Workforce Transformation
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 117
School and district leaders today are navigating constant change—staff turnover, shifting roles, and a multigenerational workforce. Sustaining high-quality Project Based Learning requires systems that support the work regardless of who comes and goes.  This session is for leaders who want to build durable PBL systems that create stability in changing environments. Participants will explore...
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Speakers
avatar for James Campbell

James Campbell

Director of District & School Leadership, PBLWorks

TT

Taya Tselolikhina

Sr. Director of District Sales & Partnerships, PBLWorks

TT

Taya Tselolikhina

Director of District & School Leadership, PBLWorks

Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 117
  Deep Dive

9:30am PDT

Lessons that Inspire: Deeper Instruction Strategies
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 144
When we think about Deeper Learning, we usually picture Project-Based Learning. Projects are one of the best ways to immerse students in Deeper Learning, but in most schools, projects are not happening all the time. Often, even in PBL schools, they comprise only a small part of the schedule. Students deserve Deeper Learning all day long.In this workshop, we will dive into Deeper Instruction...
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Speakers
avatar for Ron Berger

Ron Berger

Nonprofit Organization, EL Education
Ron Berger, Senior Advisor at EL Education, is a well-known author and international keynote speaker focused on inspiring a commitment to quality, character, and citizenship in students.

Ron is the author of best-selling education books, including: An Ethic of Excellence, A Culture of Quality, Leaders of Their Own Learning, Transformational Literacy, Management in the Active Classroom, Learning that Lasts, and We Are Crew: A Teamwork Approach to School Culture. He... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 144
  Deep Dive

9:30am PDT

Let's Build a Space Habitat! A PBL & Design Thinking Slice
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 150
Experience Deeper Learning through the power of Project Based Learning & Design Thinking as we collaborate in groups to design & build models of sustainable habitats for living on another planet. This will be a fun and creative session aimed at teachers & administrators interested in experiencing best practices for designing & managing projects in the classroom and understanding how PBL and Design...
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Speakers
avatar for Russell Walker

Russell Walker

Teacher, San Diego Unified School District
I am a PBL teacher, trainer, and overall enthusiast. I’ve co-designed projects with students centered on photography, engineering, poetry, AI, designing habitats for other planets, publishing our own comic books, “50 Shades of Decay”, and so much more! I also provide PD for... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 150
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

Let's Design Tomorrow’s Schools: AI, Equity, and Collaboration
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 106
This full-day session invites educators and school leaders to collaboratively reimagine what equitable and future-ready schools can be in an age shaped by AI. Through dialogue and collaboration, we will disuss the possibilities and tensions of AI in education. We will also design individual action plans to bring back to your schools to make equitable use of AI in your schools. This session is...
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Speakers
AC

Alejandro Contreras

Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Colegio Los Nogales
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 106
  Deep Dive, Artificial Intelligence

9:30am PDT

Multilingual Ecosystems: The Head, Hands, and Heart
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 108
This Deep Dive will explore students' dynamic translanguaging pedagogies to foster multilingual ecosystems in our classrooms and schools. Participants will seek to understand their own linguistic histories and disrupt biases that impact instructional design. Participants will delve into translanguaging practices that can foster a more multilingual and inclusive classroom environment. We will...
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Speakers
avatar for Beth Puma

Beth Puma

Consultant. Coach. Radical Dreamer, Beth Puma Consulting
I’m passionate about designing equitable systems where multilingual learners thrive.
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 108
  Deep Dive, Ancestral Intelligence

9:30am PDT

Negotiation for Education Leaders
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 158
Negotiation is the process through which people come together to make sense of problems and build sustainable solutions. In that sense, we as educators are negotiating all day, every day. We are negotiating with students, colleagues, caregivers, community members, and political leaders. Some of our negotiations are formal - such as a contract negotiation. But most of our negotiations are informal,...
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Speakers
avatar for Zachary Herrmann

Zachary Herrmann

Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Dr. Zachary Herrmann designs, leads, and researches interdisciplinary teams committed to tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, including climate change, complex negotiations, and collaborative problem-solving across disciplinary, political, and geographical boundaries... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 158
  Deep Dive

9:30am PDT

Numbers are People 2 (Too)
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 109
In a world obsessed with numbers, we ask you to join us in the fight to excavate and unearth the stories that hide behind the data. This interdisciplinary, hands-on exploration includes math, visual arts, literature, and social sciences. We will collect real stories, extract data, and transform our findings into meaningful visuals. Experience the Design for Deeper Learning Kaleidoscope PBL...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Strong

Sarah Strong

High Tech High Graduate School of Education
Sarah Strong loves creating spaces for her children and adult students to share their math stories, and collectively rewrite stories where everyone in the community can flourish. She also finds joy in supporting new teachers in falling in love with teaching. She taught math to students... Read More →
avatar for Kali Frederick

Kali Frederick

Professional Learning Designer, High Tech High GSE
Creatively non-compliant and embracer of wild ideas, I am a Professional Learning Designer with the High Tech High Graduate School of Education with 15 years of teaching experience in both a comprehensive NYC public school and PBL classrooms at High Tech High. Inspired by bell hooks... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 109
  Deep Dive

9:30am PDT

Play More Attention: The Magic of Crafting Engaging Experiences
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 117
When given the gift of someone's attention, what do you choose to do with it? Join Magician Sky King (www.SkyKingMagic.com) and educator Carolene King for a deep dive on attention where you will craft the scripting for and confidently perform a magic illusion for an audience by the end of your experience. Learn about a framework on crafting engaging experiences and put it into practice through...
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Speakers
avatar for Carolene King

Carolene King

Group Learning Lead & CORE Coach, Los Angeles Education Partnership
SK

Skyler King

Close Up Magician, Sky King Magic


Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 117
  Deep Dive, Abundant Imagination

9:30am PDT

Rewrite the Script: Redefining School Through Storytelling and Pathways
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 119
In this interactive deep dive led by Creating Creators, Santa Ana Unified School District’s Saintly Films, & What School Could Be facilitators, participants will reimagine a favorite lesson by embedding narrative filmmaking strategies aligned with academic standards. Using a PBL framework & AI tools, they will explore the creative process from brainstorming driving questions, scriptwriting,...
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Speakers
avatar for Eric Timmons

Eric Timmons

Arts Funding Coordinator, Dept. Chair and Teacher, Santa Ana Unified School District
avatar for Jessica Just

Jessica Just

CEO, Creating Creators
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 119
  Deep Dive, Artificial Intelligence

9:30am PDT

Rhythm Rooms: Body Percussion Tools for Engagement, Belonging, and Classroom Culture
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 106
More than ever, schools need cooperative learning environments where students feel a sense of belonging and know their voice matters. This workshop is a hands-on professional learning experience that equips educators with practical, rhythm-based strategies to strengthen engagement, focus, and classroom community across all grade levels and subject areas.  We will explore how these approaches...
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Speakers
avatar for Jason Nious

Jason Nious

Molodi Creative Works, Molodi Creative Works
Jason Nious is an accomplished performing artist, director, and arts integration specialist. Jason is the founder and director of Molodi, an award-winning Las Vegas-based body percussion ensemble that engages and inspires over 20,000 students annually. Through his work, he brings... Read More →
avatar for Sanseria Murray

Sanseria Murray

Director, SonStar Productions
Sanseria Murray (Son-see-ah-Ray), lives to awaken, ignite, heal, and encourage everyone she encounters through her words, her workshops, and her embraces. Sanseria (they/she) is a word nerd, and lover of dark chocolate, who considers themself a storyteller with deep conviction that... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 106
  Deep Dive, Arts Integration

9:30am PDT

Rooted in Vision: Leading to Accelerate Emergence and Coherence
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 114
How can we build momentum for change in a way that enables shared direction but doesn’t impose standardization? How can we get the boats rowing in the same direction but still foster innovation? In this session we will explore the complimentary ideas of coherence and emergence and how together they can accelerate transformation. Building coherence requires relentless focus and constant...
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Speakers
avatar for Alisa Berger

Alisa Berger

ED, Deeper Learning Institute - Harvard Graduate School of Education
Alisa has over 25 years of experience as an educator, principal, and school leadership coach. She works with schools, districts and networks to support deeper and more engaging instruction for all students.Alisa is Executive Director of the Deeper Learning Dozen, a project out of... Read More →
avatar for Jal Mehta

Jal Mehta

Professor of Education, Faculty Co-Chair, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Jal Mehta is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research explores the role of different forms of knowledge in tackling major social and political problems, particularly problems of human improvement. He has also written extensively on what it would take... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech Middle 114
  Deep Dive

9:30am PDT

Students Are the Curriculum and the Community Is the School
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 164
This Deep Dives experience includes visiting a local student at their internship to witness learning in action, while mentors reflect on the power of guidance and community experts share how they strengthen neighborhoods. Learners will engage directly with young people as they pursue passions, build mentor relationships, and take on impactful work. Participants will also explore a local...
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Speakers
avatar for Anthonette Peña

Anthonette Peña

Director, B-Unbound, Big Picture Learning
Anthonette is currently the Director of B-Unbound, Big Picture Learning’s initiative to establish real world learning programs in communities. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence Science and an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. Her experiences... Read More →
DS

Dr. Sonn Sam

National Director of Partnerships, Big Picture Learning
Tuesday March 31, 2026 9:30am - 2:45pm PDT
High Tech High 164
  Deep Dive, Ancestral Intelligence

2:45pm PDT

Community Advisory: Deep Dive Reflection & Exhibition Prep
Tuesday March 31, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
To find your Community Advisory location, check Sched for the classroom location for your deep dive session. That is where you will meet for the four Community Advisory sessions (and your deep dive)!Deeper Learning comes from reflecting on our learning experiences. This session will be focused on synthesizing your learning from your deep dive and preparing for the Exhibition of Learning which will...
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Tuesday March 31, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
  Conference Experiences

4:30pm PDT

The Future Isn’t Standardized: A Film Screening and Conversation
Tuesday March 31, 2026 4:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
As work, learning, and society evolve, what should school hold onto—and what must it be willing to change? This moderated screening and conversation features curated clips from Most Likely to Succeed and Multiple Choice that explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping learning, work, and postsecondary pathways. Through contrasting school models—project-based, experiential learning and...
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Speakers
avatar for Brittney Quinones

Brittney Quinones

Support Staff, HTH GSE

avatar for Mari Jones

Mari Jones

Director, Collective Learning and Movement Building, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
I'm an elementary educator turned large scale-change maker. Engaging students in work that matters and changing their self-perception is my jam, and I want to work with others to transform the school experience for young people.
JR

Josh Reppun

Executive Director, What School Could Be
Tuesday March 31, 2026 4:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
  Optional Social Hours

5:00pm PDT

Mingei International Museum Guided Tour
Tuesday March 31, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Mingei International Museum
Mingei International Museum, a folk art, craft, and design museum located in Balboa Park, invites you on Tuesday, March 31st from 5-6 pm to join a docent-led tour of their current exhibitions: Inside the Design Center, Boundless: Reflections of Southern California Landscapes in Midcentury Studio Ceramics, and Restitched: Feed Sacks in Mid-Twentieth Century Quilts. Admission is free, but RSVP using...
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Tuesday March 31, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Mingei International Museum Balboa Park, Plaza de Panama, 1439 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
  Optional Social Hours

6:00pm PDT

PBLWorks Social Hour
Tuesday March 31, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Stone Brewing Liberty Station
Gather with friends in a fun space, enjoy a drink and some food, and listen to great music. We'd love to see you!

The first 50 guests at the social hour will receive free copies of Project Based Learning for All: A Leader's Guide, a new book by Bob Lenz and Lisa Mireles. Additionally, Bob and Lisa will be available to sign the book for those who are interested!
Speakers
avatar for Bob Lenz

Bob Lenz

PBLWorks, CEO
Bob Lenz became CEO of PBLWorks in 2015, leading the organization’s mission to ensure high-quality Project Based Learning reaches all students. Before joining PBLWorks, he co-founded Envision Education and served as its CEO and Chief of Innovation, pioneering a successful school... Read More →
Tuesday March 31, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Stone Brewing Liberty Station 2816 Historic Decatur Road San Diego, CA 92106
  Optional Social Hours
 
Wednesday, April 1
 

8:00am PDT

Breakfast and Marketplace
Wednesday April 1, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary Gym
BREAKFAST MENUBagel Bar + Smoked Salmon (Vegan Friendly) Tomatoes / Red Onions / Cucumbers / Capers / Lemon Wedges Cream Cheese / Jams / Butter Assorted Fresh-Baked Mini Pastries (Croissants, Muffins, Scones, Danishes) Oatmeal Bar (Vegan, Gluten-Free) Raisins / Cinnamon / Honey, Agave / Brown Sugar / Chocolate Chips / Milks, Non-Dairy Milks Fresh Cut FruitMARKETPLACECheck out the DL Marketplace,...
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Wednesday April 1, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary Gym
  Conference Experiences

8:30am PDT

Community Advisory: Set Up and Prep for Exhibition
Wednesday April 1, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
To find your Community Advisory location, check Sched for the classroom location for your deep dive session. That is where you will meet for the four Community Advisory sessions (and your deep dive)!This session will be focused on final set up and preparation for the Exhibition of Learning which will take place the morning of April 1st. During this time you will be grouped with participants from...
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Wednesday April 1, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
  Conference Experiences

8:55am PDT

Exhibition of Learning
Wednesday April 1, 2026 8:55am - 9:45am PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
In this Exhibition of Learning, participants will have an opportunity to reflect in small groups on their learning and share it with others. Participants will be grouped with Deeper Learners from different Deep Dives. In addition to individuals presenting, they will also have an opportunity to be an audience member to learn from other deep divers. This will take place in the building where the...
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Wednesday April 1, 2026 8:55am - 9:45am PDT
Your Deep Dive Session Room
  Conference Experiences

10:00am PDT

Prescribing Agency: Two Docs, One Mission: Centering Youth Voice for Transformative Learning
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
High Tech Middle Commons
Join Dr. Mendoza and Dr. Goodman as they share how educators can move beyond compliance, embrace the Center for Love & Justice's equity stances, and truly center youth voice in daily practice. In this session, they will have honest dialogue around strategies for fostering student agency, pushing past the barriers, and doing the work that innovation demands for our young people, without taking...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Jesse Mendoza

Dr. Jesse Mendoza

Teacher, Montebello Unified School District
Dr. Jesse Mendoza is a dedicated educator, community advocate, and public servant from Bell Gardens, California. He graduated from Bell Gardens High School before earning a B.A. in Liberal Studies from California State University, Long Beach, and an M.A. in UOP. In May 2025, he completed... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Eric Goodman

Dr. Eric Goodman

YELLOWHAB, Site Director
Dr. Eric Goodman is an innovative educational leader and Site Director of YELLOWHAB, a 5th-9th grade microschool at Norfolk State University, launching its high school model with Advisory and Internship programs connecting learning to real life. YELLOWHAB's curriculum utilizes the... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
High Tech Middle Commons
  Den Talk

10:00am PDT

What Can the Deeper Learning and High Quality Instructional Materials Communities Learn from Each Other?
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
High Tech High Commons
In recent years, many schools and districts have selected instructional materials that meet external and internal designations of “high-quality” (HQIM). How does the learning from the field of Deeper Learning figure into those HQIM selection processes? And what might the Deeper Learning community learn from the momentum in the HQIM world? Join Kiran Purohit, VP of Curriculum & Instruction at...
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Speakers
avatar for Kiran Purohit

Kiran Purohit

VP of Curriculum & Instruction, New Visions for Public Schools
Kiran joined New Visions for Public Schools in 2012 and currently leads the curriculum and instruction team. Prior to working at New Visions, she collaborated with schools to develop coherent secondary science and math curricula and taught science and math in middle schools in New... Read More →
avatar for Elizabeth Chu

Elizabeth Chu

Executive Director, Center for Public Research and Leadership
Liz is the Executive Director of CPRL and a lecturer of law at Columbia Law School. Before joining CPRL, Elizabeth was an Assistant Professor of Practice at Relay Graduate School of Education, began her work in education as a middle and high school English teacher in the South Br... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
High Tech High Commons
  Den Talk

10:00am PDT

Becoming a DL Teacher: Feedback That Matters
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 158
What does it mean to be a deeper learning teacher—and how can we support each other in that journey? Participants will use our Deeper Learning Teaching & Classroom Framework—anchored in the domains of Conditions, Connection, and Pedagogy, along with the Growth Arcs (Sprouting → Rooted → Thriving)—to practice giving and receiving feedback that deepens practice rather than merely checking...
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Speakers
avatar for Kaile Berlenbach

Kaile Berlenbach

Program Manager, Kupu Hou Academy @ Mid-Pacific Institute
avatar for Mark Hines

Mark Hines

Director, Kupu Hou Academy @ Mid-Pacific Institute
On the professional side, topics around school change and transformation, math, science, and STEM education on authentic work and modeling, and building communities of practice are sure fire ways to get me started talking! On the personal side I have a love of space science and astronomy... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 158
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Beyond the One-and-Done: Adult Learning for Impact
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 150
This is for leaders who want to design adult learning experiences that are authentic and rigorous. Just as we strive to design student learning that is engaging and purposeful, we must approach adult learning with the same intentionality - ensuring it is active, relevant, and connected to real-world practice. Professional learning shouldn’t be a one-time event. It should be a strategic process...
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Speakers
avatar for Christina Aries

Christina Aries

Director of Adult Development, Citizens of the World Charter Schools
Christina is the director of adult development at Citizens of the World Schools. Previously, Christina served as a middle school leader at Citizens of the World Silver Lake where she focused on equitable outcomes for all students through the implementation of constructivist learning... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 150
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Bridging the Gap: Partnering for Equitable Access to Futures in STEM
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 114
Our workshop gives a window into an innovative tri-party collaboration between a school district, university and nonprofit designed to address gaps in access for kids to game-changing opportunities to learn, love and consider futures in STEM fields. The program, called Beyond Possible, is an afterschool community-based dual enrollment program for high school students designed to develop STEM and...
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Speakers
avatar for Megan Reed

Megan Reed

Executive Director of Strategy and Operations, Office of Secondary Schools, Boston Public Schools
Megan Reed is the Executive Director of Strategy and Operations in the Office of College, Career and Life Readiness in Boston Public Schools.  In this capacity, she facilitates the teams’ execution of their strategic plan by fostering purposeful collaboration within and between... Read More →
avatar for Joanna Sanborn

Joanna Sanborn

Vice President, Postsecondary Pathways, The Possible Zone
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 114
  Workshop Round 2, Arts Integration

10:00am PDT

Building Ecosystems of Mattering in Schools
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 113
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...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Scott Martin

Dr. Scott Martin

Executive Director, Odyssey Leadership Academy
Dr. Scott Martin is a hall of fame educator and internationally recognized thought leader with a PhD in school leadership and moral education who is passionate about seeing schools reimagined for human and communal flourishing. He is the Head of Odyssey Leadership Academy, an award... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 113
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Building Student Centered Culture by Developing Teacher Leaders
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 148
Moving beyond the rhetoric of "student-centered learning," this interactive workshop provides participants with concrete strategies and frameworks for building sustainable teacher leadership systems that genuinely transform classroom instruction. Through a combination of collaborative reflection, authentic teacher testimonials, School District of South Milwaukee Principal led practical planning...
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Speakers
avatar for Brian Delgado

Brian Delgado

Community Based Learning Coach, Blue Dot Education; Center for Love & Justice
Social & Environmental Justice
Equity in Education
PBL
Learn by doing

avatar for Deidre Roemer

Deidre Roemer

Superintendent, School District of South Milwaukee
Deidre Roemer is the Superintendent for the School District of South Milwaukee.   Prior to that role she served as the Assistant Superintendent, Director of Leadership and Learning, Coordinator of Special Education, instructional coach, and  classroom teacher.  Her philosophy of... Read More →
avatar for Julie Weber

Julie Weber

Reading Specialist / Coach, School District of South Milwaukee
avatar for Lee Waechter

Lee Waechter

Principal, School District of South Milwaukee
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 148
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Community Rap Sessions: Fostering Authentic Family & Community Partnership
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 101
Learning environments are often designed without the voices of our most important stakeholders: the people we are meant to serve. Imagine instead working together with families to identify needs, co-create solutions, and celebrate growth. If you’re a school leader seeking to foster these genuine connections, join us to experience community rap sessions, a culturally responsive practice that...
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Speakers
avatar for Clare McKenna

Clare McKenna

Associate Director of Learning, Henry Ford Learning Institute
avatar for Deborah Parizek

Deborah Parizek

Executive Director, Henry Ford Learning Institute
I am excited to return to Deeper Learning this year (my 19th year!) with a new workshop, Community Rap Sessions: Building Authentic Family and Community Partnerships. Engaging meaningfully with others who are invested in deeper learning opportunities for young people and educators... Read More →
avatar for Theo Kozerski

Theo Kozerski

Associate Director of Social Innovation, Henry Ford Learning Institute

Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 101
  Workshop Round 2, Ancestral Intelligence

10:00am PDT

Design for Deeper Learning with the AI Kaleidoscope
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 107
High Tech High GSE’s Kaleidoscope framework supports educators in designing transformative learning experiences. However, designing for and with learners takes a lot of time and creative energy. This workshop introduces collaborative protocols for community-oriented projects and strategies for using the AI-companion to High Tech High’s Kaleidoscope Framework as a resource for lifting some of...
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Speakers
avatar for Rosemarie Biocarles-Rydeen

Rosemarie Biocarles-Rydeen

Professional Learning Designer, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 107
  Workshop Round 2, Artificial Intelligence

10:00am PDT

Developing Authentic Audiences for PBL
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 146
This workshop explores the question “How can an authentic audience make projects more meaningful and impactful for students?” Participants will examine how connecting student work to real audiences can deepen engagement, improve language development, and strengthen the purpose behind project-based learning. In addition to authentic audience, participants will also consider authenticity in...
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Speakers
avatar for Dolan Morgan

Dolan Morgan

Senior Director of Programs, Internationals Network
avatar for Sevana Sammis

Sevana Sammis

Manager of Professional Development, Internationals Network
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 146
  Workshop Round 2, Abundant Imagination

10:00am PDT

How to Craft Movement Stories
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 116
Build a values-first story kit students will join: a clear story, tagline, and simple visual. Works for classroom projects, school culture efforts, or community partnerships. Learn a step-by-step process you can teach tomorrow to help students and staff communicate for impact. Leave with a completed workbook kit plus an elementary/middle/high adaptation guide. In this hands-on workshop, educators...
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Speakers
avatar for Luke Piedad

Luke Piedad

Chief Operating Officer, Hundred Hands Learning Lab
Luke Piedad is the COO of Hundred Hands Learning Lab (H2L2), a San Diego–based creative design studio that partners with educators, organizers, and changemakers to build accessible, equity-centered systems. Luke brings a unique blend of technical expertise, organizational design... Read More →
avatar for Patrick Yurick

Patrick Yurick

Chief Executive Officer, Hundred Hands Learning Lab
Patrick Yurick is the Chief Executive Officer of Hundred Hands Learning Lab (H2L2), a San Diego-based studio that treats design as a way to build movements, not just materials. He leads teams that help educators, organizers, and nonprofits turn complex ideas into visual stories, brands... Read More →
avatar for Victor Flores

Victor Flores

Chief Technology Officer, Hundred Hands Learning Lab
Victor Flores is the Chief Technology Officer at H2L2, where he oversees technical strategy, architecture, and execution across client engagements. He focuses on building systems that are clear in purpose, adaptable in design, and aligned directly to business and mission-driven g... Read More →

Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 116
  Workshop Round 2, Arts Integration

10:00am PDT

Leveling Up: How Play Builds SEL Muscles in Adolescents
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 144
Are you ready to play? This session invites participants to reconsider the crucial role that play has in learning—not just in early childhood, but throughout adolescence. Together we will explore the research on adolescent learners, examine the impact of play on their engagement, creativity, and social-emotional development, and identify ways play can be meaningfully woven into middle school...
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Speakers
avatar for Aaryn Drapiza

Aaryn Drapiza

Lead Middle School Educator, The Village School
Hello everyone! I am a middle school guide (educator) at The Village School, a learner-centered micro school in Arlington, VA, where I work with learners in grades 6–8. I began my education journey with elementary learners in grades 1–5, and the insights I gained from those foundational... Read More →
avatar for Bridget Yoko

Bridget Yoko

Head of Counseling, The Village School
Learning and education are my passion! I have been in education since 2006 when I started as a volunteer in my local public school district. I have taught third grade, fifth grade, advanced academics, and currently, I am teaching (or as we call it at The Village School, guiding... Read More →

Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 144
  Workshop Round 2, Abundant Imagination

10:00am PDT

Mission-Aligned Targets, Deeper Learning Outcomes
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 102
This workshop explores how to create clear, standards-based learning targets that strengthen project-based learning and reflect a school’s mission. As a new administrator in a PBL-focused school, I quickly recognized the need to strengthen how learning connects meaningfully to both academic standards and the school’s mission. By intentionally aligning learning targets with the mission, we move...
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Speakers
avatar for Laura Flaxman

Laura Flaxman

Author, Educator, Consultant, Asia Pacific International School


avatar for Anna Sea

Anna Sea

Director of Instructions, Asia Pacific International School
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 102
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Ordinary Streets, Extraordinary Learning
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 106
What if your block was the best classroom you’ve never used? Drawn from the WPS Institute’s partnerships with urban schools in Massachusetts, this session introduces Neighborhood Walks as a powerful entry point into community-connected, place-based learning.We’ll begin by engaging with student voices from Salem and Boston that highlight the learning, connection, and engagement that emerge...
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Speakers
AL

Anna Leonhard Lacerda

Managing Director, WPS Institute
avatar for Carrie Wihbey

Carrie Wihbey

Director of Strategy and Innovation, WPS Institute
I work on learning design and youth development, with a focus on project-based and career-connected learning. Lately, I’ve been exploring how AI can support deeper learning without losing the human side of teaching and learning. I love talking about what actually works with adolescents... Read More →
avatar for Kateshia McAfee

Kateshia McAfee

Youth Experience and Community Lead, WPS Institute
avatar for Laura Tavares

Laura Tavares

Executive Director, WPS Institute
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 106
  Workshop Round 2, Abundant Imagination

10:00am PDT

Social Emotional Leadership Tools for Students
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 117
In this workshop, you won’t just learn about social and emotional leadership skills—you’ll practice how to teach them. You’ll take part in activities that model strategies for helping students develop self-leadership skills like self-awareness, accountability, resilience, and integrity. Through focused protocols and collaborative exercises, you’ll experience how to guide students in...
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Speakers
avatar for Sandra Mings Lamar

Sandra Mings Lamar

Director, Adult Education, St. Johnsbury Academy
My work in Deeper Learning began as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching in a small village in Botswana. After completing my MA on a Peace Corps Fellowship at San Francisco State University, I served as founding teacher and administrator at New Technology High School, the founding school... Read More →
TS

Terha Steen

Academic Dean, Lyndon Institute
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 117
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Student Voice Data: Building Safer Schools
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 108
What do students tell us about creating schools with cultures of belonging and respect? How can we use their insights to reduce bullying? In this experiential workshop, we'll explore YouthTruth's Anti-Bullying Report, which reveals a consistent pattern across schools: when students feel a sense of belonging and see adults modeling respect across differences, bullying decreases significantly....
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Lundy

Sarah Lundy

Director of Partnerships, Youth Truth


Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 108
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Student-Led Workshop: The Power of Play
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 117
The Power of Play for Pupils is a workshop where we discuss, play games, and learn about the importance of how the developing mind reacts to play in classrooms. Together, we will learn why play it’s important to adolescent development and why play is important in school. This workshop is intended for all teachers, school leaders, and empowered students who are open to sharing with a group.
Speakers
AK

Asher Kalisuch

K-12 Student, High Tech High
avatar for Cole D'Agostino

Cole D'Agostino

K-12 Student, High Tech High
Hi, I'm Cole! Nice to meet you! I'm a passionate sophomore who loves music, math, and anything else I love...which is a lot. I'd describe myself as fun, chaotic, and occasionally a little clumsy(usually unintentionally). I love talking about music, theater, math, and anything! Anything... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 117
  Workshop Round 2, Abundant Imagination

10:00am PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Climb with Clarity: Using the Ladder of Inference to Transform Data into Collective Action
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 113
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. “Data is like a mirror—it reflects reality, but it’s up to us to interpret and act.” Schools and districts sometimes begin their improvement journey with...
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Speakers
EA

Elda Armendariz

Continuous Improvement & College Access Coach, New Tech Network
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 113
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Designing Expected Outcomes to Unlock Literacy Potential: EmPOWERing Schools to Accelerate Proficiency.
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High International 222
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Join us on a powerful journey to discover how schools and communities can join forces to transform literacy outcomes for all students.In this session, we will...
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Speakers
AO

Alisha O'Connor

Educational Recovery Leader, Kentucky Department of Education
JB

Joyce Beasley

Speech Pathologist, Heartland Whole Brain Learning, LLC
MB

Manya Bouteneff

Executive Director, Better Outcomes Research
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High International 222
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Family Engagement as a Strategic Tool for School Improvement
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 115
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. This dynamic session invites educators, leaders, and policymakers to explore how family engagement can be a powerful driver of school improvement. Participants...
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Speakers
RP

Rita Perez

Senior Education Equity Specialist, MAEC, Inc.
KR

Karmen Rouland

President, MAEC, Inc.
KB

Kailanya Brailey

Project Director, CEFAM, MAEC, Inc.
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 115
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Summit Crossover Session: From Hidden to Found: Using Improvement Science to Drive Compelling Results for LTMLLs
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 221
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. .Discover how the Denver Public Schools' College Ready on Track (CRoT) team achieved “thrilling results” for Long-Term Multilingual Learners (LTMLL) in our...
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Speakers
CO

Caitlin Osugi

Senior Team Lead, Math, Denver Public Schools
MS

Marc Stein

Executive Director, CoLaboratory, Improving Education
JM

Jeremy M Cooper

Program Manager, Improvement Networks, Denver Public Schools
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 221
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Summit Crossover Session: From Words to Action: Design-Thinking Tools for Coherent Improvement
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High International 215
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Tired of the same old visioning activities that produce lofty statements but little change? This workshop takes vision-setting beyond posters and slogans by...
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Speakers
JJ

Jessica Jenkins

Director, System Strategy, Leading Educators
TM

Tanisha Myles

Senior Director, System Strategy, Leading Educators
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High International 215
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

Summit Crossover Session: Youth Voice in Action: Turning Student Insights into Policy and Practice
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 114
Note: This is a Crossover Session that is featured at the National Summit on Improvement in Education. Attendees from both conferences can attend this session, so there will be a mix of participants from Deeper Learning and from Summit. Schools and districts often collect climate and culture data but struggle to turn results into action. Too often, adults adjust practices without youth input,...
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Speakers
JS

Julie Smith

Co-Founder, Community Design Partners
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Elementary 114
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

System-Level R&D: Conditions for Change
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 106
What if school systems were engines of continuous research and design, learning alongside students and educators to create equitable futures? In this hands-on session, Dr. Devin Vodicka and Dr. Katie Martin—co-founders and co-CEOs of Learner-Centered Collaborative—will invite participants to explore what an embedded R&D strategy looks like at scale. Through interactive dialogue, case studies...
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Speakers
avatar for Devin Vodicka

Devin Vodicka

Co-CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative
Devin Vodicka is the CEO of Learner-Centered Collaborative and the author of Learner-Centered Leadership. He is also three-time California superintendent of the year (2016 AASA, 2015 ACSA, 2015 Pepperdine), Innovative Superintendent of the Year (2014 Classroom of the Future Foundation... Read More →
avatar for Katie Martin

Katie Martin

Co-CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative
Dr. Katie Martin is the CIO of Learner-Centered Collaborative, the author of Learner-Centered Innovation, and Evolving Education, and an internationally recognized educator and coach for her approach to educator and student learning. She has worked directly with thousands of teachers... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 106
  Workshop Round 2

10:00am PDT

The Power of Ritual in Building Team Culture
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 105
This session is for school and district leaders who want to build culture with intention through well-designed rituals and experiences for staff and their teams. Building culture is a continuous process of sending signals that build safety, share vulnerability, and establish purpose. Drawing on the work of Daniel Coyle (author of The Culture Code), this session will explore multiple methods...
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Speakers
avatar for David Williams

David Williams

CEO/Superintendent, Village Tech Schools
I am the Superintendent/CEO of Village Tech Schools and one of the founding team members. The mission of VT is to forge students who are character-driven, challenge-ready and community-focused. Talk to me about education, books, hiking, travel, Labradoodles, or yourself. I enjoy meeting... Read More →
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech High 105
  Workshop Round 2, Ancestral Intelligence

10:00am PDT

Tune In to Sound, Speak Out as Practice
Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 109
In this Workshop, educators become listeners, then learners, then makers. Drawing on a student-produced album as a primary text and hip hop’s own pedagogical traditions—sampling, the cipher, call and response, and storytelling as testimony—participants design lesson-ready structures for inviting their own students into authentic, safe, and culturally grounded conversations about mental...
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Speakers
avatar for Tony Simmons

Tony Simmons

Co-Founding Director, 4 Learning

Wednesday April 1, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am PDT
High Tech Middle 109
  Workshop Round 2, Arts Integration

11:45am PDT

Keynote & Closing
Wednesday April 1, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
Marvel and DC comics, East Coast and West Coast hip hop, Marmite and vegemite yeast extracts… All historic rivalries between titans who are, in truth, united by so much more than what divides them. Now you can add the National Summit on Improvement in Education and the Deeper Learning Conference to that list. Two iconic education conferences, both hosted by the High Tech High Graduate...
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Wednesday April 1, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm PDT
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
  Conference Experiences

1:00pm PDT

Lunch and Marketplace
Wednesday April 1, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary Gym
Grab and Go Boxed Lunches will be available starting at 11:30 in the HTe Gym to accommodate folks' travel schedules.MENUSANDWICH AND SALAD OPTIONSTurkey & Swiss, Tomato, Basil Mayo On Sourdough   Chicken Salad On Croissant  Caprese, Tomato, Mozzarella, Pesto On Ciabatta (Vegetarian)   Vegan Option: Cobb Salad Romaine, Corn, Chickpeas, Radish, Red Onions, Vegan Ranch...
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Wednesday April 1, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
High Tech Elementary Gym
 

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Monday, March 30
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Wednesday, April 1
Boardwalk Outside Courtyard Marriott
Courtyard Marriott Liberty Station
Fleet Science Center
High Tech Elementary 113
High Tech Elementary 114
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High Tech Elementary 122
High Tech Elementary 217
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High Tech Elementary Entrance
High Tech Elementary Gym
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High Tech High 105
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High Tech High Commons
High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum
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High Tech High International 123
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High Tech Middle 101
High Tech Middle 102
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High Tech Middle 109
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High Tech Middle 119
High Tech Middle Commons
Mingei International Museum
Stone Brewing Liberty Station
Your Deep Dive Session Room
  • Conference Experiences
  • Deep Dive
  • Den Talk
  • Morning Movement Activities (Optional)
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  • Workshop Round 1
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  • AUDIENCE
  • All Teachers K-12
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  • Diversity Equity and Sense of Belonging
  • Facilitating Adult Learning
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  • Intro to Deeper Learning
  • School Transformation/Systems Change
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  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Student Agency