Battelle for Kids has opened registration and announced speakers for their EdLeader21 Network Annual Event. The event, open exclusively to member districts, will be held October 21-23, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The EdLeader21 Network is the only professional community dedicated to the Portrait of a Graduate.
“We are thrilled to host this year’s EdLeader21 Network Annual Event in the vibrant city of Indianapolis, a gathering that promises to be a landmark in the journey of educational transformation,” said Mike Duncan, Ed.D., president and CEO of Battelle for Kids. “This event embodies our commitment to fostering innovation, belonging, and student-centered learning across our nation’s schools.”
Carlos Moreno, co-executive director for Big Picture Learning, a nonprofit organization that has developed more than 200 high-quality, innovative schools in the United States and around the world, will serve as one of the event’s keynote speakers. He recently authored “Finding Your Leadership Soul,” a series of reflections, framed around letters he writes to three young men whom he had the opportunity to teach and mentor.
Bill Daggett, Ed.D., founder of both the Successful Practices Network and the International Center for Leadership in Education, will join the conference as a keynote speaker. Dr. Daggett is recognized worldwide for his proven ability to move PreK-12 education systems towards more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for all students. For 30 years, he has crisscrossed our nation, as well as the industrialized world, to lead school reform efforts to effectively prepare students for their future.
Annual Event and the EdLeader21 Network set themselves apart through their focus on and commitment to accelerating the work of the Portrait of a Graduate and future-ready, deeper learning. The event allows member districts to send teams to network and collaborate with like-minded educators to fuel their community’s collective visions and bring them to life within their school districts.
“Through dynamic discussions, hands-on workshops, and the sharing of best practices, we aim to empower educators and leaders to reimagine the future of education. Together, we will explore the latest in educational strategies and technologies, engage in meaningful collaborations, and celebrate the incredible achievements of our member districts,” offered Duncan.
Annual Event features the Portrait to Practice Expo, where member districts can demonstrate their application of their community’s forward-thinking educational visions and how they are turning the Portrait of a Graduate into a tangible experience for their students. There will be more than 30 peer-led learning sessions during the conference.
At this year’s Annual Event, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in unique school tours of the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Warren Township, a public PreK-12 school district serving the far east side of Indianapolis. A district that serves more than 12,000 students across 17 schools, MSD of Warren Township’s Journey of a Graduate emphasizes the skills and dispositions of citizenship, collaboration, communication, content knowledge, critical thinking, and resilience. Participants in the tour will get to experience a showcase of deeper learning practices by touring an elementary, middle, and/or high school within the MSD of Warren Township district.
School districts from around the nation are invited to explore membership in the EdLeader21 Network. Membership includes access to attend the Annual Event. Contact Heather Conlee at heather@bfk.org.
