Leadership EDIT 2026

As a result of this Leadership EDIT conference session, participants will learn strategies for leveraging their leadership roles to facilitate racial equity work, support culturally sustaining teaching practices, and guide systemic change within their schools and districts.

Mythologies concerning race pervade our leadership and teaching practices, often shaping instructional decisions and leadership decisions in unexamined ways. We intend to get to the root of these mythologies by critiquing traditional narratives and dominant frameworks that influence schooling. This work is particularly relevant for leaders that play a critical role in shaping school culture, professional learning, and curricular priorities. By engaging in reflection, dialogue, and collaborative inquiry, participants will strengthen their capacity to lead equity-centered change in their schools.

This work helps provide an opportunity to support leaders in driving systems level change, influence structures, and lead equity-centered initiatives across their schools and districts. By deepening their awareness and leadership capacity, participants will be better equipped to foster inclusive learning environments and lead initiatives that promote social justice, belonging, and student empowerment.

This session will help leaders identify how beliefs influence behavior, how school culture absorbs trauma, and how intentional systems create consistency, belonging, and academic growth.
The presentation actively engages participants through storytelling, reflective pauses, guided questions, and practical leadership frameworks that invite personal and professional reflection. Moments of silence and audience prompts encourage honest conversation and shared accountability among leaders.
Learning will extend beyond the summit as participants leave with actionable strategies, reflection questions for leadership teams, and a clear framework they can apply immediately within their schools and districts to support trauma-responsive, equity-driven, systems-level change.  Participants will learn how to move beyond trauma awareness toward mindset, culture, and systems that build resilience and sustain high expectations for all students.

This session equips participants to understand and apply the core components of Psychological Safety using the Four Stages model. Learners will identify behaviors that undermine safety, explore the costs of fear-driven environments, and practice strategies that foster trust, inclusion, and innovation. The workshop is intentionally interactive: participants engage in paired discussions, scenario analysis, and guided reflection to surface real-world dynamics within their own teams. Dialogue is central. Attendees are invited to share insights, ask questions, and co-construct solutions. Activities extend learning beyond the summit by offering practical tools, including a Bridge to Success Action Guide, leaders can immediately use and apply, including behavior prompts, discussion frameworks, and strategies for nurturing environments where all voices are valued. By grounding the session in both evidence and lived experience, participants leave with actionable next steps that strengthen resilience, collaboration, and trauma-aware leadership in their schools and systems.

Every thriving school culture is a perfect blend of leadership, collaboration, and care. In this session, participants will discover how administrators, counselors, and staff can work together to intentionally brew a supportive, inclusive climate for students and adults alike. Attendees will sip on real-world strategies, collaborate with peers, and leave energized with tools to sustain momentum. Strong culture is the secret ingredient and it should feel good.

During this presentation, participants will gain insights into enhancing the educational experience of our youth through literacy. Participants will understand the value and benefit of literacy, youth voice, inspiring leadership and the role of supportive adults in fostering youth engagement. We’ll delve into the importance of youth voice in decision-making and how supportive adults can facilitate this process.  We will explore key principles and strategies for meaningfully engaging youth in leadership development. Effective strategies will be shared for involving youth in meaningful ways, leading to better outcomes for both youth and school systems. By the end, participants will have a deeper understanding of the value of literacy, youth voice, inspiring leadership, the spectrum of youth engagement, and effective strategies for youth involvement in leadership development.