Is a Premier Gathering of Education Practitioners and Thought Leaders
Our conference provides vital professional development opportunities for educators and leaders working with students of all ages, across the learning day, all across America.
Refresh, renew, and have fun connecting with peers and experts. Take home skills, tools, and a renewed passion for improving learning outcomes for young people across the entire day.
Hands on workshops and pre-conferences led by national experts
Fascinating educational excursions
Motivating keynote presentations and interactive discussions
Premium exhibits unveiling the latest products and solutions
Powerful networking opportunities and celebrations
While Beyond School Hours 2024 takes place after Mardi Gras, we’re planning to capture that festive spirit in this year’s conference! This year, we’re embracing innovation, celebrating the journey, and taking time to recharge in the Big Easy.
We’ve all heard that necessity is the mother of invention — and educators across the country have been proving that every day since the COVID pandemic first hit us! As a field, we are constantly innovating and looking for the best path forward. We also need to take the time to appreciate how far we’ve come and celebrate the successes we’ve had along the way!
It’s also important to invest in ourselves. Compassion fatigue is all too real — we need to find the time for self-care and mindfulness so that we can be the role models our young people need. Do you have a success story or a strategy to share with the world? Join us at Beyond School Hours —we’d love to have you!
Innovate
Innovation is key in today’s fast-paced digital world — and this conference strand will showcase the latest technologies, methodologies, and approaches to engage and motivate students. From augmented and virtual reality to service learning and entrepreneurship, highlights include a wide range of cutting-edge strategies that will equip you with the skills you need to help students succeed in the 21st century.
TOPICS
- Redefining career pathways
- Creative staffing solutions
- Professionalization of the out-of-school field
- Digital equity and inclusion
- AI’s role in teaching and learning
- Augmented, mixed, and virtual reality
- Engaging students through distance, online, and blended learning
- Developing new leaders and leadership coaching and mentoring
- Quality programmatic evaluation and assessment
- Encouraging and maintaining student participation
- Program sustainability post-pandemic
- Alignment with the school day
- Research- and evidence-based PBL
- Service learning and internships
- Entrepreneurship
- Innovative afterschool programs for high school students
- Workforce/career readiness
- Financial literacy
- Informal learning organizations (e.g. museums, libraries, zoos)
- Investigating trauma and incorporating trauma-informed practices
Celebrate
We believe in taking time to celebrate achievements, big or small. That’s why we’re dedicating a strand to recognizing successes and inspiring youth on their journey through academic and personal growth. Whether it’s elevating student voice to create change or designing playful learning experiences, sessions in this strand celebrate the power of teaching and learning.
TOPICS
- Student agency and social advocacy
- Parent-child agency
- Elevating student voice to create change
- Youth-led restorative justice
- Diversity, equity, opportunity, and inclusion
- Identifying and addressing bias
- Building literacy access
- Uplifting communities
- Creating unique partnerships
- Designing playful learning experiences
- The power of high-impact tutoring
- Teaching artists and the arts
- Success stories from rural education
- Success stories about engaging high schoolers
- Reimagining family engagement
- Success & wellness for all students
- Creating a sense of belonging and safety
Rejuvenate
We know how important it is to prioritize self-care. In this strand, we’ll provide strategies to help you decompress, recharge, and nurture student development. From establishing boundaries to nurturing creativity, we’ll give you the tools you need to take care of yourself and your students.
TOPICS
- Exercising emotions to spur creativity
- Mentoring and inspiring your staff
- Supporting staff career growth and learning
- Nourish your team — body and mind
- Battling burnout and compassion fatigue
- Having courageous conversations
- Mindful wellness-based strategies for delivering content
- Growth and resilience
- Reconnecting to your passions
- Creating work/life balance
- Establishing clear and healthy boundaries
- Practicing, encouraging, and nurturing creativity
- The power of gratitude and recognition
- Leadership strategies for delegating and prioritizing
- Energizing team building
Schedule of Events
Wednesday
FEBRUARY 14
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
21st CCLC Session
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Leadership Institute
8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
National Advisory Committee Meeting
2:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Early Bird Workshops
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Happy Hour
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Opening Reception
Thursday
FEBRUARY 15
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Workshop 1
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Workshop 2
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Workshop 3
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch & Champion of Children Award Ceremony
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Keynote
Geoffrey Canada
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Recess in the Exhibit Hall
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Workshop 4
Friday
FEBRUARY 16
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Workshop 5
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Keynote Conversation
Artificial Intelligence in Education
10:45 AM – 11:15 AM
Exhibit Hall Break
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Workshop 6
12:30 PM – 1:40 PM
Lunch
1:40 PM – 2:10 PM
Recess in the Exhibit Hall
2:20 PM – 3:35 PM
Workshop 7
3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Workshop 8 STEM Fair
Saturday
FEBRUARY 17
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Workshop 9
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Grand Finale
Carlos Santini
*Corrected Schedule
Future Dates
Please mark your calendars with the following important dates. To stay up to date please join our mailing list!
FEB. 13-16 2025
Orlando, FL
Rosen Centre
2025
MAR. 1-4 2026
Orlando, FL
Rosen Centre
2026