Day Two Opening & Keynote Experience AIC ’26 — Continuing the Story
Begin Day Two with a shared breakfast experience, catered by our partners at Biltmore 67. Gather with colleagues, reflect on the connections from Day One, and prepare to deepen your learning as we continue our journey together.
Keynote Speaker: Johnathan Medina
As we continue The Power of Our Stories, this opening experience will reconnect you to your purpose and push your thinking forward, rooted in the voices of Western North Carolina and the possibilities ahead.
Listen deeply. Feel fully. Carry your story forward.
Interactive Activity with Appalachian State Step into a collaborative, hands-on experience led by the Appalachian State team, designed to activate your thinking, deepen your story thread, and connect ideas across the conference. This guided activity will challenge you to reflect, create, and engage alongside fellow attendees in meaningful ways.
Lunch & Connection Refuel and recharge with a delicious lunch catered by Biltmore 67. Use this time to relax, build connections, and share insights from your morning experiences.
Keynote Speaker: Joaquin Zihuatanejo Step into a powerful and moving keynote led by Joaquin Zihuatanejo—award-winning poet, educator, and storyteller. Through spoken word and lived experience, Joaquin will invite us to reclaim the power of language, identity, and voice in education. His message will challenge and inspire you to see storytelling not just as expression, but as a tool for connection, healing, and transformation within your classroom and community.
Join us for a powerful and meaningful close to AIC ’26 This final session weaves together reflection, recognition, and inspiration as we revisit the moments that shaped our time together. Attendees will have the opportunity to pause and reflect on their story thread, hear authentic voices from across the conference, and celebrate the educators, partners, and leaders who made this experience possible. The session will include final recognitions and awards, highlighting the impact and innovation across our region, followed by a moving closing message from a student speaker, reminding us to focus and ground our work in the voices and futures we serve. Together, we will end not with an ending, but with a shared commitment to carry this work forward. Reflect deeply. Celebrate fully. Leave inspired to write the next chapter.
