Academic Innovation Conference 2026 has ended

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Academic Innovation Conference 2026

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8:00am EDT

Day Two Conference Opening Breakfast & Keynote Experience Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference CenterRachel Nave-Lewis

9:00am EDT

Code the High Seas: Sphero Pirates Set Sail Sycamore Room 109Jessica Esposito Designing for Continuity: Remote Instructional Strategies Elm Room 211 BTyrel Winebarger • Jessie Peterson Don't Lose the Plot: Centering Human Skills in the Age of AI Elm Room 202 BAmanda Bikowski • Caroline Baker Hands-on Science and Data Exploration: Vernier Sensors and Connections Activities for GEAR UP Success! Elm Room 222Michelle Knoll Incorporating Exercise in Computer Science: A Cross-Curricular Collaboration Elm Room 202 AJoe Gragg Next Gen Educators Sycamore Room 108Christy Arrowood • Donna Duncan Nontraditional Nonfiction Sycamore Room 107Wes Calbreath Release the (Learning) Kraken! Summoning Student Engagement from the Depths of Distraction Elm Room 134 AKatie Anderson Start Early, Stand Out: Building Early Scholarship Success + Essay Writing Essentials Elm 214Joaquin Zihuatanejo Tough Love- How to Manage Behavior While Building Relationships Elm Room 134 BErin Leatherman Work Smarter, Not Harder: AI Systems That Support Teachers Sycamore Room 106Heather Payne Herron STEM on the Go Elm Room 234Jennifer Blake • Sandra Gunter • Tosha Ramsey • Katie McFarland In Our Own Words: The High School Students' Perspective on Education Ferguson AuditoriumTaylor Rae Dodge LEAD: Student Leadership Network (Cohort Event Only) Sycamore Room 201 (Lecture Hall)Yolanda Adams • Chris Collins

10:10am EDT

Aviation Resources for Educators: How to start or level up! Sycamore Room 108Dr. Kevin Sutton Beyond Inclusion: Practicing Cultural Responsibility in the Classroom Elm Room 202 BNo-La Pina (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) • Chapman Herlihy Building Leaders, Teams, and Organizations Amplified by Humanity in the Age of AI Elm Room 202 ABryan Setser Empty Bowls: Hunger, Art, and Humanity Elm Room 222April Dula • Larkin Ingle Finding Strength Despite Challanges: A High School Story of Resillance Elm Room 134 ASusie Bryson From Moo to You: Exploring Agriculture, Technology, and Careers through STEAM Sycamore Room 109Jessica Esposito Learning Without Limits: Building Self-Directed Learners Elm Room 211 BTyrel Winebarger • Jessie Peterson Project SUMMIT: A Regional Model for Transforming Algebra Instruction Elm 214Katherine Kelley Tapestry of Belonging 2.0 Sycamore Room 107Brittany Brady • Yolanda Adams The Power of Mattering: Building the Foundation for Teacher Growth Elm Room 134 BKatie Matthews • Dr. Caroline Beam The Power of Our Stories: Building Staff Morale and Community Through Identity, Recognition, and Storytelling Sycamore Room 106Heather Payne Herron Becoming a Creative Engineer: Data-Driven STEM Lessons Powered by AI Elm Room 234Vickie Bryan In Our Own Words: Middle School Students' Perspective on Education Ferguson AuditoriumTaylor Rae Dodge

11:15am EDT

Midday Experience: Engage, Reflect, Connect, Refresh Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference CenterDoug Thompson • Rachel Nave-Lewis

12:30pm EDT

LEAD: Student Leadership Network (Cohort Event Only) Sycamore Room 201 (Lecture Hall)Yolanda Adams • Chris Collins

12:45pm EDT

LEGO Education Playground Elm Room 222Brian Cohanski Vendor Playground & Panels Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference Center Exploring Mars Caves: A NASA‑Funded STEM Journey Into Human Habitation on the Red Planet Elm Room 234Timothy DeLisle MasteryPrep Learning Lab Elm Room 202 AEboney Edwards Publishing Classroom Work: From Student Creations to Printed Books Ferguson AuditoriumErica Marsh Sphero indi: Building the Foundations of Computational Thinking Through Screenless Learning Elm Room 202 BSphero Top School Speakers Learning Lab with Jonathan Medina Elm 214Top School Speakers

1:35pm EDT

"I Don't Know" is not a Get Out of Jail Free Card: Increasing Student Participation Elm Room 211 BKatie Anderson Creating Innovators: How Principals and Teachers Build a Shared Vision for Engaged, High-Impact Learning Elm Room 134 BBarbara Zwadyk • Dr. Kim Morrison Empowering Changemakers: The Global Leaders Teacher Fellowship Elm Room 202 BCaroline Baker • Amanda Bikowski From Confusion to Clarity: Making Learning Visible for Every Student Sycamore Room 106Heather Payne Herron From Holler to Higher Education: A Personal Testimony about the Impact of TRiO Programs Elm Room 222Taylor Rae Dodge Immersion Days: A Transition from Test Prep to Active Learning Sycamore Room 107Tiffany Clapsaddle • Brittany Brady LEAD Student Leadership Cohort Panel Sycamore Room 201 (Lecture Hall)Yolanda Adams • Chris Collins Leaders in Bloom: Cultivating Change by Nourishing the Roots Sycamore Room 109Brittany Perry • Autumn Chamberlain Outdoor Learning Classroom Ferguson AuditoriumNikki Eason Promoting Student Research with the Western North Carolina Research Fellows Program Elm Room 134 AChristy Arrowood • Allyson McFalls READY, SET, LIFE! How to prepare your students for life beyond high school. Elm Room 202 AHope Gambill • Susie Bryson Start Early, Stand Out: Building Early Scholarship Success + Essay Writing Essentials Elm 214Joaquin Zihuatanejo STEM Bridges: Building Academic Vocabulary Through Visual Learning and Family Engagement Sycamore Room 108Kathy Evans • Tonya Denny Transforming Math in the Middle Elm Room 234Math2Connect

2:45pm EDT

Afternoon Snack Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference Center

3:00pm EDT

Conference Convening: Stories Carried Forward Mission Health / A-B Tech Conference CenterRachel Nave-Lewis