LEAD Education Summit: Full Schedule

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10:00am EDT

SMART Planning Beyond Graduation: Designing the High School Experience to Build Confidence, Clarity, and a Plan for Every Student

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Room 297

High schools often graduate students with academic credits, but many leave without the confidence, clarity, and strategic plan needed to successfully navigate post-secondary pathways. This session presents a strength-based framework that integrates SMART planning into the high school experience to build these essential skills for all students, with a focus on underserved urban and rural communities. Attendees will explore how to embed structured opportunities for goal-setting, identity exploration, leadership development, SEL, and CTE alignment into daily schedules and counseling programs. The session emphasizes equity, access, and whole-child development, helping schools prepare students for college, career, workforce, and life beyond graduation.

Speakers

Shatiera Porte’e

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Room 297

Access & Equity Across Urban and Rural Schools

11:00am EDT

Among Us: Launching Into Gamified Experiential Learning

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Room 297

Join the multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal. This flipped session immerses you in a real-life version of Among Us: think Escape Room meets Survivor and Clue. Learn how to seamlessly blend Gamification, Experiential Learning, 5E Instructional Model, Project Based Learning; Maslow, Bloom, Gardner, Pink, and more in an engaging, interactive environment. Will you complete the mission and discover the imposters before time is up? Rated T for Teen: contains scenes of animated violence.

Speakers

Stephanie Bradberry

Founder/Owner, Stephanie J. Bradberry LLC

Hey,

I'm Stephanie J. Bradberry, an experienced administrator, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 25 years developing, managing, and streamlining programs, projects, and deliverables in state, corporate, and private sectors. My business acumen led to offers from a U.S. President, Netflix... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Room 297

Innovation in Teaching & Learning Across Contexts

12:00pm EDT

Empowering Educators as Mental Health Accomplices: Trauma-Informed Tools for the Classroom and Beyond

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT

Room 297

This interactive session equips educators with trauma-informed strategies to support student mental health—especially in under-resourced urban and rural schools. Participants will learn how to recognize signs of emotional distress, respond with empathy and boundaries, and integrate mental wellness practices into daily classroom routines. The presentation will highlight how systemic barriers like the digital divide and socioeconomic stressors impact student behavior and learning, and offer practical tools to foster resilience, connection, and healing. Educators will leave with actionable techniques to become mental health allies—without needing to be therapists.

Speakers

Kristina M. Odumes

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Room 297

Wellness & Whole Child Development

1:00pm EDT

From Survival to Strategy: Building Whole-Child Pathways That Prepare Youth for Life, Not Just Graduation

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Room 297

Students cannot be prepared for careers, leadership, or adulthood while operating in survival mode. This session explores how schools and community partners can move beyond fragmented support systems toward integrated, whole-child pathways that support mental health, identity development, and workforce readiness simultaneously. Drawing from real-world experience working with students in temporary housing and under-resourced urban schools, this presentation examines the limitations of treating wellness as an add-on and workforce preparation as a standalone goal. Participants will learn how embedding emotional regulation, mentorship, and career exposure into the school experience creates sustainable outcomes for students across urban and rural contexts. The session offers practical frameworks and examples for building systems that support students not just to graduate, but to thrive beyond the classroom.

Speakers

Shannon Morris

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Room 297

Workforce Development & Living Wages for All Communities

2:00pm EDT

Be Do Feel: From Shutting Down to Showing Up

Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

Room 297

Many students struggle to show up consistently and push through challenges, often shutting down or disengaging when faced with difficulty. This session introduces the BeDoFeel Framework, a practical approach that helps educators build student resilience through identity (Be), intentional action and goal-directed behavior (Do), and emotional awareness (Feel). Participants will learn how to support students in clarifying who they want to become, identifying the actions needed to reach their goals, and managing emotions that interfere with follow-through.

Speakers