2026 Academic Support & Student Well-Being Conference | Schedule

Grounded in science and lived experience, join author Beatrice Moise to explore family-school collaboration. This keynote will provide independent school educators with both the theoretical framework and practical tools needed to build stronger, more effective relationships with neurodivergent families. Her message of acceptance, understanding, and collaborative problem-solving offers a roadmap for creating educational environments where all students can thrive. Learn how educators and families can align to support children through practical communication, mutual respect, and shared regulation strategies.

Speakers: Brandon Boston, The Boston Group, and Tanya Lynch, The Boston Group

Accessibility is often discussed in theory, but what happens when we experience it in practice? In this interactive session, participants will complete classroom tasks without UDL supports and then reattempt them with a deliberate focus on engagement, representation, and action & expression – the core principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Through this hands-on experience, participants will gain a deeper awareness of how instructional choices impact diverse learners and leave with practical strategies to create more inclusive, flexible learning environments. This session is valuable for classroom teachers, school leaders, curriculum specialists, and student support teams, providing immediate action steps to integrate UDL into instructional design and schoolwide practices. Whether leading a school or shaping curriculum, participants will walk away ready to implement UDL in ways that benefit all learners.

Speakers: Kyri Harris, The Howard School, and Ashley Zomalt, The Howard School

Join us for an interactive workshop designed for educators who are passionate about supporting student well-being. Explore the concept of resilience and equip yourself to help students develop the skills they need to face challenges and thrive. Teach and model strategies that guide students to pause, reflect, and respond thoughtfully during difficult moments. Discover practical tools, implement daily habits, and apply classroom-friendly activities that build and strengthen resilience over time, such as mindfulness exercises, gratitude journaling, and positive self-talk. Engage in collaborative activities to reflect on your own strategies and use live polls and surveys to gather and share real-time insights with fellow educators. Walk away with a ready-to-use toolkit of evidence-based strategies that build a resilient, supportive classroom environment where every student can grow emotionally, socially, and academically. Empower your educational practices with impactful approaches that make a lasting difference in students’ lives.

Speaker: Beatrice Moise, Bea Moise, LLC

In this workshop, participants will explore essential skills that build trust and foster growth for students. Through guided practice and reflection, attendees will explore four essential outcomes to cultivate balance, connection, and support for their neurodivergent students and their families.

Details coming soon.

Speakers: Michael Lomuscio, Carolina Day School; Mark Driscoll, Carolina Day School; and Annie Zeberkiewicz, Carolina Day School

Demonstrate, model, and co-create workflows that turn ChatGPT’s voice mode into a pocket-sized executive-function coach for grades 6-12. Analyze research on AI-assisted study skills; map common organizational pain points to specific prompt sequences; assess guardrails that keep students—not the bot—in charge of planning, reflection, and metacognition. Build a Personal Organization Playbook that parses a syllabus into micro-tasks, generates calendar events, and logs weekly reflections shareable with parents or advisors. Compare adaptations for ADHD, ELL, and concussion-recovery plans. Leave ready to pilot an evidence-based, data-tracked support protocol aligned with your school’s accommodation process.

Details coming soon.

Speakers: Kelsey Bechtle, St. Anne’s-Belfield School, and Amanda Allen, St. Anne’s-Belfield School

Engage students in mathematics support within their classroom through co-teaching models. Plan effective differentiation and teaching structures to match the needs of a given grade level/course type. Partner with classroom teachers to create effective teaching practices to serve the needs of not only identified students, but the greater classroom. Focusing on mathematics instruction, we will model different co-teaching structures and present useful tools for effective planning.

Details coming soon.

An early intervention wellness team is a group of trusted adults on campus who act as a non-disciplinary sounding board and resource for students. This group of individuals works closely with the school counselor as an early intervention wellness team and is trained to intervene early and often, which helps to foster a community and culture of care. The team is trained with the ability to engage students in conversation surrounding their mental health and wellness and offer direction to refer students to community and national resources for mental health challenges. The team utilizes a trauma-informed care approach to assist school administrators in prioritizing safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment for all students. In this presentation, participants will learn the steps to creating an early intervention wellness team at their school.

What does it take to walk alongside a student from their first academic concern through graduation day? In this session, participants will explore a school-tested K-12 academic support framework designed to meet student needs at every developmental stage. Using a composite student journey, we’ll show how communication, instruction, accommodations, executive functioning support, and parent collaboration are structured and adjusted as students move through lower, intermediate, middle, and upper school. Whether building a program from scratch or refining existing practices, attendees will examine procedures and policies, discuss practical applications, and leave with strategies they can implement.

Speaker: Dr. Crystal Doyle, Miami Country Day School

At Miami Country Day School, we believe that executive functioning, emotional regulation, and instructional access are essential to student well-being. In this session, participants will learn how to integrate the latest research in cognitive development, behavior science, and instructional design to empower the entire student support team, from academic specialists and counselors, to deans, nurses, and athletic staff. We’ll explore how executive functioning skills, assistive technology, and differentiated instruction work together across learning environments to support both student challenges and self-directed growth. Using real case studies to highlight coaching strategies for study skills, scaffolding routines that foster independence, and tools that promote learner agency while reducing cognitive overload. This session is designed to meet the practical needs of independent school educators who want to create student-centered environments where readiness replaces reactivity and every student, regardless of profile, can thrive.

Details coming soon.

Three years ago, McCallie School introduced the MindPrint Solution to a subset of students who were struggling academically. Developed by neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania’s Brain Behavior Lab, MindPrint Solution includes assessments of executive functions, memory, and complex reasoning, with a goal of providing personalized study skills strategies. Students who participated developed greater cognitive self-awareness and academic confidence and claimed greater agency over their education. Impact was so successful that we now use it with every freshman. Come learn about MindPrint’s recently published research on the dramatic cognitive skill declines observed post-pandemic and how McCallie is working to combat this phenomenon by creating a more personalized, strengths-based approach to learning.

Speakers: Alisa Barnard, Learning Courage, and Amy Wheeler, Learning Courage

The work of sexual misconduct prevention and response is about more than just boundary training and having the right policies in the handbook, and it is significantly more manageable when conducted proactively rather than in a crisis. Too often schools avoid this important work due to discomfort, competing demands on time and resources, or uncertainty about how to proceed. In this session, we will share lessons from Learning Courage’s work on the frontlines of sexual misconduct prevention and response with independent schools of all types. We will use case studies to explore key areas of risk and how to mitigate them and will discuss the work that all schools can do now to build strong communities focused on prevention and “response-ability.”

Speaker: Yaa Agyekum, The Steward School

To support student success and wellness, families often partner with school-based staff, tutors, therapists, and other community providers. Students thrive when these partners are aligned in their role and working toward a common purpose. However, these collaborations can become siloed and fragmented—leading to misaligned goals, missed opportunities for growth, and stalled progress. This interactive session equips school leaders with strategies to build more collaborative support systems centered on student growth. Using real-world case studies and practical tools, participants will explore how to align interventions, strengthen communication, and identify systemic barriers that hinder effective collaboration. Through hands-on activities and guided reflection, attendees will develop a personalized action plan to strengthen partnerships with both internal and external supports. Session participants will be empowered to create sustainable systems that foster shared goals, clear communication, and greater impact on student learning and well-being.

Speaker: Beth Allison, Silverdale Baptist Academy

In this session, participants will explore the development and implementation of the IMPACT Program’s Work-Based Learning (WBL) initiative at Silverdale Baptist Academy. Designed to prepare students with disabilities for postsecondary success, the WBL program offers real-world experiences that build 21st-century workplace skills, foster independence, and promote personal growth. From on-campus micro-businesses like Sweet Blooms Flower Shop and Tea Delivery to off-campus community engagement, the program emphasizes career readiness through authentic, student-centered learning. Learn how intentional employer partnerships and practical skill-building opportunities are being used to equip students for meaningful adult lives—and how your school or program can take the next step in doing the same.

Speaker: Lindsey Whitsett, Webb School of Knoxville

Empower seniors to take charge of their learning by leading their own accommodations meetings. Discover a step-by-step framework for preparing students to articulate their needs, collaborate with faculty, and actively participate in the accommodations process. Examine coaching strategies that foster self-advocacy, independence, and executive functioning—crucial skills for college and beyond. Review real-life examples and receive practical templates to implement this model in your school. Attendees will leave with concrete tools to shift the accommodations process from adult-driven to student-centered, creating a culture of responsibility and confidence among upper school students.

Details coming soon.

Speaker: Kathleen Sullivan, Hill Learning Center

Executive function challenges—like disorganization, poor time management, and difficulty maintaining focus—affect all learners at times. For students with ADHD or learning differences, these struggles can be more persistent and complex. In this interactive session, educators serving upper elementary through high school students will dive into real case studies, engage in hands-on learning that spotlights effective coaching language, and evaluate strategic supports that build student independence. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the full coaching cycle—from assessment to scaffolding to fading—designed to meet students where they are and help them thrive.

Speakers: Susan Huennekens, Savannah Country Day School, and Emma Reardon, Elevate Solutions Savannah

Experience firsthand what sensory overload feels like for students by actively taking part in an immersive simulation. Collaborate through a student-centered lens to better understand and support diverse sensory needs. Engage in dynamic, hands-on regulation stations that integrate music, movement, breathing techniques, and tactile tools to model practical, calming strategies. Create a flexible “formula” for embedding these practices into academic support systems to enhance student focus, emotional regulation, and learning. Explore evidence-based, brain-based, and multisensory regulation strategies grounded in Polyvagal theory, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), executive functioning, and neuroscience. Apply these frameworks to name, adapt, and implement targeted interventions that align with how the brain learns best. Strengthen your ability to recognize sensory stress signals and respond with supportive, research-informed practices. Walk away equipped with actionable tools and a deeper understanding of how to create accessible, engaging, and inclusive learning environments that support the whole child. All divisions welcome.

Speakers: Sean Casey, Trinity Episcopal School, and Ashtyn Giller, Trinity Episcopal School

This dynamic session unpacks a whole-school approach to cultivating a vibrant and inclusive middle school community. Moving beyond isolated initiatives, discover practical, actionable strategies developed through a partnership between teachers, student leaders, and parents. We’ll explore how this collaborative model empowers every adult and student on campus to contribute meaningfully to a positive school culture, enhance social-emotional learning, and equip middle schoolers with the essential skills to navigate interpersonal relationships successfully. Discover how to establish a sustainable framework that fosters empathy, strengthens peer connections, and ensures every student feels a profound sense of belonging. Attendees will leave with concrete ideas for cultivating a thriving community where every middle schooler can truly connect and thrive.

Speakers: Dr. Ashley Pratt, Battle Ground Academy, and Michele Rook, Battle Ground Academy

Discover how independent schools can create seamless support systems for students with learning differences from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Implement a framework for vertical collaboration that bridges divisional gaps while fostering student self-advocacy skills. Examine practical case management approaches, documentation protocols, and communication strategies that effectively engage all stakeholders. Analyze methods for aligning support systems across divisions while providing appropriate scaffolding to assist students as they develop independence. Learn from one K-12 independent school’s journey to impactful change through intentional alignment of mission, streamlined documentation processes, and cohesive support structures across all divisions. Develop an action plan for implementing an integrated learning support model that ensures continuity as students progress through school divisions. Leave with concrete tools to create a support system that balances consistency with developmental appropriateness while preparing students for long-term success.

Details coming soon.

Details coming soon.

Students today live in a swirl of constant distraction. As educators, you see its effects – shorter attention spans, rising anxiety, fleeting motivation, and a lack of resilience. This keynote will invite you to reimagine your learning environments as spaces of calm, focus, and depth. Grounded in the latest cognitive science, discover how to nurture curiosity, build emotional and cognitive stamina, and create experiences that drive deep thinking and adaptability. Validate what you know instinctively while equipping yourself with powerful strategies to help students slow down, tune in, and flourish in learning and in life.

Speaker: Anna Claire McKay, University School of Nashville

“Without an understanding of human cognitive architecture, instruction is blind.” (Sweller, 2017)

If we don’t have a basic understanding of how the human brain learns, we cannot reach our own learning potential—much less help our students reach theirs. Join this session to learn about the aspects of cognitive psychology and neuroscience that have had the greatest impact on our middle school students’ learning and on our own teaching. Together, we will follow the pathway of a long-term memory, solve the basic equation of learning, and master six evidence-informed techniques for efficient and effective studying. This session translates the science of learning into student-friendly language, invites us to take off our instructional blindfolds, and empowers us to teach and learn with the brain in mind. Anyone who identifies as a teacher or learner—at any level—is welcome!

Details coming soon.

Speakers: Tamara Kuku, Oaks Christian School, and Gaia Altshuler, Oaks Christian School

Educators will explore supporting the whole child from a collaborative lens—academically, socially, and emotionally. Our culture playbook is the road map we utilize to foster student accountability through relationship-based strategies, implementing goal-setting frameworks that connect SEL and academic planning, and recognizing early warning signs of disengagement. We’ll discuss how consistent language and expectations across departments can promote student ownership, as well as tools for building resilience, motivation, and a growth mindset. This session will also focus on effective communication strategies between educators, counselors, and support staff to create a unified approach to student success. Through data-informed practices and restorative mindsets, we aim to bridge gaps between emotional support and academic rigor—ensuring every student is seen, heard, and equipped to thrive.

Speakers: Sarah Prevette, Future Design School, and Sandra Nagy, Future Design School

Building on the keynote “Nurturing Depth in a Distracted World,” this interactive workshop guides you through practical strategies to shift your school culture and classrooms from distraction to deep engagement. Collaborate with peers to identify priority areas, co-design actionable approaches, and plan immediate next steps that foster calm, focus, curiosity, and resilience in students. Leave with clear strategies, ready-to-use tools, and an actionable plan to create learning environments where students slow down, tune in, and thrive.

Speaker: Ginna Clute, The Fletcher School

Design and implement an effective executive functioning curriculum tailored specifically for middle and high school students. This session centers on the how—how to teach executive functioning skills—rather than defining what executive skills are. It is intended for educators with a foundational understanding of executive functioning who are ready to translate theory into practice. Participants will explore the impact of explicit executive function instruction on academic achievement, behavior, and overall student well-being. Through practical examples and collaborative discussion, educators will gain concrete strategies to embed executive functioning skills into daily classroom routines and schoolwide systems. In addition, participants will acquire tools to assess student progress, track growth in executive skill development, and communicate students’ varying levels of independence clearly and effectively with families. Leave this session prepared to empower students with the skills they need to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.

Speaker: Michael Powell, The Howard School

Join us for an interactive workshop designed for school leaders, educators, and specialists working with students with learning disabilities. This session will guide participants through developing a strategic, mission-aligned approach to integrating artificial intelligence tools in educational settings while prioritizing equity, accessibility, and student success. Participants will leave with a framework for responsible AI implementation, practical evaluation tools, and concrete next steps for enhancing educational experiences for all learners.