New York Inspired - Designing the Graduate of Tomorrow: Full Schedule

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9:00am EDT

Scrub Club: A Partnership Model for Early Career-Connected Learning

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

What if the journey toward your Portrait of a Graduate began long before high school? Scrub Club is a hands-on health career exploration program that introduces students beginning in grade 2 to the world of healthcare through interactive, age-appropriate activities. Discover how early career-connected learning sparks curiosity and builds the competencies at the heart of the Portrait of a Graduate—communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and self-awareness. Central to this work is the power of community partnerships: you'll see how schools can join forces with local health organizations and healthcare professionals to create authentic, developmentally appropriate experiences that ground career exploration in the hands-on learning young children thrive on. You'll leave with a replicable program model, practical activity ideas, and a partnership framework you can adapt for your own youngest learners.

Speakers

Tara Elmer

Technology Integrator, Watertown City School District

Lisa Blank

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Community & Industry Partnerships

9:00am EDT

From Policy to Practice

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

This session would focus on translating AI policy into actionable practice, grounded in my experiences supporting districtwide AI implementation. The session would highlight how districts can intentionally build systems that move beyond isolated tools toward sustainable structures that support educators, leaders, and students. In particular, the session would align to “how districts are building systems to support this work” by exploring:
How policy, guidance, and governance can be operationalized in daily instructional and operational decision‑making
The role of professional learning, workflows, and guardrails in supporting responsible AI use
Examples of system‑level structures that help districts scale AI thoughtfully while maintaining trust, clarity, and instructional coherence

Speakers

Kristen Harrington

Project Administrator, LTG Grant Manager, Buffalo Public Schools

Let’s talk AI in education, innovation that sticks, and how to move from ideas to action in your district or classroom. I bring energy, positivity, and a love of learning to everything I do. I'm inspired by bold thinking and I’m always up for conversations that push what’s... Read More →

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Leadership & Systems Change

9:00am EDT

Beyond the Device: Purposeful AI Integration and Hands-On Pedagogy for the Modern Graduate

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Let's explore how to strategically balance screentime and intentional AI integration with active, hands-on learning experiences. This session will demonstrate how to design meaningful learning opportunities that directly cultivate the essential competencies outlined in the NYSED Portrait of a Graduate.

Participants will walk away with a robust toolkit of practical and evidence-based strategies designed to foster collaboration, cultivate critical thinking, and restore joy to the classroom. Discover how to shift students from passive consumption to active, purposeful engagement that prepares them for a rapidly evolving future.

Speakers

Laurie Guyon

Lead Coordinator for Instructional Technology Prog, New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE)

Laurie Guyon currently serves as the Lead Coordinator for Instructional Technology Programs at WSWHE BOCES, where she guides regional initiatives and supports schools in adopting innovative educational practices, particularly in Computer Science and Digital Fluency. In addition, Laurie... Read More →

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Teaching & Learning in Action

9:45am EDT

Sponsor Spotlight: Operationalize Climate Education Through the Lens of Play and Evaluation

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:45am - 10:00am EDT

Zoom Room 1

Imagine speaking students’ language and engaging everyone in the classroom actively learning about climate change without any doom and gloom. What if we can operationalize climate education with proven pedagogy and data tracked for the learning outcomes you want to measure?
Join us to see how a gamified online climate action competition program - League for Green Leaders, an ITCC approved resource can help you implement climate education and PoG next year.

Speakers

Jane Ji

Springbay Studio, Ltd.

Wednesday August 12, 2026 9:45am - 10:00am EDT
Zoom Room 1

Spotlight Sessions

10:00am EDT

STEP-Up NY/NY State I-corridor

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

TBA

Speakers

Paola Viera

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
TBA

Community & Industry Partnerships

10:00am EDT

Already in the Room

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

TBA

New York's Portrait of a Graduate asks districts to develop collaborative contributors and effective communicators — but most schools already have the pieces. The gap isn't vision. It's implementation. This session gives curriculum directors, coaches, and building leaders a practical upgrade framework for mapping existing units, routines, and assessments to Portrait tenets — without rebuilding everything from scratch. Participants leave with a concrete crosswalk tool and at least one actionable next step they can bring back to their team on Monday.

Speakers

Dan Thomas

Coach Thomas Tech LLC

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
TBA

Leadership & Systems Change

10:00am EDT

From Challenge to Opportunity: Rural Schools Bringing the Portrait of a Graduate to Life

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Rural educators are finding innovative ways to bring the Portrait of a Graduate to life, leveraging the strengths of their communities while navigating evolving resource and workforce challenges. This session explores how rural schools are translating the six tenets into practical, sustainable strategies that prepare students for college, careers, civic engagement, and lifelong success. Participants will learn how districts are leveraging available resources to create meaningful learning experiences while building systems that support long-term success. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how rural districts are shaping innovative pathways forward and advancing the Portrait of a Graduate vision across New York State.

Speakers

Tarkan Ceng

Public K-12 School District, Jefferson Central School District

Dr. Ceng is the Superintendent of Jefferson Central School. He has over 20 years of experience in education, 15 of which have been in school building and district leadership. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from The Sage Colleges, Albany, NY, in 2016. His demonstrated... Read More →

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Teaching & Learning in Action

10:45am EDT

Sponsor Spotlight: Mindex NY Inspires Update and AI Tools

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT

Zoom Room 1

Quick session to give information on how Mindex/SchoolTool is staying up to speed on NY Inspires/Portrait of a Graduate updates and how AI Chat can help!

Speakers

Jack Hibit

Director of Sales, SchoolTool/Mindex

Wednesday August 12, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Zoom Room 1

Spotlight Sessions

11:00am EDT

Find It, Use It, Love It: Free DoW STEM Resources to Power Your K-12 Classroom

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

TBA

Some of the country's most exciting STEM resources, including robotics competitions, coding and data science programs, cyber and esports challenges, internships, scholarships, and ready-to-use classroom activities, are free, online, and waiting for your students right now.

In this session, K-12 educators and administrators get a guided tour of dowstem.us to begin identifying programs by grade and interest, exploring the video library and 240-career explorer to spark curiosity, and tapping a nationwide network of military connections and DSEC partners, including FIRST, MATHCOUNTS, NSTA, REC Foundation, Robonation, Society for Science, The Coding School, SciTech Institute, TIES, and TGR Foundation. Opportunities are reachable for every learner, whether urban, suburban, or rural, plus professional development for educators, not just students. Leave energized, with a curated map of free DoW STEM resources, direct entry points, and clear next steps to bring world-class STEM and career-connected learning to your classroom and community.

Speakers

Lisa Blank

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
TBA

Community & Industry Partnerships

11:00am EDT

Civics

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

TBA

Speakers

Dr. Michael Prayor

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
TBA

Teaching & Learning in Action

11:00am EDT

From the Wall to the Work: Using AI to Make the NYS Portrait of a Graduate Real

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

TBA

The New York State Portrait of a Graduate names the kind of student we want to develop, but the gap between aspiration and daily classroom reality is where most districts get stuck. In this session, Tim Dawkins and Janeen Gannon share how South Glens Falls Central School District is using artificial intelligence as a practical instructional tool to make Portrait tenets like critical thinking, creative innovation, and effective communication concrete and visible in student work. Drawing on real classroom examples and district-level implementation, attendees will leave with immediately adaptable strategies and a clearer sense of how teachers can leverage AI tools to intentionally design and scaffold lessons that weave Portrait traits directly into the core curriculum.

Speakers

Tim Dawkins

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, South Glens Falls Central School District

Tim Dawkins serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at the South Glens Falls Central School District, where he leads districtwide efforts to cultivate a future-ready, inclusive learning environment from pre-K through grade 12. With more than 20 years... Read More →

Janeen Gannon

Technology Integration Specialist, South Glens Falls School District

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
TBA

Teaching & Learning in Action

11:45am EDT

Wrap Up and Closing

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT

Zoom Room 1

Wednesday August 12, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Zoom Room 1

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