2025 EPIC Breakout Sessions

This workshop explores the journey of Educators of Color in shaping American education. This interactive session will spotlight the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority-Serving Institutions, and Colored Teachers Associations in cultivating generations of educational leaders committed to equity and justice for colleagues and students. Participants will analyze the challenges faced by Educators of Color including systemic racism and discriminatory policies that have been confronted and overcome to make an impact on this country’s educational landscape.

In a time when public education is under attack, educators don’t need cookie-cutter PD, boxed curricula, or empty “inspiration” – they need a powerful network. This workshop moves you from resistance to resilience, shifting the focus from fighting against threats to fighting for a shared vision of thriving, transformative schools. Through collaborative problem-solving and actionable planning, you’ll leave with concrete tools and a ready-to-implement blueprint for collective action that strengthens your voice, your community, and public education itself.

Want to complete rigorous assignments with your multilingual learners? Learn about successful strategies, scaffolds, and structures which can be used for all levels of learners, increasing accessibility and creating an environment where hands-on learning is not only possible, but preferred! Leave with knowledge and activities for immediate use in your classrooms! Examples used will be science in nature, but easily transferrable to other disciplines.
This session is targeted to K-12 educators, with focus on secondary resources.

Participants will:
–Play games aligned to VLA best practices for all learners.
–Create one-minute “lightning round” games as assessments for immediate feedback.
–Make a game template for classroom use.
–Practice strategies and games parents can use to reinforce classroom instruction at home.

Discover how research-based best practices can transform your school community. This dynamic session explores high-quality, differentiated instruction, trauma-informed strategies, staff wellness initiatives, and inclusive special education approaches—all designed to meet diverse learner needs, foster resilience, and promote a thriving, supportive learning environment for all. ESP leader Gordon Jones and VEA UD Carl Howard, with a combined 65 years of experience in schools between them, highlight the importance of research-based, practical strategies to reduce anxiety and other barriers to learning.

The participants will learn the Virginia laws that directly relate to LGBTQIA+ students and staff. They will learn how to navigate those laws in our current political climate. The focus will be on protecting LGBTQIA+ students and staff from discrimination.

Every educator has a “teacher voice” that can be used both inside and outside the classroom! This workshop will discuss strategies and provide tips for engaging in politics to become an advocate for your students and the field of education. We will discuss attending local government meetings, joining grassroots organizations, contacting legislators, and writing Letters to the Editor. So come with your passion and give that fire somewhere to burn! This workshop is open to educators of any level.

I Know You & You Know Me invites educators on an engaging journey to share and receive best practices for culturally responsive teaching to all students. Through interactive discussion and collaboration, participants will explore strategies that promote diversity, cultural inclusiveness, and authentic teacher expression. This session empowers educators to meet the unique needs of their students while fostering meaningful connections. Attendees will leave with the powerful understanding that every student desires—and deserves—to be seen, heard, and loved.

The objective of this session is to provide an understanding of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to advance teacher educators’ practices in from a pedagogical and a humanities lens, taking into consideration qualities like empathy, ethical responsibility, and culture. It emphasizes both the practical and technical aspects of AI educational technology, as well as the human elements and factors that influence learning, acknowledging the contexts in which education occurs.

This workshop explores how structured teacher self-reflection can restore student-centered instruction in schools. Participants will engage with a framework of five online modules that promote critical thinking, SMART goal setting, and collaborative peer feedback. Activities include modeling reflection tools, analyzing student-centered practices, and exploring implementation strategies for diverse teacher backgrounds. Designed for middle and high school educators.

Participants will learn about and employ best practices for including transgender people in school settings, including model policies from various school districts across Virginia. Participants will also learn the importance of these practices as well as real life scenarios and outcomes for students when these practices are not followed. The target audience for this presentation is anyone who works in a school setting, at any grade level.

This workshop, based on Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection, helps educators explore the ten roles of changemakers. Not everyone has to engage in the same type of advocacy; roles include storytellers, healers, disrupters, builders, weavers, guides, experimenters, visionaries, caregivers, and frontline responders. By identifying personal strengths, educators can determine where they best contribute, avoid burnout, and sustain their efforts to create meaningful change within their schools and districts. All changemakers welcome.

While a resume tells a potential employer a candidate’s strengths, a successful interview shows them. But, how do candidates show instead of tell? In this session, participants will learn how to use only 5 stories to answer a wide range of interview questions, showcase themselves as a high-quality candidate, and feel confident stepping into any interview. This session is catered towards college/university students preparing for teaching interviews, but is open to all conference attendees.

This workshop guides participants in using cultural humility to explore their own social identities and biases. Through reflective activities and small group discussions, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how our identities impact our interactions with others. The session will provide practical strategies for building authentic partnerships with diverse families, fostering a collaborative environment where the cultural capital of diverse families are understood and values. Audience: K-12 educators. Grade level: all levels are appropriate.