🌍🔎 Welcome to the 2025 Academic Innovation Conference! 🔎🌍
“Where in the World...?”
Welcome, education trailblazers, to a conference unlike any other—where we set out on a high-stakes global mission to transform our classrooms into communities for the future! 🌎✨
Just like the legendary Carmen Sandiego, our students are on an adventure—but instead of searching for stolen treasures, they are discovering knowledge, cultures, digital tools, and opportunities that prepare them to be true global citizens. The question is: How do we equip them with the tools to navigate and thrive in an ever-changing world? That’s where YOU come in!
Over the course of this conference, we’ll decode the mysteries of innovation, track down best practices from around the globe, and unlock the strategies that will empower our students to think critically, collaborate across cultures, and make meaningful contributions—no matter where their journey takes them.
So, grab your thinking caps and passports, because together, we are about to embark on an educational expedition that ensures our students do not just ask where in the world they belong—but boldly go out and shape it through citizenship.
Life long learning is the pathway to economic citizenship, and educational attainment is the driver of prosperous futures for our students. Educators prepare students for this journey. Collaborate with colleagues to examine myFutureNC data profiles, learn more about the education to workforce continuum, and develop experiential learning strategies to connect students to the economic life of your community.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a digital device, such as a laptop.
Dr. Kim Case Kim's 34 year career in public education began at the classroom level where she gained practical experience in engaging students – particularly young adolescents – in learning, life, and leadership. Her desire to impact student outcomes has been the driving force... Read More →
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am EDT Economic Citizenship RCOE Room 134Reich College of Education Building, College Street, Boone, NC, USA
Discover how extracurricular clubs can become powerful platforms for fostering empathy, ethical decision-making, and social responsibility. In this session, you’ll learn a few strategies that the presenters have come across to structure club activities that integrate SEL and empower students to connect with eachother and their communities. We will have an open discussion of real-life examples of club-led initiatives that can inspire teamwork, integrity, and civic engagement while addressing social challenges.
Administrator, Ashe County Schools, Ashe Early College
Lindsey Williams has been an educator for 18 years. She attended App State as a Teaching Fellow where she earned her B.S. in Mathematics, Secondary Education. She taught math for 2 years at West Wilkes High School and then 7 years at Ashe County High School, while coaching volleyball... Read More →
Imagine transforming Social Studies and ELA from dusty textbook lectures into vibrant, immersive learning experiences that ignite student curiosity and empathy. This dynamic session reveals how project-based learning can turn complex historical and contemporary topics into hands-on, interactive journeys of discovery. Participants will explore innovative strategies that empower students to become critical thinkers, global citizens, and active problem-solvers by bridging Social Studies and ELA through engaging, cross-curricular projects. By providing students with meaningful opportunities to explore, connect, and take action, educators can create powerful learning environments that inspire lifelong learning and transform how young minds understand the world around them.
Middle Grades Teacher, North Carolina School for the Deaf
Taylor Hughes is a passionate deaf education professional with a unique blend of academic expertise and classroom enthusiasm. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language and a Master of Education from Kent State University, she currently teaches middle school at the North... Read More →
Wednesday June 11, 2025 10:05am - 11:05am EDT Global Citizenship RCOE Room 229Reich College of Education Building, College Street, Boone, NC, USA
Communication and community throughout a school is so important and this presentation will present the way our school updated the way we communicate using strategically placed TV's and Chrome boxes throughout our school. We also utilize our 8th graders to help use their creativity to create content for the TV's to be presented to their school. It has been a huge asset to our entire school community!
Career & Technical Education Teacher, Watauga County Schools, Bethel School
My name is Chelsie Eldreth and I am a middle school Career & Technical Education teacher in Watauga County. I teach at Bethel and Valle Crucis Schools and I love teaching middle school. I am married and I have 2 children, Kylie and Easton. I love to learn new things, travel, hike... Read More →
In this hands-on teacher workshop, educators will explore the powerful intersection of Global Citizenship and Service Learning through an engaging, challenge-based approach inspired by Participate Learning and Destination Imagination(DI). Participants will dive into the principles of global competence—such as global interconnectivity, critical thinking, and collaboration—while actively learning how students design and carry out service projects that address real-world community needs through a S.T.E.A.M based competition. Using the Destination Imagination Service Learning Challenge and Creative Process as a framework, teachers will learn how to guide students through creative problem-solving processes that empower their students to become empathetic, action-oriented global citizens. By the end of the session, educators will not only have participated in DI activities, but they leave with practical strategies on how to start a Destination Imagination team at their school that will make their students true Global Citizens.
*Participants should bring a Laptop, Creativity, and a desire to serve.
Middle Grades Teacher, Burke County Schools, Heritage Middle School
Tim Gallagher is a dedicated 8th-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher with 16 years of experience at Heritage Middle School in Burke County, North Carolina. With a passion for global education and a commitment to fostering a global perspective among his students, Tim serves... Read More →
