Blended & Personalized Learning Conference Highlander Institute

If you have a question not reflected here, please reach out to our planning team directly via conference@highlanderinstitute.org What is Personalization 2020? Formerly known as the Blended & Personalized Learning Conference (BPLC), Personalization 2020 leverages Highlander Institute’s signature approach to programming, showcasing a variety of methods that center on optimizing the engagement and success of stakeholders across school communities. Over the last few years, we have moved away from a focus on blended learning and technology toward a focus on empowering students and teachers. We believe that the "visionary" year of 2020 provides a unique opportunity for us to pause, reflect, and celebrate in the context of our biggest annual convening. From Thursday, April 2nd to Saturday, April 4th at the RI Convention Center in Providence, RI, the event will showcase the best classroom, school, and district practitioners from across the nation. The first BPLC conference in 2012 drew 60 participants in a local school cafeteria. The conference went national 3 years ago and now draws over 1,000 participants and 50+ presenters from around the country and the world. What is the Personalization 2020 program and capacity? Personalization 2020 includes 3 days of programming. You can find the agenda here. Thursday features school site visit opportunities to see classrooms in action and community site visits to hear about the complementary work of local organizations. Friday features half day workshops. Saturday features a more traditional conference symposium, offering over 40 sessions focused on supporting and delivering high-quality, personalized instruction. How are conference presenters selected? The conference team scours the country for the best classroom, building, and district practitioners of personalized learning models and approaches. This process includes an open RFP in August and September. All lead presenters are current practitioners, and encouraged to be specific and actionable in the tactics they share with their audiences. Our goal is for participants to experience blended and personalized strategies and leave with ideas, resources, frameworks, and tools that they can adapt to their local contexts. How much are tickets? See the table below for general pricing information. Early bird pricing ends on February 1. Purchasing a 3-day bundle unlocks a $50 discount. To register, participants should click the Register button on the top right of the conference website banner. Please note that our events have sold out for the past several years. Day(s) Activities General Pricing 3-Day Bundle (best value) Access to all 3 days of conference programming $450 Thursday, April 2nd School Site Visits Community Site Visits Opening Celebration $100 Friday, April 3rd Half Day Workshops Official Welcome Party $150 Saturday, April 4th Symposium Closing Celebration $250 Are there any group discounts? Districts/organizations registering 5 or more people can use our Group Registration Page and will receive the discounted rate of $200 for the Saturday Symposium only or $350 for Friday Workshops + Saturday Symposium. These discounts are embedded directly into the group registration form and will be automatically applied at checkout. Once the group registration form is complete, a code will be sent to the group contact person, which individual attendees can then use to register themselves for the conference, supply personal information, and select specific conference events. What does the registration fee include? The fee includes entrance to the event, coffee and lunch each day for registered participants, and light snacks/appetizers at the evening celebrations. Who do I contact with questions about registration confirmation, payments, refunds, or substitutions? Please email mcomella@highlanderinstitute.org Are there room blocks at hotels for conference attendees? Yes, we have room blocks on hold at the Providence Omni, Graduate Providence, Courtyard Marriott, and Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel. You can find out more information about the room block rates and booking at these 4 hotels on our Travel page. Will you provide proof of attendance/participation at this conference? Yes, we can provide a Certificate of Attendance upon request that documents the event hours for use toward PLU/CEU/PDP requirements in your state. In the RI Department of Education's Educator Course Network database, Highlander Institute has been recognized as a provider in the categories of: Leadership; Culture, Climate, & SEL; Blended, Personalized, and/or Technology; Culturally Responsive Pedagogy; and TA Support & Dev. Where will classroom site visits be held? Site visits include 8 different routes through elementary, middle, and high schools around Rhode Island. The options will showcase different approaches and models. Click here for a list of the specific schools included this year. Have another question? Email us at conference@highlanderinstitute.org