EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 30th!

Don't miss out on the best conference rates available.

The 14th annual Schools of the Future Conference will explore a wide-range of topics and ideas related to best practices in education. This event is the largest of its nature in the Hawai'i and serves as an opportunity for teachers and administrators, across Hawaii’s public, private and charter school educators and administrators to reflect upon how schools can better serve students. The conference is produced annually in partnership with the Hawai'i State Department of Education, the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools, the Hawa'ii Community Foundation and the Hawai'i Society for Technology in Education. The 2019 conference was the last one offered in-person and experienced a record number of attendees, with total participation over two days of 2,177 educators from Hawaii’s public, private and charter schools.

Highlights

• 4 Keynote speakers – two on each day of the conference
• 10+ Featured Speakers - aligned with tracks
• 100+ Breakout Sessions and Workshops
• Interactive Playgrounds
• Networking Spaces with Facilitated Conversations
• Student-led Sessions
• NEW! On-Demand Recorded Content Package included as part of the SOTF registration.

Tracks

• Early Childhood Learning
• Learning Variabilities
• Social and Emotional Learning
• Project and Place-Based Learning
• Teaching and Learning with Technology
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)
• Leading Schools of the Future
• Learning Not Lost: Preserving and Perpetuating Best Practices 
• NEW! Career Technical Education (CTE)

Inflation may be on the rise, but SOTF Registration Rates aren't! Rates remain the same as they were in 2019!

Early Bird Registration: April - June 30

1-Day Ticket $175

2-Day Ticket $350

Standard Registration: July 1 - September 30

1-Day Ticket $225

2-Day Ticket $450

Late Registration: October 1 - the Conference

1-Day Ticket $275

2-Day Ticket $550

Ala Moana Hotel Conference Group Rate Available

A special rate has been arranged at the Ala Moana Hotel for Schools of the Future Participants. The rate is available for rooms reserved between October 18- 23. Use this link to make, modify or cancel reservations. Reservations can also be made by calling: 

Reservations Toll Free: (800) 367-6025

Reservations Local Phone: (808) 955-4811

Thanks to a generous grant from the Oak Fund at the Hawai'i Community Foundation, the Schools of the Future Conference is once again pleased to offer a limited number of needs-based Travel Scholarships for administrators and teachers from schools serving communities in Hawai'i.

A maximum of two travel scholarships will be awarded to educators from the same school. Awards will be granted in an amount up to $500 if attending the conference for two days, or $350 if attending only one day of the conference. The awards are intended to defray the costs of attending the SOTF Conference and can be used to cover airfare, lodging, transportation and the cost of substitute teachers. Reimbursement of expenses up to the maximum amount of the award will occur upon completion of the event and will only be paid out once attendance is verified. Please note that all receipts must be submitted to the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools in order to receive the reimbursement.

The travel scholarships do not include conference registration. All recipients are responsible for registering for the conference and are required to pay the conference fee in effect at the time of registration. 

Eligibility: 

• Open to administrators and teachers from any Neighbor Island (Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island) public, charter or private school.
• Preference will be given to educators from Hawai'i Island and to those working at schools in rural communities, as defined below.
• Applicants must directly serve students with learning differences. 
• Applicants must complete their own application. 

Applications will be accepted until September 16, 2022, or until the total funding amount has been depleted. 

All educators meeting the eligibility criteria can apply, but preference will first be given to individuals on Hawaii Island followed by educators working in rurally located schools. 

StoryCorps Keynote: Thursday, October 20 @ 9:00 

StoryCorps Playground: October 20 & 21

StoryCorps will celebrate both student and teacher voices through stories during the opening keynote, demonstrating the power of personal narrative. They'll tell the story of StoryCorps --with a look at where students and teachers fit into that story-- talk about the key ingredients of the StoryCorps conversation model, and share examples from classrooms across the country. Attendees will leave feeling inspired and empowered to record their own conversations, and imagine ways this could come to life at their schools.

StoryCorps staff will be available throughout the Conference to provide opportunities for you to listen to stories from StoryCorps’ broadcast collection, explore the StoryCorps archive, discover digital tools and resources to bring into your classroom, and answer StoryCorps’ Great Questions. 

Keynote Bio

Emily Janssen has been a part of StoryCorps’ “corps” for almost a decade. She has facilitated, recorded, and archived over 500 conversations with StoryCorps, and trained thousands of others to do the same. In her time at StoryCorps, she spent eighteen months traveling with the organization’s Mobile Tour to record stories across the United States. Now the Director of Learning & Engagement, Emily imagines ways to bring StoryCorps stories and interview model into classrooms and communities across the country. She develops programs and trains schools, libraries, hospitals, palliative care centers and other organizations to incorporate storytelling into their programs and honor their community stories.

Shelley Moore Keynote: Thursday, October 20 @ 1:00

For those of you who did not attend the 2021 Conference, Shelley Moore is a highly sought-after teacher, researcher, consultant and storyteller, and she has worked with school districts and community organizations throughout both Canada and the United States. Her research and work has been featured at national and international conferences, and is constructed based on theory and effective practices of inclusion, special education, curriculum, and teacher professional development.

Her first book, entitled, “One Without the Other,” was released in July 2016 to follow up her TEDx talk hosted in Langley in January 2016. Shelley completed an undergraduate degree in Special Education at the University of Alberta, her masters at Simon Fraser University, and is currently a SSHRC funded PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia. To learn more about Shelley’s research, take a look at her graduate profile.

For those who did hear her 2021 presentation, don't worry - she will be mixing things up this year.

Denise Pope Keynote: Friday, October 21 @ 1:00 pm

Denise Pope, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, where she specializes in student engagement, curriculum studies, qualitative research methods, and service learning. She is co-founder of Challenge Success, a school reform nonprofit that partners with schools and families to embrace a broad definition of success and implement research-based strategies that promote student well-being and engagement with learning.

She is the author of, "Doing School": How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students (Yale University Press, 2001), which was awarded Notable Book in Education by the American School Board Journal, 2001, and lead author of Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids(Jossey-Bass, 2015). She also co-hosts the Stanford University SiriusXM radio show called “School’s In.”

Dr. Pope lectures nationally on parenting techniques and pedagogical strategies to increase student health, engagement with learning, and integrity. She is a 3-time recipient of the Stanford University School of Education Outstanding Teacher and Mentor Award and was honored with the 2012 Education Professor of the Year "Educators' Voice Award" from the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences. Prior to teaching at Stanford, Dr. Pope taught high school English in Fremont, CA and college composition and rhetoric courses at Santa Clara University.

4th Keynote to be Announced Soon!

All featured speakers will present on both days of the conference. More speaker announcements will be made soon.

Scarlett Lewis

Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement™

Scarlett Lewis founded the nonprofit Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement after her son was murdered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in December 2012. After his death, Scarlett became part of the solution to the issues that we’re seeing in our society—and that also caused the tragedy. She created the Movement and became an advocate for social and emotional learning (SEL) and character development that teaches children how to manage their emotions, feel connected, and have healthy relationships.

Fern Yoshida

Educational Specialist, HIDOE

As a veteran public-school educator, Fern has led and managed various state programs and initiatives within Hawaii’s Department of Education. Currently, Fern fosters the advancement of social and emotional learning and trauma-informed practices in schools. She is also a grant project director for Ho`oikaika: Cultivating Resilience and Recovery Program which offers trauma-specific therapy for identified students of need.

Carey Tambino

Social Emotional Learning Facilitator, HIDOE

Carey Tambio, M.Ed., currently serves as the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Facilitator for the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE). In this capacity, she supports DOE complex areas and schools statewide with SEL implementation. She is an advocate for the development of the whole child and believes that a focus on social emotional learning and well-being will help to foster an equitable learning environment and academic success for all students.

Frank Leto

Music Educator/Teacher Trainer

Frank Leto is an early childhood educator, musician, composer and Montessori teacher who has been working in Montessori schools throughout the country for over 45 years. He is also a professional musician, Orff music teacher and steel band director.

His music is designed to encourage children’s participation through singing, dancing, fingerplays, games and exercises. Frank has ten interactive, multicultural CDs, two of which have won educational awards.

Frank travels nationally and internationally presenting keynote speeches and workshops at educational conferences i

Jamie Nunez

Music Educator/Teacher Trainer,

Common Sense Media

Jamie is the Western Regional Manager at Common Sense and supports state education agencies, school districts, and parents across the western U.S. in their efforts to implement digital literacy skills.

For over 20 years, Jamie has redefined learning practices by designing digital learning opportunities for educators. As a former high school teacher, school administrator, and Education director, Jamie has facilitated hundreds of professional development workshops on youth engagement in digital spaces.

Danielle Mizuta

Learning Support Specialist, Punahou School

Danielle Mizuta, MEd, taught special education in the DOE for 13 years. Danielle earned 2 Masters in Education Degrees from UH Manoa in Educational Foundations in 2004, and in Special Education and Teaching in 2007. She served as a State Level Lead Mentor for the Hawaii DOE mentoring beginning teachers new to the profession and supported complex area Induction Coordinators with their mentors, mentor forums, and beginning teacher PLCs. 



Danielle served as a Hawaii Hope Street Fellow and Regional Teacher Fellow Coach with Hope Street Hawaii, and as an Ahimsa Fellow.

Currently, she is adjunct faculty for Leeward Community College and a Learning Support Specialist at Punahou School, supporting faculty, staff, and families of students with learning variabilities. Danielle is currently a Doctoral student at The Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education.