Festivals, symposiums and conventions. Like you, I’ve been to all three—but I have to say, NACSA’s conference is unlike any I’ve ever attended. While I’m new to NACSA, I’ve already heard from many of you about what is “New & Good” at the NACSA Annual Leadership Conference. Here’s a rundown.

THE NEW

Story Suite: Capturing the Stories of Lives Changed Through Authorizing

Story Suite—a comfy, quiet room at our 2015 Conference—is a chance for attendees to take a break from the high-energy conference scene and remember why they do this work in the first place. In the Story Suite, NACSA’s communications team seek to discover, record, and preserve the stories that make our shared work meaningful. Alone or with a friend, attendees are telling their stories because their stories—their lives—are part of One Million Lives. After conference, these stories will be used to inspire and inform others in our field, and to educate those who still scratch their heads at the word “authorizer.”

Super Sessions

This year we are introducing a new session format: “Super Sessions.” In Super Sessions, attendees engage with each other on a specific critical issue in the sector. Super Sessions are open to all attendees.

Discussion Den

The Discussion Den is also new at conference this year. The Discussion Den is an opportunity to have one more cup of coffee and share some ah-hahs with fellow attendees before heading back to work. We’re looking forward to hearing favorite insights and ideas from the past few days.

THE GOOD

Keynote Speaker: Mike Johnston

Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston sees poor test scores and dropout rates as nothing short of a civil rights issue. Senator Johnston shared his experience with us, underscoring why the fight for educational justice matters—why truth and hope matters.

Wishing you could be here with us?
Join the conference remotely by tuning in to #NACSAcon on Twitter.