Storm into Summer 2026

Utilizing Trine’s state of the art makerspace, The Mill, and a variety of provided materials, spend some time exploring your creativity to enhance your classroom with custom door signs or name plates. If your style is too great to be limited to school, come make bespoke jewelry or a personalized crossbody phone lanyard. 

Teacher shortages have shifted the landscape of our schools. Today, we welcome passionate alternative-route and non-traditional educators who bring immense enthusiasm but have limited classroom experience. While traditional mentoring can overextend veteran teachers, this shift presents a wonderful opportunity to rethink how we support new staff without sacrificing our core culture. This practical session equips leaders with a foundational playbook by applying a familiar concept to adults: a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for teachers. We will explore how to build Tier 1 universal supports: establishing clear, shared routines like common attention signals so new staff don't have to invent management systems from scratch. We’ll also cover Tier 2 connection check-ins and Tier 3 mentorship. Attendees will walk away with a ready-to-use toolkit, including: The 15-Minute Connection Check-In: A template focused on connection over compliance. Supportive Scripts: Approachable conversation starters for administrators, coaches, or veteran staff to offer help. The "Need-to-Know" Checklist: A cheat sheet for decoding school norms, acronyms, and protocols.

Utilizing Trine’s state of the art makerspace, The Mill, and a variety of provided materials, spend some time exploring your creativity to enhance your classroom with custom door signs or name plates. If your style is too great to be limited to school, come make bespoke jewelry or a personalized crossbody phone lanyard. 

I will be discussing the dual enrollment opportunities available at Trine University, including our degree-specific pathways and CTE pathways designed to help students get a head start on their college education. I will also cover important topics such as transfer credit, transcripts, and the Indiana College Core. There will be time for questions, and I’m happy to answer any general questions about dual enrollment—even if they are not directly related to Trine. My goal is to be a resource for students, counselors, teachers, parents, and schools navigating dual enrollment opportunities.

We often say, 'If you have met one person on the Autism Spectrum, you have met one person on the Autism Spectrum.' This statement reminds us that each student with ASD is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Evidence-based strategies are essential in supporting students on the spectrum, and when you build programs that are relationship-focused, interventions begin to meet individual needs. In this session, we are going to share our experiences from the middle school setting supporting  ASD students with the target areas of need being heightened sensory response,  lack of social desire, lack of peer relationships, self-stimulatory behavior, & suicide ideation.

Remember when Google first arrived in schools? Teachers were unsure, students were curious, and policies needed to be updated. AI is at that point. It is already part of student learning, the question now is: how do we leverage it effectively? This session focuses on using AI not only to increase student engagement but also to meaningfully differentiate instruction at the Tier 1 level. Participants will explore practical AI tools that support lessons, scaffold tasks, and help build well-rounded lesson plans. Grounded in MTSS principles, the session provides ready-to-use AI tools, a clear resource document of additional platforms, and hands-on strategies for bringing fun and creativity back into teaching, all while keeping students engaged and supported.AI is more than a tool; it is a way to make instruction more accessible, engaging, and impactful for every student.

Utilizing Trine’s state of the art makerspace, The Mill, and a variety of provided materials, spend some time exploring your creativity to enhance your classroom with custom door signs or name plates. If your style is too great to be limited to school, come make bespoke jewelry or a personalized crossbody phone lanyard.

What separates struggling schools from thriving learning communities? It’s not just talent—it’s leadership. In this engaging and results-driven session, Dr. Tora Townsend unpacks the three essential pillars of effective school leadership: culture, clarity, and consistency. Drawing from over 20 years of experience transforming schools and leading high-performing teams, Dr. Townsend will share practical strategies to build a positive school culture, establish clear expectations, and implement systems that drive accountability and academic success. This session is ideal for aspiring and current leaders committed to moving beyond survival mode and leading schools where both educators and scholars truly thrive.

You will be exposed to different experiences in the classroom and other student environments that come with highly diverse cultures. Awareness of obstacles and attributes that appear when multiple different cultures come together in a school/classroom, while considering different levels of English proficiency. We will then lead off from that concept to how you can adhere to different students' needs, and how to construct a culturally responsive classroom. Additionally, strategies about how to teach those students, including adaptation of materials, while also holding students to a high standard.

Do you have trouble getting your neurodivergent learners to engage in your lessons? Do they shut down or explode seemingly out of nowhere? This session will include simple strategies the Dynamic Minds Academy team uses to build certainty and reduce anxiety for our learners on the spectrum, as well as neurotypical students who lack confidence in their abilities.