We Can’t Wait to See You in the Crescent City!
CompetencyWorks Blog
The Aurora Team is excited to meet you at the Aurora Institute Symposium in just 3 weeks. We’re thrilled to join hundreds of in-person attendees for our upcoming conference in vibrant New Orleans! As we prepare for this exciting event, we can’t help but feel a surge of anticipation for the enriching experiences that await us.
The Symposium is the field’s premier gathering of education innovators working to transform K-12 education. This year you’ll find attendees from across the education innovation space pushing for learning to happen outside of traditional school walls and to be more personalized, competency-based, and future-focused.
But it’s not just the conference that has us buzzing with excitement. In New Orleans, exceptional experiences await you around every corner. Whether it’s the unmatched cuisine, award-winning museums, and cultural institutions, or the sounds of live jazz reverberating through streets lined with centuries-old architecture, one thing is for certain–when you’re in New Orleans, there’s nowhere else in the world you could mistake it for.
In this post, we’ll share what our team is most looking forward to – both within the conference walls and in the lively streets of the Big Easy. Join us as we take a sneak peek at the knowledge we’ll gain, the connections we’ll forge, and the memories we’ll create in one of America’s most captivating cities. 
Jim: I am looking forward to checking out Dr. Sabba Quidwai’s pre-conference session on AI. I love the culture and heritage of New Orleans. I look forward to enjoying the music and cuisine once again, and the botanical gardens for the first time, too!
Chiara: I’m super excited to join the pre-conference session on Saturday offered by our friends at Learner-Centered Collaborative. I can’t wait to learn more about transitioning to grading systems that support competency-based systems transformation. Additionally, you know you’ll find me catching some live jazz at Preservation Hall, and getting my fill of chicory coffee!
Jennifer: I’m excited to have three days to learn from and with the leading educators, leaders, policymakers, and researchers in the education transformation space. In particular, I’m thrilled to be convening state leaders from across the country during the pre-conference to dive into our state policy levers to ensure every learner has access to an empowering, engaging, and future-focused education. I hope the conversations we have in New Orleans lead to real concrete change for schools everywhere.
Virgel: I am in for it all! The pre-conference learning opportunities will be fantastic as will be the other 100+ sessions. However, I am especially excited to learn from the young people who are attending and sharing their ideas, enthusiasm, and feedback in the numerous sessions and keynote presentations that place them center stage. The opportunities to connect with transformative leaders while in session, walking through the hallways of the Hyatt, or over a NOLA meal and music will be the perfect booster shot of inspiration. I have never fully experienced NOLA. Thanks to suggestions from local educators, I look forward to visiting sights off the usual paths that provide us with the sweet sounds, vibrant flavors, and honest histories that shape what and who NOLA is.
Jill: NOLA holds a special place in my heart. From the peaceful mornings in the French Quarter to the Bourbon Street nightlife, NOLA is a city like none other. While I’m looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues at this year’s Symposium, I’m most excited about sitting under the wisdom of the young people we’ll get to share space with for three days. This year’s conference agenda is packed with student sessions, including a student-led session on how to position learners as leaders in learning and schooling experience. I wouldn’t miss this if I were you!
Kelly: I really believe in the importance of student voice and choice in their learning, so I’m especially looking forward to the session about Georgia’s GRE4T personalized learning initiative, “Personalized Learning: Enhancing Student Learning with Voice and Collaboration” — can’t wait to learn about the work going on in another state. And on the personal side, I can’t wait to taste some beignets! I grew up eating a Dutch version called oliebollen, so I’m always happy for an excuse to try another fried, sugar-coated doughnut delight. 🙂
Jessica: As a member of the Aurora Institute team, I’m thrilled to see our vision come to life with the gathering of innovative educators from across the field. I’m particularly excited to observe how our carefully crafted spaces and sessions will foster meaningful connections and spark new ideas among these talented professionals. Watching educators engage with our event structure and bring their energy to the Symposium will be especially rewarding, as it validates the months of careful planning our team has invested. Most importantly, I’m eagerly looking forward to meeting the students in person. Their perspectives and experiences are at the heart of our mission to advance educational practices and inspire innovation in the field.
Loretta: I’m excited about presenting a session, alongside Joy Nolan and Rebecca Midles, exploring how study tours can have a transformative impact on K-12 schools. I can’t wait to learn more about AI in education from Dr. Sabba Quidwai’s pre-conference session as well as her keynote! What will get me in the mood for days of learning and networking will be the walk through the airport, accompanied by jazz all the way! Let the good times roll!
Laurie: It’s impossible to pick just one thing I’m excited about for #Aurora24! First of all, I love exploring NOLA and to kick off my time, I am planning to get in a run through the French Quarter and along the Mississippi on Saturday morning – ending at Café du Monde for beignets, of course. Reach out if you want to join me! Within the Symposium programming, I’m looking forward to connecting with people, especially in my sessions – a pre-conference on student competency frameworks, a collaborative session with Chris Sturgis looking backwards and forwards on all things competency-based education, and a collaborative competency calibration session featuring student work from multiple competency-based learning systems. I’m also excited for the student summit sessions that are by students, for students (and adults!), and I encourage people to check out at least one session with student presenters!
Jazminn: The Symposium is one of my favorite events of the year because I get to be in the room with folks making the shifts to innovative and future-focused learning environments for all learners. I can’t wait to hear from the young people joining us! The wisdom and grace they share is so inspirational. And New Orleans! New Orleans feels like home to me. I can’t wait to get a cup of gumbo at Morrow’s, coffee at Baldwin & Company (If Beale Street Can Talk is my favorite drink), and relish in all of the beignets the city has to offer.
If you are looking for restaurants or activities to explore in New Orleans, check out things to do here. Not yet registered? Register to attend by visiting https://aurora-institute.org/symposium2024/attend/.