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The world has changed; so too must our education system.

Join the field’s largest gathering of education innovators working to transform K-12 education. Stay for the community, lessons about education innovation from the field, and the latest research and policy to support education transformation. Leave equipped to take immediate action in advancing next generation learning designs.

Why You Should Attend

Connection and Collaboration

At the Symposium, you’ll find a community of innovators from across the education transformation space who are engaging in action-oriented learning and development. You’ll have the chance to learn about schools, districts, and states adopting next generation learning models, get an inside look at the latest research and policy developments, and leave with the tools and the largest community of innovative practice to advance change in your own work.

Real-World Solutions and Visionaries from the Field

The Aurora Institute Symposium is the field’s largest gathering of education innovators working to transform K-12 education. You’ll find a big tent of attendees from across the education innovation space who are pushing for learning to happen outside of traditional school walls, and to be more personalized, competency-based, and future-focused. The Symposium is the premiere event for learning about next generation learning models, anytime, anywhere learning, the latest policy developments to enable the future, research and best practices around innovations, and trends around future-focused education transformation.

At the Symposium, you’ll have the chance to learn about schools, districts, and states adopting next generation learning models, get an inside look at the latest research and policy developments, and leave with the tools and the largest community of innovative practice to advance change in your own work.

Professional Learning

The Symposium offers highly rated professional development in the field for educators, school leaders, superintendents, board members, coaches, and practitioners. Our sessions and workshops provide hands-on, interactive learning experiences, and thoughtful strategies to advance student-centered pedagogy. The conference provides state and local policymakers, education leaders, and advocates with comprehensive information on new trends, successful policies, common entry points, financing programs, and the latest innovations that are transforming education for the 21st century.

More than 85 percent of attendees say the Symposium deepens their knowledge of student-centered learning. They tell us that what they learn directly applies to their jobs and leads to concrete implementation steps or other forward movement at their schools and organizations. Eighty-seven percent say they choose the Aurora Institute Symposium to meet their networking and learning needs.

Why We Created the Symposium

The Symposium brings together experts, practitioners, teachers, policymakers, technical assistance providers, and researchers to offer an opportunity for deepening understanding on a variety of new student-centered learning models while affording a big picture view on the future of K-12 education. It is a forum to showcase the field’s brightest ideas; emerging trends; and the models, strategies, and tools that are transforming K-12 schools around the globe.

Who Is the Symposium for?

Are you…

  • An education leader planning and launching innovative, next gen learning models who is ready to get started with personalized, competency-based education?
  • A policymaker that wants to push your education system forward to best serve students?
  • A researcher exploring next gen teaching and learning models?
  • A technical assistance provider supporting education transformation?
  • An innovator in K-12 education looking to find like-minded colleagues?

If any of these descriptions apply to you, then the Symposium is the place for you!

A middle school teacher listens during a team planning session.
In Attendees’ Own Words
``The Symposium has allowed members of our school to connect and learn from others engaging in this work. Teachers are able to understand that this movement is beyond our district and the work is happening throughout the country.``

``I learned a lot about how valuable student voice is to an effective education program. I'm interested in exploring how our district can develop an opportunity for student input such as creating a youth advisory program. Thank you for sharing valuable information! ``

``There are so many different ways to realize personalized, competency-based education. I leave each Symposium with affirmations for what I have done, as well as wonders for how I can continuously improve what we are already doing. Thank you for providing this forum.``

``I loved hearing from districts all over the US and beyond! I was able to gain valuable resources throughout the conference. Networking with districts from so many other places was a huge plus!``

``I find the work that people are doing inspirational and aspirational. I look forward to the future to see what new models for education will look like. Thank you! ``