Student Engagement

Kate Bellanca has 20 years of experience working directly and digitally with districts, schools, families, and other helping professionals to improve learning outcomes through professional development.

Gwendolyn Battle Lavert, PhD, is an internationally recognized literacy specialist. She has been an educator since 1974 and has experience as a teacher, district literacy specialist, and district administrator in a variety of school settings.

Jason McKenna is an established author, seasoned educator, and pioneering strategist in STEM education. Jason’s commitment to innovative learning has created lasting impacts in education over his expansive twenty-year journey.

Lorraine Radice, PhD, is an educator, author, and presenter. She is currently an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in New York and teaches courses in childhood education and literacy at Hofstra University.

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, EdD, is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat for learning.

Brenda Duncan-Davis is an education consultant. She specializes in bridging education and industry through work-based learning opportunities, registered apprenticeship programs, and professional development in workplace readiness skills.

Christi McBride is the director of Hoosier Hills Career Center in Indiana. A former elementary and high school counselor, she works with students, staff, and community partners to provide positive, productive outcomes.

Jen Cullerton Johnson is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and environmental advocate. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she’s worked with incarcerated youth and urban classrooms; taught abroad in Japan, Ecuador, and Argentina; and led nature-writing workshops in outdoor settings.

Ronald A. Beghetto, PhD, is Pinnacle West Presidential Chair and Professor of Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Arizona State University. His work explores the psychology of human creativity, generative artificial intelligence, and what’s possible in educational settings.

James A. Nottingham is the creator of the Learning Pit®, author of 12 books, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and is listed in The Future 500, which lists the United Kingdom’s most forward-thinking and creative innovators.