Purdue Fort Wayne to host free, online conference for Indiana K-12 educators

Purdue University Fort Wayne is hosting a free, online conference for K-12 educators in Indiana to help them earn Professional Growth Plan points needed for license renewal. This professional learning summit is called INnovatED, and it comes at an important time for Indiana school corporations looking for ways to replace lost teacher training opportunities in light of decreased funding.

All activities will take place on June 10 between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Participants will hear from keynote speaker Graciela Miranda, the 2025 Indiana Teacher of the Year, and have an opportunity to take part in two of seven hour-long breakout sessions.

The idea for the summit originated with James Cashdollar, PFW’s director of online learning and credit programs, who introduced the idea in December during a lunch with Brad Oliver, chair of counseling and graduate education. Shane Conwell, clinical assistant professor of educational leadership, joined the discussion in April.

“It really helps that we have a lot of instructors who are experts in their fields,” Cashdollar said. “The great thing about the different topics is that they are really of the moment, so they pertain to what teachers are doing now and what would interest them and help them.”

Oliver recruited the seven speakers, including Conwell, who will discuss the role of educators in school safety, and Isabel Nuñez, dean of PFW’s School of Education, who will welcome participants to the event.

“What excites me most about INnovatED is its focus on practical, classroom-ready innovation,” said Erin Hayden, clinical assistant professor, who will present Literacy Rewired: Innovating Reading Instruction for Content-Area Classrooms. “It’s not just about ideas—it’s about actionable strategies that empower educators to reimagine what's possible in their classrooms. The energy around this event is contagious, and I think that’s why Brad Oliver was able to gather such a strong slate of speakers so quickly.”

Other breakout sessions include:

• Literacy Leaders: Championing the Science of Reading in Your Classroom
• Luminous: Learning and Understanding Mathematics Integration Opportunities Using STEM
• Autism Unpacked: Insights for Inclusive Educators
• Every Teacher is a Language Teacher: Simple Teaching Tweaks for ELLS/MLLS

The event will be presented via Zoom, and time has been allotted throughout the day for questions.

Cashdollar said if there’s a good response, it’s possible the professional learning summit could be offered again in the near future. Potential speakers have already expressed interest in participating.

Registration for INnovatED will remain open until shortly before the summit begins. Click here to see the full list of breakout sessions, view an agenda, and access the registration tab.

Email Cashdollar at [email protected] to learn more.