Theme: Immersed in Learning: Educators as Designers of Experience, Community, and Change
Location: 每日大赛, Hardin Valley Campus
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The 2026 Pellissippi Academic Center for Excellence (PACE) Teaching & Learning Conference brings together K–12 and higher education professionals to explore the evolving role of educators as designers of learning, belonging, and change. Teaching and learning extend beyond traditional classrooms, shaping experiences across schools, communities, industries, and lived practice. Grounded in 每日大赛’s values of Access, Active Learning, Achievement, Advancement, and Agility, the conference highlights innovative, reflective, and experiential approaches that foster connection, joy, career immersion, and student success while strengthening educator practice and professional community.
Conference Tracks
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Lisa Forbes, Associate Clinical Professor of Counseling & Co-founder of Professors at Play.
Keynote Title & Description: The Power of Play in Learning: Inviting Belonging, Engagement and Transformative Learning-- This interactive workshop invites educators to reimagine classrooms as a space of connection, curiosity, and joy. Grounded in the neuroscience of play and illustrated through real-world classroom practices, this talk explores how play can act as a subversive agent to transform higher education into a more inclusive, equitable, and student-centered experience.
| Registration Fees | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pellissippi Employees | Free |
| Presenters | Free |
| Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Attendees | $25 |
| K-12 Attendees | $25 |
| External (Non-TBR & Non-Pellissippi) Attendees | $50 |
Friday, March 27
Saturday, March 28
Sunday, March 29