ISABC 2027 Professional Development Day
February 12, 2027
The ISABC is proud to announce our upcoming 2026 Professional Development Day, “EmpowerEd: Connect. Inspire. Empower.” This one-day, in-person event is set to take place on February 12th, 2027, across several satellite locations, bringing together educators from all corners of the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia. This year’s conference is designed to foster deep connections among our educators. The theme “EmpowerEd” underscores our commitment to empowering educators with the tools, knowledge, and collaborative opportunities necessary to navigate and shape the future of education.
Registration and Fees
The registration fee includes access to all sessions, lunch, and refreshments throughout the day. Schools will be invoiced after the conference.
- For ISABC School Members: $35 per attendee
- For External Attendees: $85 per attendee
Conference Objectives
Full Conference Schedules will be available by December 2026
York House School
Inclusive Education
About this Session:
Time: 8:00am – 3:00pm
Location: York House School
Inclusive Education: Beyond Awareness: Building Educator Capacity to Reach, Include, and Champion Every Learner
This year’s Inclusive Education Conference combines insight and teachings from visionary inclusive education experts and invites participants to think deeply about the ways in which we help students to reach their learning goals.
This professional learning day will offer opportunities to learn from some distinguished speakers, such as Brent Saccucc instructor at the University of Lethbridge, and educational consultant with Expertise in Special Education and Inclusive Practices Emily Mostovoy-Luna. With experience spanning education leadership, academic research, and grassroots pedagogy. This event bridges the gap between policy, theory, and classroom practice with focus on empowering student agency, and advancing responsive practices. Participants will benefit from participation in peer focus group discussions related to aspects of inclusive education in their practices. Some themes will be literacy, UDL, and culturally responsive practices.
What Attendees Will Gain
Practical Classroom Tools: Research-informed approaches for culturally responsive teaching, literacy intervention, and place-conscious learning.
Human-Centered Approaches: Methods to foster authentic partnerships with families, elevate neurodivergent student voices, and build empathetic school communities.
Professional Sharing and Discussion: Opportunities to learn within our network, discuss common areas of focus in our schools, and share best practices.
Southpointe Academy
Teaching And Learning
About this Session:
Time: 8:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Southpointe Academy
Information Coming Soon
St. George’s School
Experiential Education
About this Session:
Time: 8:00am – 3:00pm
Location: St. George’s School
Building Experiential Education in Your Practice
Who is this for: classroom teachers, experiential program leads (e.g. student life, community engagement, service learning, global education, outdoor education), school administrators. Consider bringing a team of people who may work together or wish to design experiential programming in their schools.
Experiential Education: Beyond the Classroom Walls: Applied Learning, Place-Conscious Pedagogy, and Student Agency
Experiential education is more than taking learning outside—it is a pedagogical cycle of direct experience, reflection, analysis, and experimentation that engages the whole student. Inspired by the vision of the Independent Schools Experiential Education (EE) Network (SEEN). This conference brings together educators, program directors, and leaders dedicated to getting started with implementing EE in their schools, or improving and developing existing experiential programs and practices.
Attendees may explore:
Reflective Cycle Frameworks: Practical models to systematically guide students through the core experiential cycle—direct experience, critical reflection, analysis, and application.
Equitable Program Design: Opportunities to learn about how experiential learning opportunities can support students with diverse learning needs.
Place-Conscious Curricula: Concrete strategies for connecting classroom academic units to local environments, community partners, and real-world civic issues.
Cross-Disciplinary Integration: Techniques for classroom teachers and experiential coordinators to co-design curriculum that marries rigorous academics with hands-on, applied learning.
Barriers and opportunities to program design: dialogue to better understand personal and systemic barriers to program development, and build confidence to try new things.
Queen Margaret’s School
AI in Education
About this Session:
Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Location: Queen Margaret’s School
AI In Education: Beyond the Prompt: Practical AI, Critical Thinking, and the Human Element in Education
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how we teach, learn, and evaluate information. Yet, integrating AI into schools requires more than adopting new tools—it demands critical inquiry, ethical awareness, and a commitment to preserving human agency.
This year’s conference brings together classroom practitioners, district leaders, and educational researchers to navigate the AI era. Attendees will explore practical AI tools that streamline workflow and differentiate learning, while engaging in essential philosophical discussions: How do we teach students to evaluate synthetic content? How do we prevent AI from compounding deficit-based models? How can we ensure AI serves as a bridge for equity rather than a barrier?
What Attendees Will Gain
Practical AI Workflows: Hands-on strategies to leverage AI for lesson design, resource differentiation, and administrative efficiency—saving time while improving accessibility.
Critical Media Literacy Frameworks: Classroom routines that equip students to evaluate AI-generated information, interrogate algorithmic bias, and develop strong critical thinking skills.
Ethical & Equitable Implementation: Insights into navigating privacy concerns, academic integrity policies, and digital access gaps to ensure AI implementation remains fair and inclusive.
Human-Centred Pedagogy: A clear philosophical framework for balancing automated tools with deep, place-conscious, and relational learning that places human connection first.