✨ What an incredible day of learning, collaboration, and connection! ✨

Last Friday, Grand Lake Regional ESC hosted its Annual Education Conference, bringing together more than 1,200 educators and district administrators for a day filled with professional learning, collaboration, and opportunities to connect.

A huge thank you to New Bremen Local Schools for opening your doors and welcoming us as we hosted this incredible event across your facilities. We are so grateful for your partnership and hospitality!

This special day continues to grow and expand each year, and this year was no exception. We were honored to welcome more than 70 presenters and collaboration facilitators who shared their expertise, ideas, and inspiration with educators from across the region.

🔄 A Midday Rotation with Something for Everyone!

In the middle of the day, participants moved through a three-stop rotation designed to provide opportunities to connect, learn, recharge, and refuel!

💚 Wellness & Wins
Participants explored wellness resources and opportunities while connecting with colleagues and celebrating the successes happening across our schools.

🚀 Creating Career Opportunities for All
Career exploration is a K–12 journey—not just a high school experience! Participants explored Ohio's Career Connections Framework and its four phases—Awareness, Exploration, Preparation, and Participation—and discovered ways to bring career connections into everyday instruction.

🍽️ Lunch, of course!
Because all that learning and connecting works up an appetite! Participants enjoyed lunch and some much-needed time to relax, recharge, and connect with colleagues.

We are grateful to everyone who helped make this year's conference such a tremendous success—from our host school and presenters to the educators and administrators who showed up ready to learn, share, and grow together.

✨ Leading From Who You Are ✨

We were thrilled to have Dr. Joe Sanfelippo as our Keynote Speaker at our 2026 Grand Lake Regional ESC Education Conference. Drawing on the ideas from his book Lead From Who You Are, Dr. Sanfelippo challenged educators to think about the power of authentic leadership—leading from our values, experiences, strengths, and, most importantly, who we are.

His message reminds us that leadership isn't simply about a position or title. It's about the relationships we build, the example we set, and the impact we have on the people around us.

Thank you, Dr. Sanfelippo, for inspiring our educators to lead with purpose, lead with authenticity, and lead from who they are!

📚 Grow Your Leadership—On Your Own Schedule!

Grand Lake Regional ESC is offering two separate asynchronous book studies featuring books by Dr. Joe Sanfelippo. Both studies provide a flexible opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow as a leader—all on your own schedule!

📖 "Lead From Where You Are"
Explore how you can lead, influence, and make a difference right where you are—regardless of your role or position.

📖 "Lead From Who You Are"
Take a closer look at authentic leadership and how your experiences, values, and individual strengths shape the way you lead.

✨ Both book studies are asynchronous, with assignments and discussion activities provided through Google Classroom.

Choose the book that interests you and participate at a pace that works for you!

👉 Register today and invest in your leadership journey!

See our Online Professional Development Catalog for more information and to register.

Take a look at these exciting Professional Development Opportunities coming up at Grand Lake Regional ESC. We have something for everyone: Teachers, Intervention Specialists, Special Education Directors, School Social Workers, Counselors, & Psychologists, Paraprofessionals, Principals, and Superintendents of ALL grade levels and content areas, including several Gifted options. Check out our Professional Development Catalog on our website for more information and to register for our upcoming opportunities! We'll have even more in the weeks to come.

Professional Development Catalog

Join us for this 2-Day Learning Opportunity.

Are you interested in knowing how to support your English learners without lowering expectations? In this highly interactive workshop, teachers will learn how to use the SIOP Model to increase:

• student engagement

• academic conversations

• vocabulary development

• content comprehension

Through modeled lessons, collaborative planning, and practical strategies, participants will experience SIOP as learners while developing lessons they can use immediately in their own classrooms. Whether you teach elementary or secondary students, you'll leave with tools that benefit not only your English learners—but all learners.

Click here to see the event flyer for more information.

Join us for our Book Study on "Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics" by Peter Liljedahl. Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K–12 helps teachers implement 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur.

See the flyer for more information and to register.

Looking for practical ways to challenge and engage gifted and high achieving learners? Join our book study, "A Teacher’s Toolbox for Gifted Education" by Todd Stanley. This book is full of ready-to-use strategies you can implement in your classroom right away. Please click below for more information and to register.

Flyer and Registration Link