2026 InspirED Leadership Summit: Empowering K-12 Leaders for the Future

Name: 2026 InspirED Leadership Summit: Empowering K-12 Leaders for the Future
Start: 2026-06-12T08:15:00-05:00
Location: Courtyard by Marriott Iowa City

Schedule

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026 at 08:15 am

UTC-05:00

Location

Courtyard by Marriott Iowa City | Iowa City, IA

REGISTRATION COMING JANUARY 2026!
🍎 K-12 school and district leaders, including administrators and superintendents
🗓️ Friday, June 12 from 8:15 a.m. – 4 p.m.
📍 Courtyard Marriott University Heights (901 Melrose Ave, Iowa City, IA 52246)

𝑮𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒔
⚫ Empower leaders to drive change by embracing new models for student engagement and well-being.
⚫ Provide actionable strategies to support teacher development, student mental health, and positive school culture.
⚫ Build a community of educators dedicated to leading with empathy, and a vision for a brighter future in K-12 education.
𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆
𝟴:𝟭𝟱-𝟴:𝟯𝟬 𝗮.𝗺. | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲: 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗼𝘄𝗮’𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 (𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙞 𝙑𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜, 𝙋𝙝𝘿, 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙧; 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧, 𝘽𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧; 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧, 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝)
What happens when a state makes a bold commitment to the mental health of its students and educators? In this conference kick-off, Dr. Kari Vogelgesang shares the story of the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health—why it was created, the heart behind its mission, and the hope it brings to schools across Iowa. Through real stories and a clear vision, this 15-minute session will remind us what’s possible when we invest in people, listen deeply, and work together to build a future where every student and educator feels supported, understood, and empowered.
𝟴:𝟯𝟬 - 𝟵:𝟭𝟱 𝗮.𝗺. | 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 - 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙈𝙎𝙀𝙙𝘼𝙙, 𝙀𝙙𝙎, 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧, 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙤𝙬𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩)
Participants will be introduced to the BANI framework—Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible—and its relevance to today’s leadership challenges. Drawing on the insights of Jamais Cascio and other thought leaders, this session unpacks the emotional and organizational toll of leading in a BANI world. Participants will engage in interactive table discussions that help them identify how these conditions are showing up in their own systems, revealing how brittleness, anxiety, unpredictability, and complexity influence their teams, decisions, and personal leadership presence. This segment also explores the human cost of BANI and the shift from descriptive models like VUCA to more emotionally attuned frameworks. Leaders will reflect on how cascading crises and systemic fragility impact workplace culture, burnout, and performance. Through real-world school-based examples and structured dialogue, the session lays a compelling foundation for why resilient leadership is more than a skill, it is a necessity for fostering sustainable performance and well-being in educational systems.
𝟵:𝟯𝟬-𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬 𝗮.𝗺. | 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 (𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙈𝙎𝙀𝙙𝘼𝙙, 𝙀𝙙𝙎)
This session focuses on building practical, actionable resilience using the Resilience at Work (R@W) model. Participants will explore the seven dimensions of personal and professional resilience—Living Authentically, Finding Your Calling, Maintaining Perspective, Mastering Stress, Interacting Cooperatively, Staying Healthy, and Building Networks. Each dimension is paired with realistic workplace challenges and evidence-based strategies to help leaders assess and strengthen their individual and organizational resilience capacities. Table talks, reflective questions, and behavior-change prompts guide participants in identifying where their own resilience is strong and where support systems may be lacking. This segment empowers leaders to develop more intentional self-care routines, build psychological safety within teams, and realign their work with personal purpose and values. By session’s end, participants will leave with a clearer sense of how to not only survive adversity but also to grow through it, creating a resilient culture that starts at the top.
𝟭𝟬:𝟰𝟱-𝟭𝟭:𝟰𝟱 𝗮.𝗺. | 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘𝟯𝟬: 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘁 (𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙥𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙝, 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝘼𝙏𝘾𝙃𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀30)
In this energizing and practical session, former 33-year Iowa educator and CATCHLIFE30 founder Rick Schupbach introduces the CATCHLIFE30 Challenge, a wellness experience designed by an educator, for educators. Built around five essential self-care areas—hydration, physical activity, nutrition, social-emotional health, and sleep—this 30-day journey offers a simple, sustainable way for leaders to build better habits in just five minutes a day. Participants will explore how intentional investment in personal well-being is not just a luxury, but a necessity for effective, sustained leadership. Through stories, insights, and actionable strategies, Schupbach will help leaders reconnect with their own health, purpose, and energy. The session highlights how CATCHLIFE30 empowers school administrators to manage stress, boost performance, and model balance for those they lead. As a bonus, all participants will receive complimentary access to the CATCHLIFE30 Challenge, making this more than a presentation—it’s an invitation to catch your life back, one healthy habit at a time.
𝟭𝟭:𝟰𝟱 𝗮.𝗺. - 𝟭𝟮:𝟰𝟱 𝗽.𝗺. | 𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵
𝟭𝟮:𝟰𝟱-𝟭:𝟰𝟱 𝗽.𝗺. | 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀: 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 (𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙅𝙚𝙛𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨, 𝙋𝙝𝘿, 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙤𝙬𝙖)
A widespread sense of belonging at school is essential for a healthy school culture, academic success, and healthy peer and adult relationships for students. The gateways of belonging exist along a spectrum from inflexible to highly flexible. Research has shown that school leaders play an essential role in promoting belonging in schools through their influence on teacher beliefs and efficacy, and through setting a cultural vision for the expansiveness (and limits) of school belonging. The purpose of this session is to grant leaders access to schools and understandings that will facilitate the creation of welcoming schools. This session has two components. First, participants will be introduced to the affordances of a spectrum-based understanding of belonging, and the ways that improving the flexibility of belonging can enhance school climate. Second, participants will explore the components of a Classroom Belonging Audit tool featuring a Ghost Walk Protocol, Photo Elicitation Data Gathering, and a classroom walkthrough exercise.
𝟮:𝟬𝟬-𝟯:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺. | 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 – 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧: 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙧, 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝘼𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧, 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘼𝙧𝙚𝙖 𝙀𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮)
In this engaging and candid follow-up session, a panel of experienced school and district administrators will share personal stories that illuminate the themes explored in the presentation. Each panelist will offer their own reflections on navigating their leadership journeys, connecting the BANI and R@W frameworks to lived experiences. Through storytelling, participants will hear how resilience was built, challenged, and redefined in the face of real adversity. The session will include audience Q&A, allowing participants to explore deeper questions about how resilient leadership takes shape in different contexts. Whether it’s managing public crises, rebuilding fractured teams, or maintaining a sense of calling in difficult seasons, panelists will offer practical wisdom and emotional insight. This discussion brings the learning full circle, modeling the vulnerability, authenticity, and adaptability that resilient leadership requires.
𝟯:𝟭𝟱 – 𝟰:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺. | 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 (𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙃𝙤𝙥𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙋𝙝𝘿, 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨)
This event is hosted by the University of Iowa’s Educational Policy and Leadership Studies Program, Baker Teacher Leader Center, and Scanlan Center for School Mental Health.