Diverse offerings, less walking highlight conference
Kentucky School Advocate
January 2022
KSBA kicks off the new year with its 2022 Annual Conference, Feb. 25-27 at the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) in downtown Louisville. The association’s largest annual gathering regularly draws more than 1,000 school board members, administrators and education leaders from most of Kentucky’s 171 school districts for a weekend packed with training and networking. This year’s theme, “Connect the Dots,” celebrates the effectiveness of teamwork and the value of collegiality between all education stakeholders.
While the conference returns to the convention center for a second year, board members and administrators can expect an easier trek between sessions.
“Since we won’t have the same social distancing requirements as last year’s conference, all activities will be in the same area of KICC,” KSBA Board Team Development Director Laura Cole said. “There will still be the same diverse offering of breakout sessions, just less walking to get there.”
School board members will have their pick of more than 50 breakout sessions during the weekend in addition to pre-conference sessions opportunities Friday morning, Feb. 25.
“Three days of sessions gives our members the opportunity to earn more than 12 hours of training credit,” Cole said. “That’s a year’s worth of state-mandated training available at a single event.”
KSBA will once again offer a diverse lineup of keynote speakers. On Friday, Denise Ryan presents “Motivation by Chocolate,” in which she will share nine key concepts to help individuals get more out of their professional and personal lives. Some of the concepts include persistence, passion, effective allocation of resources and the law of diminishing returns. The session includes a chocolate tasting.
Saturday’s lunch session includes a thought-provoking presentation on risks children face in an ever-expanding online environment. U.S. Department of Homeland Security special agents Jonathan Hendrix and Derek Curtis will highlight the work of Project iGuardian, a federal initiative that aims to arm parents and educators with the knowledge and resources to help protect their children from online threats including predators, cyberbullying and the dangers that can come from social media apps.
During Sunday’s brunch session, resilience researcher Courtney Clark will share proven techniques board teams can use to adapt to change and crisis when the stakes are high. During this interactive presentation, attendees will be provided a multi-step framework for achieving optimal outcomes in uncontrollable situations.
KSBA will present its inaugural Kentucky School Board Member of the Year award during the Saturday luncheon. The award, sponsored by American Fidelity, will be presented to an association member who has made significant contributions to public education through service on his or her local board.
Attendees can also look forward to their favorite annual conference traditions, from student performances and banner artwork to the awarding of the 2022 First Degree scholarships. KSBA welcomes education industry leaders from around the country to this year’s conference tradeshow. Approximately 75 exhibitors will be on hand to connect and share expertise with district decision-makers.
Districts participating in this year’s conference are encouraged to make hotel accommodations at one of the preferred hotels. Each of the hotels is within close proximity to the convention center and offers reduced rates. Make reservations as soon as possible at
KSBA.org/AnnualConference.aspx.