The National Institute 2023: Empowering Educators

What’s the best part of summer?

To us, the answer is obvious: professional learning with the most passionate, energetic, and innovative educators across the country. We get to do it every summer at The National Institute!

The National Institute (TNI) is a professional learning event that brings together teachers, coaches, and administrators for four days of collaborative learning sessions, dynamic Power Talks, and networking opportunities. With white-glove service at a luxurious resort, it’s unlike any conference you’ve ever attended.

TNI 2023 marked our 14th summer of TNI! We hosted 820 educators across three weeks, and they told us candidly that they each left feeling honored, equipped, and energized to go back to school.

Let’s look back at what made this summer’s TNI the best one yet.

TNI 2023 Milestones

This year, we hit some exciting firsts.

• Due to popular demand, we offered two LONG + LIVE + MATH: TNI options for the first time. And next year, we’re hosting three!
• We debuted The World Language Experience, welcoming world language educators to their own track at Literacy for All: TNI.
   

LONG + LIVE + MATH: Scottsdale, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas

At our first week of LONG + LIVE + MATH: TNI, we welcomed 370 educators from across the United States to the beautiful Fairmont Scottsdale Princess luxury resort in Arizona. The second week of LONG + LIVE + MATH: TNI brought together 345 math educators to the beautiful La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas!

Both weeks were full of unforgettable learning and connecting. Some highlights include:

• Sandy Bartle Finocchi, Carnegie Learning Chief Math Officer, kicked off the week with a rousing message about recognizing every student’s incredible potential.
• Amy Jones Lewis, Carnegie Learning Vice President, Instructional Design K-12 Math, led the entire room in a high-five game to illustrate the fun in the fundamentals of elementary math instruction.
• Laila Nur's Power Talk captivated us with the message that every educator should be positioned and supported as a leader to make teaching more sustainable.
• Across 60 breakout sessions, educators gained subject-specific, actionable insights that were relevant to them, whether they were focused on elementary or secondary mathematics, or interested in topics on culturally responsive teaching or supporting multilingual learners.
• A scavenger hunt had everyone on the lookout for the colorful characters from our new ClearMath Elementary program!
• Dr. Chris Emdin had the room laughing and cheering with anecdotes that rejuvenated our passion for teaching.

Literacy for All: Scottsdale, Arizona

Our second annual TNI for literacy educators was a blast! Seventy-five teachers, coaches, and administrators (with extra love from Texas and West Virginia!) attended Literacy for All: TNI at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona. Some of our favorite moments were:

• Carnegie Learning Chief Literacy and Languages Officer Suzanne Simons inspired us with her Power Talk about preparing students as powerful thinkers for a still-unwritten future.
• Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz moved attendees to tears as she shed light on the need to look within ourselves in order to empower our most vulnerable and marginalized students.
• 35 breakout sessions had educators thinking, collaborating, and sometimes even dancing as they learned new strategies and concepts on topics ranging from graphic novels to formative assessments to reading in the brain.
• Educators in The World Language Experience took a field trip to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and were entranced by the special exhibit, “Language in Times of Miscommunication.”
• Renowned education journalist Natalie Wexler explored what we can do to improve literacy education and empower all students and teachers.

See you next year!

Are you counting down the days until TNI 2024? We certainly are!

Don’t miss out on next summer’s professional learning magic at these TNI options:

LONG + LIVE + MATH: The National Institute
West
June 24-27, 2024
Town and Country Resort, San Diego, California

Central
July 8-11, 2024
Omni PGA Frisco Resort, Frisco, Texas

East
July 15-18, 2024
Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida

Literacy for All: The National Institute
July 22-25, 2024
Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida