2026 Leadership Educator Institute
December 14-16, 2026 • Louisville, KY
186
Days
23
Hours
29
Minutes
36
Seconds
Program
The 2026 Leadership Educator Institute is more than an event—it's a professional development ecosystem designed to deepen knowledge, advance practice, and inspire institutional transformation. Each session is carefully curated to align with core learning outcomes that support strategic leadership, equity-centered practice, and holistic student success. Whether you are presenting, reviewing, or attending, this conference provides a rigorous platform for peer exchange and professional validation.
Schedule At-a-Glance
Day 1 - Monday, December 14
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Shuttle begins departing from Hilton Garden Inn, on loop |
| 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Registration Opens |
| 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Pre-Institute Workshops |
| 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM | Welcome and Opening Keynote |
| 2:35 PM - 3:35 PM | Concurrent Sessions I |
| 3:55 PM - 4:55 PM | Concurrent Sessions II |
| 5:15 PM - 6:15 PM | Concurrent Sessions III |
| 6:15 PM - 7:45 PM | Opening Reception (Light Fare Provided) |
| 7:45 PM | Last shuttle departs University of Louisville for Hilton Garden Inn |
Day 2 - Tuesday, December 15
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Shuttle begins departing from Hilton Garden Inn, on loop |
| 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Registration Open |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Networking Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Concurrent Sessions IV |
| 10:20 AM - 11:35 AM | Lightning Round and Featured Sessions |
| 11:40 AM - 1:40 PM | Lunch ( on your own) |
| 1:40PM – 3:10PM | Keynote |
| 3:30PM – 4:00PM | Learning Labs I |
| 4:15PM – 4:45PM | Learning Labs II |
| 5:05PM – 6:05PM | Concurrent Sessions VI |
| 6:15PM | Last shuttle departs University of Louisville for Hilton Garden Inn |
| 7:00PM | * Optional: Dinner & Dialogues (meet in the Lobby of Hilton Garden Inn) |
Day 3 - Wednesday, December 16
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Shuttle begins departing from Hilton Garden Inn, on loop |
| 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Registration Open |
| 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM | Networking Breakfast |
| 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM | Closing Keynote |
| 9:50 AM - 10:50 AM | Concurrent Sessions VII |
| 11:05 AM - 12:05 PM | Concurrent Sessions VIII |
| | Last shuttle departs University of Louisville for Hilton Garden Inn |
Session Types
Pre-Conference Workshops
Pre-Conference Workshops are educational sessions held before the main conference begins. They typically offer hands-on training, in-depth instruction, or skill-building opportunities on specific topics. Attendees often pay an additional fee to participate and gain practical knowledge they can apply during the conference or beyond.
General Interest (60 minutes)
General interest sessions are presentations or facilitated workshops that include a combination of research, programmatic strategies, and/or application. These sessions are intended for individual or small groups of presenters with well prepared content focusing on trending topics.
Learning Lab (30 minutes)
Learning Labs are shorter sessions designed to give participants tangible tools and resources to take back to their campus. Presenters will share tips, tricks, training, and/or demonstrations for 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes for questions and/or participant practice. An example of a session title appropriate for this format is, "10 New Ideas to Utilize Technology in Leadership Education" or “5 Classroom Techniques to Make Leadership Learning Stick.”
Lightning Talks (6 minutes)
Lighting Talk sessions will bring together a themed group of presenters, each sharing quick spotlights of a program model, framework, or research idea. Each presenter will have 6 minutes to make their individual pitch. The session will end with small group discussions and questions based on the talks and theme.
Agenda
Call for Programs
Submissions close June 12, 2026
The Leadership Educators Institute Call for Programs is now open! We welcome program submissions in the following areas:
- Research and Assessment in Leadership Programs
- Leadership Learning and Pedagogy
- Leadership in Context
Call for Reviewers
Applications close July 03, 2026
We invite you to serve as a peer reviewer for the 2026 Leadership Educators Institute. Peer reviewers play a foundational role in shaping the agenda and ensuring session diversity. Sign up today!
