Annual Conference 2025

November 3, Collegiate School, Richmond

Empower your passion for education at the VAIS Annual Conference on the picturesque campus of Collegiate School. Explore the myriad paths to educational excellence with a keynote applying the science of learning; two related deep-dive workshops; and 60 concurrent sessions led by VAIS educators and leaders in the field.

Come explore EXCELLENCE…

Across Curriculum & Assessment
In Belonging, Student Life & School Culture
Via Future-Ready Technologies
Through Educator Well-Being & Growth

Click here to see the SCHEDULE

Click here for the CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Registration is now full. Please email Laura Godwin to be placed on the waitlist.

FEATURING

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, Co-Founder & Director, LME Global

Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD, MEd, is a neuroscientist, educator, and author of the best-selling book Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick. Cooney Horvath has has published 6 books, over 50 research articles, and his work has been featured in publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, HBR, and PBS’s NOVA. Cooney Horvath currently serves as the Director of LME Global, a company dedicated to bringing the latest brain and behavioral research to teachers and students.

Morning Deep Dive: From the Laboratory to the Classroom: Key Principles of Learning

Can students listen to music while they study? When might note-taking actually harm learning? Is homework useful for student development? During this session, we will explore several principles of how human beings learn. Drawn from brain, behavioural, and educational research, these principles are learning nuggets that can shine a light on more traditional classroom practices. Beyond learning about each principle, we will also consider how these principles can be adapted to tweak/improve teaching and learning practices.

Opportunities to learn with

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath

Conference Keynote: Your Brain, Your Life: Deep Foundations of Learning

How does the brain work to make sense of reality, and what impact does this have on teaching and learning? During this engaging and interactive session, we will explore the often counter-intuitive foundations of thinking, the power of stories to drive perception, the role errors play in comprehension, and consider how these three concepts tie together to drive student learning. Buckle in – here is where things get real!

Afternoon Deep Dive: Stress, Technology, and AI: A Dangerous Recipe for Learning

Sometimes it can make us laser-focused, and other times it leaves us floundering. What is the deal with stress, and why can it have so many different outcomes? During this session, we will explore this topic and differentiate between good and bad stress. Furthermore, we will dive into the issue of digital technology (including emerging AI tools) and consider what impact computers have on student relationships, stress, and learning. Spoiler alert: It’s likely that your intuitive assumptions about digital technologies are correct!