Click and jump to
Convince Your Boss
Deeper Learning provides a professional learning experience like no other. Educators connect, inspire, build, imagine, reflect, and learn to make schools more student centered, more meaningful, and more equitable. Need some assistance making the case on why you should come to San Diego this March? We’ve got you covered to help you convince your boss to attend and fund your trip!
Here are some tips and resources such as an email/letter template you can use to make your case to your boss, school, district, or organization leader to approve and fund your learning experience.
Rationale for Attending DL (Download and share with your boss)
Estimated Cost Worksheet
Sample letter
Band Together (Gather a group of teachers to ask your boss)
Creative Funding Options
We want all educators, leaders, and change-makers to experience DL26, but know that registration and travel costs can be a barrier. Below are our recommendations for how you can receive support to fund your investment in DL26.
Either individually or with a team, make a case for how attending DL26 will benefit not only your personal development but also your team or department. Present a proposal outlining the value you’ll bring back to the organization and offer to host a lunch-and-learn to share the most important learnings.
Many DL attendees use grants to fund their conference registration and travel. Start by exploring grant opportunities on websites like GrantWatch. Review eligibility criteria and align your proposal with your teaching objectives, student needs, and school improvement goals. Craft a compelling proposal that articulates the relevance of the conference to your professional growth and its potential impact on student learning. Be diligent in preparing necessary documentation and submit your application well before deadlines. Here are some recommendations to get your started:
- The NEA Foundation educator grants and fellowships
- Amount: Up to $5,000
- Fund for Teachers grants
- Amount: $5,000 for individuals, $10,000 for teams
- McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation teacher development grants
- Amount: Up to $10,000 per year for two years
Many community foundations and other local philanthropic organizations value the role of education in building more equitable and prosperous communities. Research community foundations in your area and review their currently available grant opportunities. Even if you’re not seeing a good fit, regional funders are often more flexible than national ones and welcome conversations about how they can adapt to better support their community. Make sure to come to any exploratory conversations with a clear understanding of how their priorities align with the benefits of attending DL26.
Reach out to local businesses or corporate sponsors, especially those that might have a philanthropic arm investing in education, and ask if they would be willing to sponsor your conference attendance in exchange for a mention or endorsement. You could offer to wear their logo, give them a shout-out on social media, or even write a blog post highlighting their support.
Many teachers effectively crowd fund and leverage their school’s PTA to cover registration costs. You can start by outlining the benefits of attending DL26, emphasizing how it will enhance your teaching practices and positively impact student learning. Through platforms like GoFundMe you can reach out to friends, family, and community members, inviting them to contribute towards the conference registration fee. Further, many schools collaborate with their PTA to organize fundraising events, with proceeds dedicated to covering the conference expenses.
Some professional associations offer scholarships or grants to members. If you’re a member, find out if they’ll help cover your conference costs. If you’re interested in joining an association, you can start by looking for ones aligned with your role and/or region.
Pre-Conferences
DL 101
Session Types
Deep Dives: A signature DL conference experience, Deep Dives provide immersive experiences that aim to support you in experiencing deeper learning for yourself. Will you dive into outdoor education, explore the power of AI, or develop ways to engage families and students as agents of change? The possibilities are transformative.
Community Advisory: Intentional small-by-design sessions throughout the event create an opportunity to build relationships, process experiences from the event, and discuss, plan, and act toward the future. Your Deep Dive colleagues will become your small group for three sessions during the event.
Workshops: Two rounds of 90-minute workshops offered on Day 1 (March 30) and Day 3 (April 1) of the event will connect you with practitioners and highlight promising practices. Session descriptions and details are posted in Sched with topics ranging from student agency to culturally responsive pedagogy to school transformation.
Den Talks: Opportunities for attendees to engage in deep conversations on issues that matter in education. No slide decks, just real talk–-the den is a place for attendees to connect with luminaries, hear transformative stories, and ask questions. The DL Den is the place to be!
Selecting Sessions
When do we select sessions?
Sched Preview Week will start on February 24th, when you can look at the session descriptions and make a plan for sessions you are interested in. During this week, Sched will be view only. You’ll want to ensure you are able to log into your Sched during preview week so you are ready for session selection.
On March 3rd at 5pm Pacific Time, you may select your sessions. Sessions hold a maximum of 25 participants by design, so some will fill up quickly. You will want to have 3-4 options in mind in case your first choices are full. There will be no waitlists.
Why is the deep dive so long?
We believe that deeper learning requires time to build relationships, and fully engage with topics. Deep Dives offer participants a chance to go deeper, which may include research, reflection, creation, and collaboration. Some Deep Dives are project slices, where educators can experience a project as students, notice powerful teacher moves, and be inspired to transform your practice and schools. We recommend perusing the Deep Dive descriptions at preview week and selecting 3-4 options in case your first choices get filled quickly. Lunch is included with each deep dive.
“Love the structure of the Deep Dive day. Felt like it really gave me a chance to explore resources and learn more.” – DL25 Attendee
Why should I attend Community Advisory?
If we are to learn deeply together, we have to know one another. Community Advisory offers a glimpse into ways we design our schools to build relationships among students. Participants will experience opportunities to make connections with other attendees, reflect on their learning, and make a plan for bringing back some of the DL goodness to your contexts. Your advisory group will be the same as your Deep Dive group, so you will have multiple opportunities to connect and collaborate.
“One of the most impactful parts of the Deeper Learning Conference for me was the time spent in Community Advisory. It was comforting and grounding to have a “home base” to return to as we worked through our deep dives. That sense of consistency made a big difference, especially as we processed such deep and sometimes emotional work.” – DL25 Attendee
Link to Sched
Schedule Overview
Schedule Overview Photo
You can find the full Deeper Learning 2026 schedule on Sched.
Meals
LUNCH
March 31, Day 2
Your lunch schedule will be determined by your Deep Dive building location.
If your Deep Dive is at High Tech Middle, you will have lunch from 11:30-12:30.
If your Deep Dive is at High Tech High, you will have lunch from 12:30-1:30.
April 1, Day 3
Lunch will be served from 1:00-2:00, after our amazing closing event. If you are leaving early, you may pick up boxed lunches in front of the High Tech Elementary Gym starting at 11:00.
Meet Ups and Social Hashtags
Share your DL experience on social media! Follow us on your favorite platform and post the things delight, surprise, inspire, and make you reflect. Use the hashtags #DeeperLearning and #DL26
- Twitter: @hthgse
- Instagram: @hthgse
- Facebook: High Tech High Graduate School of Education
- LinkedIn: High Tech High Graduate School of Education
If you want to create a meet up group during the conference, simply post using #DeeperLearning, and invite others to join you. You might create a meet up to run along the waterfront in the morning, or meet up with fellow elementary educators at breakfast, or find other folks who are curious about continuous improvement during lunch. Don’t forget to include information about the date, time, and place for the meet up!
Campus Map
DL26 takes place across our Point Loma Campus. Registration and the Opening Event will take place at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum (2150 Cushing Rd. San Diego). All other conference activities will take place at:
- The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High (HTH)
- High Tech Middle (HTM)
- The Forum
Bring your walking shoes and explore our Point Loma Campus! Don’t forget to bring sunscreen and an umbrella for our outdoor passing periods.
Building Maps
FAQ
What should I know about checking in at the event launch?
Registration opens at 11:45 am on March 30th at the parking lot for the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum (2150 Cushing Rd.). Before you arrive, ensure you have created a Sched profile and signed up for a deep dive session. There is early check in available from 4-6 pm on Sunday, March 29th at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum.
What if I arrive late?
Late check-ins can get their badge from the late check in desk in the High Tech High Graduate School of Education parking lot from 12:15 to 2:15 and after that at the help desk at High Tech High.
Where do I go for help during the conference?
There is a help desk at High Tech Middle and High Tech High and registration and Sched support at the opening event. For those who need support with mobility, you may use our golf cart service to help you move between buildings.
There is another conference happening at the same time? Which buildings are Deeper Learning?
We are hosting the National Summit on Improvement in Education concurrently. Opening and closing events will take place at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum. Deeper Learning sessions will take place at High Tech High (original) and High Tech Middle. Summit sessions will take place at High Tech High International and High Tech Elementary.
Are there any other conference experiences I should know about?
Connection Corridor in High Tech High provides a space for informal connections. This is the perfect spot to find new friends or meet up with old friends and a place where you can learn more about other ways to get involved in the deeper learning movement.
Create something with our Community Makers, located at lunch in the High Tech Middle. Harness your creativity and learn about our community makers.
The DL Marketplace provides you an opportunity to support the student run screen-printing program at High Tech High by purchasing awesome DL merch such as t-shirts and totes! You’ll also be able to purchase books by some of the Deeper Learning and National Summit on Improvement in Education presenters at the “self-serve” bookstore and through Myers Education Press. The Marketplace is located at the High Tech Elementary Gym.
What spaces do you offer for folks who need some time alone?
We invite you to use the outdoor space in the grassy field or the park by the waterfront for meditation, reflection, or naps. For nursing mothers, we offer a Lactation Room. Please inquire with staff for access.
HTHGSE Conference Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration opens at 1p on March 31st at the parking lot for the High Tech High Graduate School of Education Forum (2150 Cushing Rd.). Before you arrive, ensure you have created a Sched profile and signed up for a deep dive session.
There is a help desk at High Tech Middle and High Tech High and registration and Sched support at the opening event. Any late check-ins can get their badge from the help desk at the High Tech High.
Connection Corner in HTH provides a space for informal connections. Grab a seat, take some selfies at the selfie station, or mix and mingle! This is the perfect spot to find new friends or meet up with old friends.
Create something with our Community Makers, located by lunch on the HTH/HTM Promenade. Harness your creativity and learn about our community makers.
The DL Marketplace provides you an opportunity to support the student run screen-printing program at HTH by purchasing awesome DL merch such as t-shirts and totes! Find the marketplace at the High Tech Middle entry.
Find the Calm Corner at High Tech High (above the Gym entrance) for meditation, reflection, or naps. For nursing mothers, we offer a Lactation Room. Please inquire with staff for access.