Education conferences give teachers, administrators, and other education professionals a chance to explore new ideas and strategies, network with their peers, and recharge their excitement for teaching. Plus, there’s always a lot of fun free swag! There are meetups across the country throughout the year in 2024 and into 2025. (Tip: Book early to get the best rates.) Here are our picks for the best education conferences for the year ahead.
Best Education Conferences for 2024-2025
Science on the Grand 2024
Fuel your teaching fire with a STEAM conference for grades K-12 that’s filled with practical, teacher-tested ideas. NGSS-aligned sessions are focused on cutting-edge, inquiry-driven, and classroom-ready strategies tailored for today’s educational challenges. Plus you’ll get to enjoy VIP treatment while mingling with fellow teachers over catered meals, free drinks, and fabulous prizes. At this conference, you’ll gain fresh insights and perspectives to revitalize your teaching methods and create a classroom environment where curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking flourish.
- July 15–16, 2024
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
GYTO (Get Your Teach On) Fest
Need to reignite your passion for teaching? This might be the education conference for you. Spend time with Team Get Your Teach On as they share their enthusiasm for education and share their tips, tricks, best practices, and teacher secrets to building a successful and engaging classroom. You will leave feeling empowered, motivated, and prepared to create dynamic lessons that will challenge your students and leave them hungry for more.
- July 21–24, 2024
- Orlando, Florida
ILA Future Forward Leadership Summit
Outlining the principal leadership challenges and opportunities for the coming quarter century is a formidable task that goes beyond individual effort. It requires a unified approach, harnessing our collective knowledge and expertise. After the summit, attendees will have opportunities to contribute to several special journal editions, participate in subsequent sessions at the ILA Global Conference in November (see below), and feature as guests on podcasts to broaden the reach of the discussions initiated at the summit.
- August 14–15, 2024
- Boulder, Colorado
ILA Leadership Education Academy
This four-day immersive training cannot be missed! With the needs of leadership educators in mind, each session is designed to sequentially enhance your skills and understanding in leadership education. The size of each cohort is limited to foster meaningful mentorship and networking. Participants will leave with a global network of professional peers and exclusive resources such as activities, overviews, and instructional strategies.
- July 29–August 1, 2024
- College Park, Maryland
NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition
If you’re looking for education conferences for math teachers, the NCTM Annual Meeting is the one. This event brings together thousands of mathematics educators from all over the world to collaborate, network, learn, inspire, and much more. With hundreds of education sessions to choose from and attend, you can expect to walk away with more knowledge and inspiration to implement into your classrooms.
- September 25–28, 2024
- Chicago, Illinois
FLANC Fall Conference
This conference is designed for K-20 world language and K-12 dual language immersion educators. It focuses on enhancing world language programs, emphasizing strategies to enrich language learners’ proficiency, develop educational programs, and prepare world language educators for future challenges.
- October 5–6, 2024
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
The 2024 theme, “Navigating Our North Star: Leadership for Results,” sets the stage for a mix of formal breakout sessions, impactful keynotes, and casual discussions with peers from across the nation. The event features significant involvement from key U.S. Department of Education staff and technical assistance providers, focusing on the dialogue around federal policies and their practical application at state and local levels. Additionally, premier partners contribute valuable resources and products to aid participants’ ongoing work.
- October 7–9, 2024
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
National Rural Education Association
This conference is aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation among a diverse community of national experts, educators from K–12 to higher education, leading researchers, policymakers, and more. The conference features sessions, interactive learning opportunities, and extensive networking for those involved in rural education across the United States.
- October 31–November 1, 2024
- Savannah, Georgia
Council of Administrators of Special Education Conference
The 2024 CASE Conference coincides with the U.S. Presidential election on November 5th. CASE highlights the significance of advocacy in special education and encourages all conference attendees to participate in early voting. This ensures they can fully engage in the conference activities while also fulfilling their civic duties during the election period.
- November 6–8, 2024
- Savannah, Georgia
NSTA New Orleans 2024
NSTA is bringing its fall national conference to New Orleans, blending the city’s vibrant energy and unique culture into the event. Join for a memorable experience that combines professional development with the distinctive spirit of the Big Easy.
- November 6–9, 2024
- New Orleans, Louisiana
26th ILA Global Conference
The ILA’s Global Conference attracts over 1,200 leadership professionals from around the world, encompassing a diverse group that includes distinguished business executives, prominent public figures, innovative authors and researchers, seasoned educators and students, impactful coaches, and organizational development experts.
- November 7–10, 2024
- Chicago, Illinois
NCTE Annual Convention
The NCTE Annual Convention is a key event for teachers of English and language arts, standing out as the essential yearly gathering for educators in this field. Learn from leading experts and engage in a variety of sessions that will enrich and invigorate your teaching. It’s a great opportunity to meet fellow educators from across the country, participate in engaging social and cultural activities (such as a book fair and awards ceremony), and exchange stories of challenges and triumphs with a supportive network of English language professionals who are there to help you succeed well into the future.
- November 21–24, 2024
- Boston, Massachusetts
The Conference on English Leadership (CEL)
A collaborative, dynamic, discussion-based forum for literacy leaders. Details will be added throughout the coming year as they become available.
- November 24–26, 2024
- Boston, Massachusetts
Association for Career and Technical Education CareerTech Vision 2024
ACTE’s CareerTech Vision is the essential conference for career and technical education (CTE) professionals. This annual event provides a comprehensive look at high-quality CTE practices applicable in both secondary and post-secondary settings. It showcases emerging trends in the field that are key for educators looking to excel in their careers and expand their industry connections. Vision features an extensive lineup of programming, including numerous networking opportunities, a large expo, and hundreds of concurrent sessions.
- December 4–7, 2024
- San Antonio, Texas
Future of Education Technology Conference
Enhance your expertise in the K-12 landscape and beyond through a dynamic experience where innovation meets inspiration. Engage with specialized sessions spanning eight unique tracks each meticulously crafted to advance specific educational roles in the fast-evolving ed-tech domain.
- January 14–17, 2025
- Orlando, Florida
LitCon 2025
Celebrate LitCon’s 40th anniversary! This conference is tailored for educators, providing sessions that concentrate on childhood literacy and best instructional practices. Attendees such as classroom teachers, literacy coaches, specialists, Title I teachers, coordinators, and Reading Recovery professionals will find the content particularly beneficial. This event is designed to support these roles with effective strategies and innovative approaches in teaching literacy.
- February 1–4, 2025
- Columbus, Ohio
SXSW EDU Conference & Festival
This conference is truly a voice for educators as participants play an active role in choosing the final lineup by voting on proposals submitted by their peers. As of right now, they are still in the PanelPicker phase, so be sure to head over to check out the four themes for 2025, and share how you believe these themes apply to the state of education right now.
- March 3–6, 2025
- Austin, Texas
AASA National Conference on Education
This year’s conference will focus on integrating emerging technologies, with an expected expansion in discussions around artificial intelligence, a trend that gained momentum last year. Additionally, it will emphasize data-driven decision-making and foster increased partnerships and collaborations, setting a proactive agenda for shaping educational strategies and initiatives.
- March 6–8, 2025
- New Orleans, Louisiana
CEC 2025 Convention & Expo
Every year, the CEC Convention & Expo brings together thousands of special education professionals from across the globe to learn, share insights, and connect with each other. Offering hundreds of sessions covering a wide range of topics in the field, this event stands out as the essential professional development gathering for those dedicated to supporting their students. Attendees gain access to the latest research, practical tips, and effective strategies, making it an invaluable resource for anyone involved in special education.
- March 12–15, 2025
- Baltimore, Maryland
TESOL International Association Conference
The organization’s mission centers on enhancing effective communication skills across diverse settings, while upholding the language rights of individuals. Each spring, TESOL hosts a four-day international convention that serves as a pivotal platform for professional development in the field of English language teaching.
- March 18–21, 2025
- Long Beach, California
2025 Model Schools Conference (formerly ICLE)
Be inspired by renowned speakers and engaging sessions, and learn from Model Schools and Innovative Districts that are making strides in transforming their educational cultures and boosting student achievement. This event offers a unique opportunity to network with peers within a collaborative learning community, and you’ll leave with practical, actionable strategies to implement in your school.
- June 22–25, 2025
- Washington, D.C.
ASCD Annual Conference
Engage, celebrate, and connect at this dynamic event that brings together educational leaders and innovators. Supercharge your teaching and leadership skills, ready to influence the future of education. This year’s theme, “Uniting Minds, Igniting Progress,” promises to inspire and is a consistent favorite among educators. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this vibrant gathering of educational changemakers.
- June 29–July 2, 2025
- San Antonio, Texas
ISTELive 25
For over forty years, the ISTE conference has stood out as a leading global forum in the field of education. It is renowned for bringing together educators and leaders to participate in practical learning experiences, exchange best practices, and gain insights from some of the most distinguished figures in education and related fields. This gathering is pivotal for those looking to stay at the forefront of educational innovation and development.
- June 29–July 2, 2025
- San Antonio, Texas
Online Teaching Conference
The Online Teaching Conference brings together leading educators to explore innovations in online education. It focuses on enhancing curriculum, pedagogy, and technology to improve online instruction and student success. This event provides a valuable platform for faculty, staff, and administrators to network, exchange knowledge, share best practices, and grow professionally.
- June 16–18, 2025
- Long Beach, California
Innovative Schools Summits
Experience the Innovative Schools Summit—a premier K-12 education conference in the United States. This event brings together renowned thought leaders, administrators, teachers, and consultants from around the world. They gather to share cutting-edge practices and research-driven strategies in a stimulating and inspiring setting, making it a must-attend for those committed to transforming education.
- New York: February 12–15, 2025
- Orlando: March 20–23, 2025
Past Education Conferences in 2024
Many popular conferences such as LitCon, ISTE, and SXSW have already taken place in 2024. The ones that have already announced 2025 dates have been added to the above list for the current year. At the time this article was published, the following have not yet announced their upcoming dates, but keep checking their official sites for new information.
NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo
This conference promotes international education and exchange. The majority of attendees work on college campuses, but K-12 schools with a strong commitment to foreign exchange programs or international education will find benefit in sending attendees too. The 2024 meetup was all about “Resilience. Renewal. Community.”
- May 28–31, 2024
- New Orleans, Louisiana
Visible Learning Conference
The Visible Learning Conference will help you explore and improve student growth and achievement in the context of post-pandemic teaching. This conference will support leveraging your expertise as an educator to make decisions about what content, ideas, and skills you want students to know, understand, and do. During their conference sessions, you’ll embark on these elements of Visible Learning: teaching, leading, learning, and equity.
- July 8–11, 2024
- San Diego, California
