Upcoming Conferences & Webinars
Upcoming public events will be posted here. Check back often or sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss an opportunity!
Webinar
March 4, 2026
Florida: 10:00-11:00 AM ET | National: 1:00-2:00 PM ET | Texas: 2:30-3:30 PM CT
The Science of Reading in Secondary Classrooms: What Leaders Need to Know about Literacy Across Disciplines
Hosted by National Geographic Learning (Cengage School) and ThinkCERCA
Part of the Lead Literacy Growth with AI-Enabled Curriculum Webinar Series
Presenter: Dr. Katie McKnight
Secondary ELA leaders face unique challenges in applying the Science of Reading beyond elementary grades. This webinar will unpack what the research really means for middle and high school classrooms—and how leaders can drive effective literacy practices as a team to improve outcomes for all students.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights and strategies tailored for secondary education!
FREE Webinar
March 10, 2026
9:00-10:00 AM CT
Designing Intervention Programs that Actually Work!
Hosted by Indiana Association of School Principals
Presenter: Dr. Jenny French
Join this IASP EPIC Episode, designed for school leaders who need to identify readers in need, design targeted supports, and track progress. Let’s move past the "struggle" and into a strategy that creates real gains in adolescent literacy. This event will be held on Zoom. Everyone is welcome.
Conference
March 12 - 13, 2026
2026 IRC Conference
Illinois Reading Council | Springfield, IL
Presenters: Dr. Katie McKnight & Dr. Jenny French
Join IRC at the 57th Annual IRC Conference at the Bank of Springfield Center and President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield, Illinois. IRC will be excited to learn from featured speakers who will help teachers, specialists, and administrators from every grade-level and content area.
Katie presenting on the topics:
Reimagining Small Group Instruction for Older Students (Grades 4-12)
Do This, Not That to Develop Reading Comprehension in the Content Areas (Grades 4-12)
Transforming Evidence Writing Instruction Across Content Areas (Grades 4-12)
Jenny presenting on the topics:
Conference
March 27, 2026
2026 LILAC Spring Conference
Long Island Language Arts Council | Melville, NY
Presenter: Dr. Katie McKnight
This year’s conference theme: Affirming the Importance of Human Expression in Literacy
The conference keynote address, delivered by Dr. McKnight, is designed specifically for K–12 content-area teachers. Discover eight Science of Reading Practices that empower educators across all disciplines to build students’ literacy skills and foster meaningful engagement with subject-specific texts.
2025-2026 Partner Schools
Every school year, Engaging Learners leads a few school-wide and district-wide initiatives. By building yearlong (sometimes years-long) relationships with educators, Katie, Jen, and the Engaging Learners team are able to help schools, districts, professional organizations, and entire communities meet larger literacy goals.
Partners for 2025-2026 include:
American Heritage Schools in Plantation, FL
Big Hollow Middle School in Ingleside, IL
Bishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis, MO
McLean County Unit District No. 5 in Normal, IL
St. Johns County School District in St. Augustine, FL
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy in Gary, IN
Wayne County School District in Fort Gay, WV
Past Events
For years, the Engaging Learner team has worked with teachers all over the country - all over the world - combining virtual PD with in-person coaching and live presentations.
We can’t list everything on the website of course, but if you want a peek at what we’ve we been up to, just check out our History page.

