Deeper Learning New York

In response to the vision set forth by NY Inspires and the Portrait of a Graduate, this interactive three-hour workshop invites educational leaders to reimagine learning through a whole-brain, whole-child deeper learning framework. Participants will engage with a scalable Process-Based Learning (PBL) model designed for K–12 systems, with intentional alignment across leadership, educator, and student levels.
Through a hands-on activity inspired by a children’s text, attendees will collect, analyze, and present data using manipulatives and 3D models - demonstrating how play, curiosity, and creativity can deepen understanding for both students and adult learners. The session will also showcase an AI tool incorporating Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE), the Portrait of a Graduate, and our whole brain/whole child model.
Leaders will leave equipped with practical strategies to scope, support, and sustain deeper learning initiatives that align with NY Inspires priorities and contemporary educational goals.

Every leader wants deeper learning for students—but turning that vision into reality takes more than inspiration. It takes culture, structure, and courage. In this informal Den Talk, Bob Lenz—co-author of Project Based Learning for All: A Leader’s Guide—invites you to dig into what it really looks like to lead school- and system-wide change. Hear stories of schools that are doing it, reflect on your own leadership journey, and join a candid discussion about what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what’s next for making PBL accessible to every student. 

Giving students access to AI is not the same as teaching them how to use it responsibly. Generic chatbots were built for consumers, not classrooms and that difference matters. In this session, MagicSchool will walk through what a safe, structured student AI experience actually looks like in practice: how curriculum alignment drives better learning outcomes, the role of teacher and administrative oversight, and how to bring parents along in a way that builds trust rather than resistance. Attendees will leave with a practical framework and ready to use materials for implementing student AI literacy in their district.