NAES invites you to Biennial Conference 2024, "Let Your Light Shine," in Fort Lauderdale! This premier gathering brings together Episcopal school leaders and friends from around the world for three days of inspiration, collaboration, and professional growth. Explore best practices, engage in critical discussions, and celebrate the unique mission of Episcopal education. Join us and ignite your passion for shaping the future of our schools.
This year we are also joined by friends from the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association. See below for more.
For the first time, NAES welcomes members of the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) to Biennial Conference. Lutheran educators looking to broaden their academic horizons and foster Christian fellowship will find much to gain from joining their Episcopal colleagues in Fort Lauderdale. Exchange best practices with colleagues from a different Protestant tradition, and explore how the educational philosophy of Episcopal schools might unveil complementary approaches to faith-based education and enrich Lutheran schools.
NAES is grateful for the support of the following organizations:
Biennial offers a variety of opportunities for professional development, networking, and inspiration. Here are some highlights:
Biennial Conference is designed for a broad range of individuals invested in the success of Episcopal schools. This includes:
NAES strives to provide a wide range of content to serve as many different school constituencies as possible. Specific workshops vary from year to year, but in general there is a focus on the following topics:
The venue for the NAES Biennial Conference is thoughtfully selected several years in advance to secure accommodations that meet the event’s unique needs, while maximizing value for our members. As a national association, we are also intentional about rotating the host city across the regions we serve from event to event.
For the 2024 conference, Fort Lauderdale was chosen for several reasons:
We have received questions and concerns from our members about hosting an event in Florida where some believe the political climate to be inconsistent with the values held by Episcopal schools. Our schools are committed to nurturing independent thinking, social responsibility, and a being a welcoming environment for all. We believe these values are essential in an increasingly charged political climate, as schools equip students to navigate complex issues and become responsible citizens who contribute positively to their communities. The work of Episcopal schools, and particularly our baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being, is of especial importance amid a political and media landscape that seeks to do the opposite.
Finally, our experience in Texas during Biennial Conference 2022 was also informative. In 2022, the legislature passed several laws that were considered to be contrary to our baptismal covenant values relating to access to care for transgender minors. At that conference, our Texas schools noted how important it was for NAES to host a national conference in their state at a time when they felt their values were being challenged politically. Our school leaders in Florida now find themselves in a similar situation. NAES recognizes the importance of supporting all our schools and their leaders especially when they find themselves in a challenging political landscape.
The best way to ensure the best registration rates to Biennial Conference is to make sure your membership is active and to register as a group by the early bird deadline of Friday, September 13, 2024. Please note: to qualify for the member rate, schools must be a member at both the time of registration and for the 2024-2025 membership year.
Additionally, NAES has a limited number of grants that can be used to support the cost of attending Biennial Conference. Any grants that are currently available will be posted on this page.