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WISIT Summer Institute 2026
WISIT Summer Institute 2026

August 3 to 7, 2026
Washington International School, Tregaron Campus
Monday, August 3
 

9:00am EDT

Plenary Session: Ron Ritchhart - Who are our students becoming as thinkers and learners as a result of their time with us?
Monday August 3, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building
Since the very beginning of the Cultures of Thinking Project at Harvard, one question has energized our work: Who are our students becoming as thinkers and learners as a result of their time with us?  We’ve long believed that a high-quality education is about far more than short-term retention or success on low-level assessments. It’s about nurturing young people who are curious, capable,...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Cultures of Thinking

Monday August 3, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building 3100 Macomb St NW
  Plenary Session

10:45am EDT

Learning Groups
Monday August 3, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
WISIT Learning Groups are a dedicated time each day to connect with a consistent small group of colleagues, reflect on your learning, and make meaning of the week together. In these sessions, participants process ideas, generate new questions, and begin to translate insights into practical next steps and action plans for their own contexts. Learning Groups meet in the same room each day, creating...
See More →
Monday August 3, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
  Learning Groups

12:45pm EDT

Lunch
Monday August 3, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus
Build Your Own BowlProteins - Grilled Fish, Cilantro Lime Shredded Chicken Thigh, Mexican Shredded Vegan BeefSides & Toppings- Green Rice, Authentic Refried Beans, Cilantro Lime, Jicama Slaw, Sriracha Ranch Sauce, Black Bean & Pineapple Salsa, Guacamole, Tomato Salsa, Pickled Red Onions, Shredded Pepper Jack CheeseDesserts - Sopapillas w/ chocolate sauce for dippingBeverages - Iced Tea & Ginger...
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Monday August 3, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus 3100 Macomb St NW
  Lunch

1:45pm EDT

Affirmation, Identity, and Engagement: Helping Students S.O.A.R. in the Classroom and Beyond
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 110
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we design learning experiences that cultivate student ownership, deepen critical thinking, and inspire agency? In this interactive workshop, we will explore the S.O.A.R. Model for Engagement as a framework for promoting motivation, inquiry, and student-centered learning. Together, we will examine practical strategies that shift students into active roles in their learning and consider the...
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Speakers
avatar for Kashira Turner

Kashira Turner

Fairfield Middle School
Kashira Turner is an IB Coordinator and middle school math educator in Richmond, Virginia, with over a decade of experience in public education. Kashira designs and leads professional development that helps educators implement engagement and inquiry-based practices (including Project... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 110
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Dance, Move, Breathe (Repeat!): Embodied Teaching and Learning Beyond the Screen
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Studio Sol (1st Floor)
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we fully engage students’ minds and bodies in the learning process, especially in our increasingly screen-centered classrooms? In this interactive workshop, we will explore how dance, theater, and embodied play can re-center learning in the body. Together, we will experiment with kinesthetic approaches that make thinking visible while fostering connection, identity, and belonging....
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Deborah Hull

Deborah Hull

Park School
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Studio Sol (1st Floor)
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Designing for Agency: Building a Culture of Belonging
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 112
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Every child is a citizen with a story to tell. Join us for a hands-on exploration of how our daily routines and physical materials can become a canvas for self-expression. By shifting our perspective, we move beyond "management" and into true partnership. We will explore how to curate environments that celebrate identity and empower our youngest learners to shape their world, ensuring every child...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Georgina Ardalan

Georgina Ardalan

Janney Elementary School
Georgina Ardalan is an early childhood educator in DC Public Schools. She draws on her first career in architecture to create a nurturing, collaborative environment that encourages a culture of thinking, where both teachers and children question, reflect, and listen. Georgina serves... Read More →
avatar for Macu Yrureta

Macu Yrureta

Washington International School
Inmaculada “Macu” has been an early childhood educator for over 20 years, teaching in various countries including Italy, Spain, China, and Washington, D.C., which she now calls home. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education, a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 112
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Driving School Change Through Thoughtful Leadership and Inquiry
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 107
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can school leaders enculturate thoughtful inquiry in our learning communities and what role can thinking routines play in this shift? Come and explore ways to leverage thinking routines to inspire faculty and drive positive changes in the classroom. Through the lens of school leadership, we will delve into the practice of documenting teacher thinking and explore how this can be used to enhance...
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Speakers
avatar for Kristin Gilliland

Kristin Gilliland

Washington International School
Kristin Gilliland has worked for many years at the Washington International School, first as a Middle School Math teacher and now as the Middle School Assistant Principal. She earned her BS in Middle School education from Elon University and her MA in Education with a Math Specialist... Read More →
avatar for Anne Leflot

Anne Leflot

Washington International School
Anne is the Upper School Assistant Principal for Student Life and Grades 9 and 10 at Washington International School. As a French native, Anne taught literature for 10+ years in both public and private schools in various locations in France and the United States. She extensively uses... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 107
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Ethics & Emotions: Reflecting on and Navigating AI Use
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 103
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
AI is changing the way we understand teaching and learning, but many of the hardest questions aren’t technical – they’re human. As educators, it is important that we build our own capacity to reflect on and navigate AI use, and help young people do the same. In this workshop, participants will explore the emotional and ethical complexity of their personal AI use, build shared understanding...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Riana Fisher

Riana Fisher

Sacred Heart School
Riana Fisher is an instructional lead and science educator at Sacred Heart Bilingual Catholic School. Riana has participated in the Project Zero Classroom summer institute at Harvard, presented at DC-Project Zero professional learning events, and worked with PZ researchers on pilot... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 103
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

From Ideas to Action: Building a Culture of Thinking
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 105
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Who are your students becoming as thinkers through their time with you? This question will guide you on an engaging and reflective journey as we explore the ideas from Ron Ritchhart’s Cultures of Thinking in Action. Together, we will examine the types of thinking we wish to nurture in our classrooms and identify the essential habits of mind to prioritize. We will delve into the PZ Thinking...
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Speakers
avatar for Kara Kling

Kara Kling

Maret School
Kara Kling (she/her) teaches Humanities and serves as 8th Grade Dean at Maret. She is committed to experimenting with instructional approaches that support equity and promote students' understanding and engagement. In her curriculum design work, and as co-coordinator of Maret's "Middle... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 105
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

How Do You Know? Reimagining Thinking in Math Class
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 214
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Is math class a destination or a journey? Too often, students experience mathematics as a race toward the right answer, where speed is valued over sense-making. This interactive session invites you to shift the focus from answer-getting to deep thinking. Come and explore how to cultivate a vibrant Culture of Thinking in the math classroom, one where reasoning, curiosity, and student agency take...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Marie López

Marie López

Washington International School
Marie Lopez is currently the Primary School Math Coordinator at Washington International School.  Marie started her teaching career in 2001.  Prior to being a math coordinator, she was an English homeroom teacher, but she has also taught Spanish immersion, and Spanish at the elementary... Read More →
avatar for Cathy Richardson

Cathy Richardson

Washington International School

Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 214
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Questions Drive Thinking and Learning
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Questions are drivers of inquiry, catalysts for changing our perceptions, vehicles for developing understanding, promoters of action, and opportunities to clarify our thinking . . . and, a major way that teachers interact with their students.  There is evidence that shows that teacher questions consume between 10-20% of the time students spend in classrooms. However, research shows that more...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Cultures of Thinking

Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Quilting the Fabric of Freedom: Stitching Liberation, Belonging, and Agency into Learning Communities
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Mad Lab (2nd Floor)
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How might we create learning communities that do more than include—that affirm, liberate, and empower? This interactive session invites you to explore the metaphor and practice of quilting as a framework for building culturally responsive, inclusive schools. Drawing on findings from ethnographic research with Black middle school students, the presentation weaves together Gloria...
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Speakers
avatar for Gerald D Smith Jr.

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Smithsonian
Gerald D. Smith Jr. is the former Principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, DC, where he led with a focus on equity, innovation, and community partnerships. Currently he is the Lead Education Specialist for Youth Development Programs at the Smithsonian Institution... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Mad Lab (2nd Floor)
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Ready, Set, Play!: Reclaiming Play as a Catalyst for Deep Learning
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 215
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Are you ready to play? This session challenges participants to rethink the essential role of play as a powerful driver of learning well beyond the early childhood years. Grounded in research, we will examine how play fuels engagement, deepens creativity, and strengthens social-emotional development across age groups. Together, we’ll analyze what meaningful play looks like in diverse classroom...
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Speakers
avatar for Bridget Yoko

Bridget Yoko

The Village School
Bridget Yoko is a lifelong educator and child advocate who believes every child carries a story worth discovering—and that play is one of the most powerful ways to tell it. With over 13 years of experience in PreK–8 education and advanced degrees in Integrated Studies, Elementary... Read More →
avatar for Aaryn Drapiza

Aaryn Drapiza

The Village School
Aaryn Drapiza (she/her) is devoted to learner-centered and community-oriented education. Her education journey began with elementary learners, and the insights she gained from those foundational years inspire and inform her approach to middle school, a stage she's deeply passionate... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 215
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Think, Feel, Lead: Empathy and Emotional Agility By Design
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 210
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
In leadership, can you stay grounded, curious, and values-driven under pressure? True leadership extends beyond strategy; it’s fundamentally about our relationships. In this interactive workshop, we will explore how empathy and emotional agility are essential for leading with authenticity, resilience, and connection. Using Project Zero thinking routines, we’ll recognize emotional currents in...
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Speakers
avatar for Noelani Mussman

Noelani Mussman

Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Washington, DC
Noelani Mussman loves infusing joy, play and maker thinking into developing teachers and school leaders. Currently she works on professional development and supports for public and public charter schools in the office of teaching and learning at OSSE (Office of State Superintendent... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 210
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

WISIT 101: An Introduction to Project Zero Pedagogy
LIMITED
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 106
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we make student thinking visible, valued, and central to learning? In this interactive workshop, we will dive into the core ideas of Project Zero by experiencing them firsthand. Together, we’ll try out thinking routines like See, Think, Wonder, explore the forces that shape classroom culture, and reflect on how small moves can spark deep thinking. Designed with beginners in mind, this...
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Speakers
avatar for Lauren Wright

Lauren Wright

Washington International School
Lauren Wright is curently working at WIS in Human Resources, but her passion is middle school teaching and learning. In her previous role as a classroom teacher, she worked with her colleagues to design a new curriculum based on a strong foundation of classroom documentation that... Read More →
Monday August 3, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 106
  Interactive Course
 
Tuesday, August 4
 

9:00am EDT

Plenary Session: A WISIT Film Festival, led by Ron Ritchhart
Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building
Join us for a special WISIT Film Festival featuring classroom stories from across the DC area that bring a culture of thinking to life. In partnership with Ron Ritchhart, these short films capture real teachers and students engaged in deep thinking, inquiry, and meaningful learning. Filmed in a range of classrooms across public, private, and parochial schools, the series offers a window into how...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Cultures of Thinking

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building 3100 Macomb St NW
  Plenary Session

10:15am EDT

Learning Groups
Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
WISIT Learning Groups are a dedicated time each day to connect with a consistent small group of colleagues, reflect on your learning, and make meaning of the week together. In these sessions, participants process ideas, generate new questions, and begin to translate insights into practical next steps and action plans for their own contexts. Learning Groups meet in the same room each day, creating...
See More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
  Learning Groups

11:45am EDT

Art Happenings
Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Art Happenings 2026 : What We Hold in Common This year’s Art Happenings invite you to explore What We Hold in Common—the shared stories, values, and experiences that connect us. Each session offers a different creative pathway to reflect, make meaning, and express what binds us together. As you choose, consider what resonates with you—whether it’s storytelling, design, reflection, or...
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Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
  Art Happenings

12:45pm EDT

Lunch
Tuesday August 4, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus
Menu
Proteins - Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef & Broccoli, Vegan 'Beef' Stir Fry
Sides - Fried Rice, Spicy Roasted Bok Choy, Salad Bar
Dessert - Lemon Bars
Beverages - Watermelon Agua Fresca & Infused Water
Tuesday August 4, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus 3100 Macomb St NW
  Lunch

1:45pm EDT

Acting Up and Acting Out: Using Stories and Drama to Uncover Perspectives and Build Empathy
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 215
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Storytelling is a fundamental way in which humans connect; it allows us to share experiences, evoke empathy, and understand perspectives beyond our own. Through narratives, we can explore the intricacies of global issues and recognize our shared humanity. Using storytelling, thinking routines, and drama conventions, we will immerse ourselves in these intricate topics and work to make the invisible...
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Speakers
avatar for Foun Tang

Foun Tang

Georgetown Day School
Foun Tang is currently an elementary school teacher at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC. She has been working as an educator for over 20 years in international schools in Hong Kong and Japan, as well as in independent schools in the DC area. Since attending the Project Zero... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 215
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Building Agency with AI Tools: A Maker-Centered Approach
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 216
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we leverage AI in ways that amplify student agency, imagination, and deep understanding? In this interactive workshop, we will explore how Maker-Centered Learning can position AI as a tool for creativity, playful exploration, and ethical decision-making. Together, we will engage with a range of tools and routines, looking closely at their possibilities and complexities while considering...
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Speakers
avatar for Jaime Chao Mignano

Jaime Chao Mignano

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Jaime Chao Mignano is the Director of Technology and Innovation at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD. She has been a technology and maker educator in Washington, DC for over a decade, serving schools and nonprofit organizations in developing and delivering curriculum... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 216
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Buzzworthy: How all Professional Learning Should Be
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 103
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
“For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students, schools must be cultures of thinking for teachers.” (Ron Ritchhart) This interactive workshop invites us to reimagine professional learning as engaging, inquiry-driven, and deeply relevant to our daily practice. Together, we will experience collaborative inquiry, self-reflection, and thinking routines as active learners, exploring how...
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Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dean

Elizabeth Dean

The Village School
Elizabeth has spent the past twenty years working in various roles in public and private schools as a high school English teacher, Department Chair, and Instructional Coach. She is currently the Head of Learning at The Village School, a learner-centered and project based learning... Read More →
avatar for Shannon Quinn

Shannon Quinn

Randolph Elementary School
Shannon Quinn is the IB Coordinator at Randolph Elementary School, where she leads efforts to build a culture of thinking grounded in the principles of Harvard’s Project Zero. She also serves on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Association of IB World Schools, facilitating professional... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 103
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Dance, Move, Breathe (Repeat!): Embodied Teaching and Learning Beyond the Screen
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Studio Sol (1st Floor)
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we fully engage students’ minds and bodies in the learning process, especially in our increasingly screen-centered classrooms? In this interactive workshop, we will explore how dance, theater, and embodied play can re-center learning in the body. Together, we will experiment with kinesthetic approaches that make thinking visible while fostering connection, identity, and belonging....
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Deborah Hull

Deborah Hull

Park School
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Studio Sol (1st Floor)
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Designing for Agency: Building a Culture of Belonging
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 112
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Every child is a citizen with a story to tell. Join us for a hands-on exploration of how our daily routines and physical materials can become a canvas for self-expression. By shifting our perspective, we move beyond "management" and into true partnership. We will explore how to curate environments that celebrate identity and empower our youngest learners to shape their world, ensuring every child...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Georgina Ardalan

Georgina Ardalan

Janney Elementary School
Georgina Ardalan is an early childhood educator in DC Public Schools. She draws on her first career in architecture to create a nurturing, collaborative environment that encourages a culture of thinking, where both teachers and children question, reflect, and listen. Georgina serves... Read More →
avatar for Macu Yrureta

Macu Yrureta

Washington International School
Inmaculada “Macu” has been an early childhood educator for over 20 years, teaching in various countries including Italy, Spain, China, and Washington, D.C., which she now calls home. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education, a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 112
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Ethics & Emotions: Reflecting on and Navigating AI Use
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 105
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
AI is changing the way we understand teaching and learning, but many of the hardest questions aren’t technical – they’re human. As educators, it is important that we build our own capacity to reflect on and navigate AI use, and help young people do the same. In this workshop, participants will explore the emotional and ethical complexity of their personal AI use, build shared understanding...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Riana Fisher

Riana Fisher

Sacred Heart School
Riana Fisher is an instructional lead and science educator at Sacred Heart Bilingual Catholic School. Riana has participated in the Project Zero Classroom summer institute at Harvard, presented at DC-Project Zero professional learning events, and worked with PZ researchers on pilot... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 105
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

From Routine to Agency: Integrating AI into Cultures of Thinking
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 106
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we use AI to extend and deepen student thinking—without replacing it? In this interactive workshop, we will explore how thinking routines can position AI as a partner in inquiry, supporting perspective-taking, analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. Together, we will experience the LENS Framework (Launch, Expand, Navigate, Synthesize), a structured approach that keeps students at the...
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Speakers
avatar for Federico Pisano

Federico Pisano

Washington International School
Federico Pisano is a Middle School Spanish Teacher, Middle School Spanish Coordinator, and Grade 8 Coordinator at Washington International School in Washington, D.C., where he brings over 20 years of classroom experience to his practice. Throughout his career, Federico has been at... Read More →
avatar for Allie Wilding

Allie Wilding

Washington International School
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 106
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

How Do You Know? Reimagining Thinking in Math Class
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 214
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Is math class a destination or a journey? Too often, students experience mathematics as a race toward the right answer, where speed is valued over sense-making. This interactive session invites you to shift the focus from answer-getting to deep thinking. Come and explore how to cultivate a vibrant Culture of Thinking in the math classroom, one where reasoning, curiosity, and student agency take...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Cathy Richardson

Cathy Richardson

Washington International School

avatar for Marie López

Marie López

Washington International School
Marie Lopez is currently the Primary School Math Coordinator at Washington International School.  Marie started her teaching career in 2001.  Prior to being a math coordinator, she was an English homeroom teacher, but she has also taught Spanish immersion, and Spanish at the elementary... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 214
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Making Thinking Visible 2.0: New Routines, New Maps, and New Possibilities
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Since their introduction some 20 years ago, thinking routines have become enormously popular with teachers around the world and have continued to evolve through the ongoing work of researchers at Harvard Project Zero. It has now been over 15 years since Making Thinking Visible first appeared, and Mark Church, Karen Morrison, and Ron Ritchhart are currently at work on a revised and updated edition:...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Dr. Ron Ritchhart

Cultures of Thinking

Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Students as Change-makers: Rethinking Power, Partnership, and Civic Action
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 111
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Join us in reimagining youth-adult partnerships that cultivate students’ civic agency within and beyond the school’s walls. In this interactive session, participants will engage with visual texts using the Values, Identities, Actions routine, explore stories and resources from the John Lewis Leadership Program (Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia), and exchange ideas with colleagues from...
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Speakers
avatar for Deborah March

Deborah March

John Lewis High School
Deborah envisions a world where all young people experience belonging and agency, within and beyond the school walls. As the Senior Manager for the John Lewis Leadership Program in Fairfax County Public Schools, Deborah partners with students, staff, and community organizations to... Read More →
avatar for Mirella Saldana Torres

Mirella Saldana Torres

John Lewis Leadership Program
Mirella Saldana Torres is a Work-Based Learning Resource Teacher with a Master’s in Education in School Counseling from George Mason University. Drawing on her background in college-access work, counseling, and educational leadership, Mirella is committed to fostering student agency... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 111
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

The Neighborhood is Our Classroom
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 211
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
What becomes possible when the neighborhood becomes the classroom? Inspired by core ideas from Project Zero, this session shares the story of a Pre-K classroom that reimagined a traditional “community helpers” unit through the lenses of agency, inquiry, and civic engagement. You will explore how young learners engaged with their community in meaningful ways while also unpacking the...
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Speakers
avatar for Kerstin Schmidt

Kerstin Schmidt

Briya Public Charter School
Kerstin Schmidt is a long-time pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teacher and currently works as an instructional coach and early childhood curriculum specialist at Briya Public Charter School in Washington, DC. Originally from Chicago, she holds a BA in linguistics from the University... Read More →
avatar for Nury Sandoval

Nury Sandoval

Briya Public Charter School
Nury Sandoval is an experienced Early Childhood Educator and Inclusion Specialist with over 22 years of work in multilingual, neurodiverse, and culturally responsive classrooms. Holding degrees in Special Education and a Master’s in Education, she has led inclusive practices across... Read More →
avatar for Kathryn Gillon

Kathryn Gillon

Briya Public Charter School
Kathryn Gillon is a pre-K teacher at Briya Public Charter School in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, she studied history at American University and began her career in education as an assistant pre-K teacher with DC Public Schools. Kathryn... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 211
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Think, Feel, Lead: Empathy and Emotional Agility By Design
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 210
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
In leadership, can you stay grounded, curious, and values-driven under pressure? True leadership extends beyond strategy; it’s fundamentally about our relationships. In this interactive workshop, we will explore how empathy and emotional agility are essential for leading with authenticity, resilience, and connection. Using Project Zero thinking routines, we’ll recognize emotional currents in...
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Speakers
avatar for Noelani Mussman

Noelani Mussman

Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) - Washington, DC
Noelani Mussman loves infusing joy, play and maker thinking into developing teachers and school leaders. Currently she works on professional development and supports for public and public charter schools in the office of teaching and learning at OSSE (Office of State Superintendent... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 210
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Weaving Legacies: Migrant Contributions to the Fabric of American Communities
LIMITED
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 212
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
What stories does our cultural library hold? What voices unveil the threads of our national tapestry? Come engage with Project Zero pedagogical tools to explore how our individual and collective narratives are woven into a shared fabric of belonging. In this interactive course, we will unmute voices often left out of the migration conversation and reveal connections across time, place, and...
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Speakers
avatar for Àngels Natal-Asensio

Àngels Natal-Asensio

Oakton High School
Àngels Natal-Asensio is a Spanish instructor and World Languages Department Chair at Oakton High School. Previously she taught English and German in her native Barcelona, where she started integrating Project Zero thinking routines along with art in the teaching of world languages... Read More →
avatar for Denise Rodríguez

Denise Rodríguez

Henderson Middle School
Denise serves as the MYP Coordinator for Falls Church City Public Schools. She previously taught Spanish Humanities at the middle school level and participates in Project Zero professional learning communities at the Washington International School. At WISSIT ‘26 she will co-lead... Read More →
Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 212
  Interactive Course
 
Wednesday, August 5
 

9:00am EDT

Plenary Session: National Gallery of Art - Honoring the Past, Designing the Future: Stories, Inquiry, and Possibility
Wednesday August 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
This plenary brings together Meghan Lally Keaton, Gerald D. Smith Jr., and Angels Natal Ascencio to explore how classrooms and museums are marking the 250th anniversary as spaces for reflection, inquiry, and possibility. Drawing on powerful examples from across the DC community, they will highlight how educators are using thinking routines to slow down, look closely,...
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Speakers
avatar for Gerald D Smith Jr.

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Smithsonian
Gerald D. Smith Jr. is the former Principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, DC, where he led with a focus on equity, innovation, and community partnerships. Currently he is the Lead Education Specialist for Youth Development Programs at the Smithsonian Institution... Read More →
avatar for Àngels Natal-Asensio

Àngels Natal-Asensio

Oakton High School
Àngels Natal-Asensio is a Spanish instructor and World Languages Department Chair at Oakton High School. Previously she taught English and German in her native Barcelona, where she started integrating Project Zero thinking routines along with art in the teaching of world languages... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
  Plenary Session

10:45am EDT

Engaging Students with Plant Science: Sensational Seeds
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Take a deep dive into the world of seeds to explore plant reproduction! Participants will investigate seed structure in familiar plants , engage in hands-on plant dissections, and explore plants and pollination throughout the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory and outdoor gardens. Throughout this course, participants will reflect on ways to adapt the classroom and garden-based learning activities...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Emily Hestness

Emily Hestness

US Botanic Garden
Emily Hestness is a Senior Education Specialist at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Within the Garden's Learning and Engagement team, she leads teacher professional development, program evaluation, and educational partnerships.
avatar for Grace Anderson

Grace Anderson

US Botanic Garden
Grace Anderson is the Science Education Specialist at the U.S. Botanic Garden. She works to incorporate science learning into the Garden’s programming for diverse audiences. She holds a Masters in Entomology and especially enjoys teaching about the fascinating relationships between... Read More →
avatar for Lilly Andersen

Lilly Andersen

US Botanic Garden
Lilly Andersen is the U.S. Botanic Garden's Family Education Specialist. She works to build connections between people and plants through science education, focusing on the child/family audience.
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20001
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Excavating Memory and Imagining the Future with Nick Cave: "Mammoth"
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
What does the word "mammoth" evoke for you? Do you see a lumbering, long-extinct tusked mammal? Or do you think of the adjective to describe something enormous? What events, people, places, or objects hold mammoth significance in your life? In American culture? In his new exhibition Mammoth at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, artist Nick Cave invites us into a world built from memory,...
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Speakers
avatar for Phoebe Hillemann

Phoebe Hillemann

Smithsonian American Art Museum
Phoebe Hillemann is the Teacher Institutes Educator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where she utilizes Project Zero ideas to spark curiosity, facilitate connection-making, and inspire meaningful learning. She has been on staff at SAAM since 2012, and manages the Museum’s... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Smithsonian American Art Museum 8th and G Streets, NW Washington, DC 20004
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Homelands: Exploring Complexity through Close Looking at Art
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How might works of art help deepen understanding of complex ideas and nurture empathy? How does “place” shape our identity? Participants will explore the exhibition Homelands, which shares diverse experiences of migration, immigration, displacement, and resettlement. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the power and catharsis of telling one’s story through art. Through slow looking...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Nathalie Ryan

Nathalie Ryan

National Gallery of Art
Nathalie Ryan is a Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where she has led programs for educators, families, teens, and the adult public since 2002. Her current work at the National Gallery is researching awe and well-being in the museum with Professor Dacher... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Learning on the Fly: Explore. Play. Design. Share.
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Air and Space Museum
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Experience the National Air and Space Museum through the lens of playful learning. Explore awe-inspiring scientific and technological phenomena, ask big questions, and create “on-the-fly".Gather information on an interactive gallery tour, then take on a collaborative design challenge inspired by what you discover. Prototype ideas, test them in the museum, and share your work with visitors...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dale-Deines

Elizabeth Dale-Deines

National Air and Space Museum
Elizabeth Dale-Deines loves sparking curiosity. Since launching her museum career in 2009 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, she’s used museum collections to get students, teachers, and lifelong learners asking big questions. She’s collaborated with the Boys and Girls Clubs... Read More →
avatar for Ashley Rattanawan

Ashley Rattanawan

National Air and Space Museum
Ashley Rattanawan is an Education Specialist for Teacher Professional Development at the National Air and Space Museum. She has a B.A. From the University of Georgia (go dawgs!) in Science Education. Ashley manages teacher professional development and training at Air and Space with... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Air and Space Museum
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Let's Play: Early Childhood Education in Art Museums
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
This session is designed for early childhood educators (PreK3-Kindergarten). Participants will experience a hands-on tour of the National Gallery of Art designed for early childhood students. We will meet in the Atrium of the East Building, do a brief introduction, and then engage in a mock tour designed for our youngest learners. Participants will engage in a variety of activities including...
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Speakers
avatar for Dena Rapoport

Dena Rapoport

National Gallery of Art
Dena works as a museum educator for the National Gallery of Art where she coordinates out-of-school programs for families. In this capacity, she enjoys helping families feel more connected to creativity and to the process of art making. She received the biggest resume boost after... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

My Other Set of Wheels is a Synagogue (and Other Stories of Jewish Washington)
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Explore one of DC's newest museums and see the city's history from a new perspective. We'll deep dive into local stories that range from 1790 to today, with a focus on inquiry that fosters connection to and curiousity for Jewish life and culture. How long has DC been home to Jewish communities? What was it about this city that brought Jewish immigrants here, and how did these communities develop,...
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Speakers
avatar for Anna Barr

Anna Barr

Capital Jewish Museum
Anna (she/her) is the Senior Manager for Education at the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum. A former public high school teacher and always a history buff, Anna prioritizes empathy, justice, and open inquiry in her educational practice. She has been developing and leading... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum 575 3rd St NW, Washington, DC 20001
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Out of Many, One
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Educators from the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) and The Phillips Collection come together with WISIT participants to celebrate American artists of color, consider the power of creative communities, and experience the rewarding complexity of looking at artwork pairings. Through gallery discussions using Harvard Project Zero thinking routines, and engaging in intentional jotting,...
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Speakers
avatar for Ashley Harris

Ashley Harris

National Museum of Women in the Arts
Ashley W. Harris (she/her) is the Associate Educator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) where she is responsible for coordinating group tours as well as managing the museum's volunteer corps. She joined NMWA's staff in 2013, but her introduction to the museum was during... Read More →
avatar for Carla Freyvogel

Carla Freyvogel

Phillips Collection
Carla White Freyvogel is an educator with more than 25 years of experience teaching in museums, including the National Building Museum, National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Phillips Collection, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She engages audiences of all ages with... Read More →
avatar for Adrienne Gayoso

Adrienne Gayoso

National Museum of Women in the Arts
Adrienne (Addie) L. Gayoso (she/her), Ohio native, has been a museum educator in Washington, D.C., since 2004. As the senior educator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), she develops programs for school, teacher, and multigenerational audiences as well as interpretive... Read More →
avatar for Monica Cohen Lenoff

Monica Cohen Lenoff

Phillips Collection
Monica Cohen Lenoff is a museum educator, special education teacher, and practicing artist with over 16 years of experience across diverse settings. She is a Museum Educator at The Phillips Collection, leading professional development grounded in Project Zero and Visible Thinking... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Revolutionary Questions: An Inquiry-led Exploration of America's Founding Documents
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Library of Congress
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we hep students broaden their understanding of the founding of the U.S. and its impact on the world? Together, we will hone our primary source analysis skills with an iconic founding document and explore the Library's new exhibition, "The Declaration's Promise," guided by our own wonderings. Participants will also have the opportunity to discover the wealth of free resources available...
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Speakers
avatar for Abby Krolik

Abby Krolik

Library of Congress
Abby Krolik is an Educational Resources Specialist at the Library of Congress. She has over ten years of experience working in both museum and school settings and has dedicated her career to supporting educators of all kinds to use museum, library, or archival objects and resources... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Library of Congress 10 First St SE, Washington, DC 20540
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Telling Our Story: Bringing Together Diverse Perspectives to Understand Our Present Moment
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Portrait Gallery
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
With so much happening in our communities and in the world today, how can portraiture help us capture and better understand our present? Using the finalists in the triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, we will practice using portraits to explore and reflect on our contemporary moment. We will engage all of our senses to immerse ourselves into a variety of narratives and consider how...
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Speakers
avatar for Briana Zavadil White

Briana Zavadil White

National Portrait Gallery
Briana Zavadil White oversees the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s education and public programs. Inquiry and object-based learning provide the foundation for programs at the museum. The Portrait Gallery’s programs, gallery experiences, and workshops start with the premise... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Portrait Gallery 8th and G Streets NW Washington, DC 20001
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

This Is Not Recess: Learning Through Play
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Ford's Theatre
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
"This Is Not Recess: Learning Through Play" is a workshop that positions play as a rigorous and essential strategy for learning. Participants will explore arts integration as an approach to teaching. Through theater-based warm-ups, scaffolded activities, and collaborative play, educators will engage in practices that support comprehension, collaboration, and student voice. Participants will leave...
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Speakers
avatar for Axel Cruz

Axel Cruz

Ford's Theatre
Axel Cruz (he, she, they) is the Manager of Arts Education at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., where he leads the design and implementation of nationally recognized programs that integrate the arts, literacy, and civic learning. His work focuses on equipping educators and students... Read More →
avatar for Tricia Patrick

Tricia Patrick

Ford's Theatre
Tricia Patrick is an arts administrator who believes in the arts as a catalyst for conversation and change. Her pursuit of a performance career took her across the country and beyond, eventually landing in Berlin, Germany. There she developed her skills as an educator and workshop... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Ford's Theatre 511 Tenth St NW, Washington, DC 20004
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Uncovering Hidden Stories in American Art
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - West Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can works of art bring American history to life? During three to four stops in the American art galleries, participants, particularly 6th–12th grade teachers, will engage in activities such as slow looking exercises, thinking routines, sketching, and creative writing that foster conversations about works of art. They will develop interpretations based on evidence in the works of art, make...
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Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Diament

Elizabeth Diament

National Gallery of Art
Elizabeth Diament is a Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art where she manages and designs tours for school and public groups, overseeing 130 docents who facilitate child-centered and visitor-centered, conversation-based tours and experiences. A Londoner still, Liz graduated... Read More →
avatar for Deirdre Palmer

Deirdre Palmer

National Gallery of Art
Deirdre Palmer joined the National Gallery of Art in 2006 as a museum educator with the Tours and Docent Programs. As part of a team of three, she helps train a corps of 160 docents in a range of strategies designed to engage students and the general public through interactive tours... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - West Building
  Museum Course 1

10:45am EDT

Whose Story of Progress: Reading Westward Expansion Through Native Perspectives
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Museum of the American Indian
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we help students examine westward expansion as more than a story of growth and progress? How can museum resources support a more critical understanding of removal, representation, and national identity?In this interactive session, participants will explore the Americans exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian to examine westward expansion through Native perspectives. Through...
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Speakers
avatar for Sarah Cappo

Sarah Cappo

Live It Learn It
Sarah Cappo (she/her) grew up in the Oklahoma City area and fell in love with museums at 6 years old. After graduating from William Jewell College with degrees in Nonprofit Leadership and Art, Sarah worked in higher education in Kansas City before moving to Washington, DC. She earned... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 10:45am - 12:45pm EDT
National Museum of the American Indian Fourth Street & Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
  Museum Course 1

12:45pm EDT

Lunch - On Your Own
Wednesday August 5, 2026 12:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
National Mall
Wednesday Lunch OptionsThe following host museums have food for purchase:National Air and Space MuseumNational Museum of the American IndianNational Gallery of Art (several options + discount--see below)National Gallery of Art has a large cafeteria (Cascade Café) on the concourse level, as well as a Pavilion Café with pizza, sandwiches and salads in the Sculpture Garden, at 7th Street and...
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Wednesday August 5, 2026 12:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
National Mall
  Lunch

2:15pm EDT

Dear America: An Interactive Museum Course
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - West Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Ready to become a civic architect? This dynamic course invites you to step into the National Gallery of Art's groundbreaking "Dear America" exhibition and transform your understanding of American history through the powerful lens of justice-centered design thinking.Participants will meet outside of the Dear America exhibition located by the 7th St ground floor entrance to the National Gallery of...
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Speakers
avatar for Kerri Redding

Kerri Redding

Savoy Elementary School
Kerri Redding is a lifelong educator and digigriot fueled by curiosity and a love of humans. A founding member of DC-Project Zero (DC-PZ) and WISIT, she has served on the faculty of WISIT since its founding. Kerri currently serves as an elementary Library Media Specialist for DCPS... Read More →
avatar for Sheryl Anderson Petty

Sheryl Anderson Petty

Anderson Petty Consultants LLC
Sher Anderson Petty is an innovative & reflective teacher-leader with 20+ years experience fostering the development & growth of learning communities, facilitating professional development, and writing curriculum. In K-12 education, she has crafted curriculum for and taught AP and... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - West Building
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Engaging Students with Plant Science: Sensational Seeds
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Take a deep dive into the world of seeds to explore plant reproduction! Participants will investigate seed structure in familiar plants , engage in hands-on plant dissections, and explore plants and pollination throughout the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory and outdoor gardens. Throughout this course, participants will reflect on ways to adapt the classroom and garden-based learning activities...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Lilly Andersen

Lilly Andersen

US Botanic Garden
Lilly Andersen is the U.S. Botanic Garden's Family Education Specialist. She works to build connections between people and plants through science education, focusing on the child/family audience.
avatar for Grace Anderson

Grace Anderson

US Botanic Garden
Grace Anderson is the Science Education Specialist at the U.S. Botanic Garden. She works to incorporate science learning into the Garden’s programming for diverse audiences. She holds a Masters in Entomology and especially enjoys teaching about the fascinating relationships between... Read More →
avatar for Emily Hestness

Emily Hestness

US Botanic Garden
Emily Hestness is a Senior Education Specialist at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Within the Garden's Learning and Engagement team, she leads teacher professional development, program evaluation, and educational partnerships.
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20001
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Finding Your Flow: Explore the Power of Water Through Contemporary Art and Art-Making
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Museum of Asian Art
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
 Join the National Museum of Asian Art for an afternoon exploring art and art-making inspired by the exhibition, Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings. THrough conversation, close looking, thinking routines, and hands-on ink-painting, participants will explore how two contemporary Asian artists blend traditional techniques with innovative practices to express the...
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Speakers
avatar for Brigitte Pollio

Brigitte Pollio

National Museum of Asian Art
Brigitte is the Education Specialist for K-12 programs at the National Museum of Asian Art. Prior to coming to NMAA, Brigitte worked as a gallery teacher at the National Gallery of Art’s Art Around the Corner program, a Project Zero based multiple visit program with the DC Public... Read More →
avatar for Scarlett McCullough

Scarlett McCullough

National Museum of Asian Art
Scarlett McCullough is the Tour Coordinator at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, and was previously a K-12 Museum Educator for over two years at NMAA, where she has scheduled, co-created, and facilitated both virtual and in-person educational programs with adult school... Read More →
avatar for Bryn Vasquez

Bryn Vasquez

National Museum of Asian Art
Bryn Vasquez is an Education Specialist at the National Museum of Asian Art. She develops programs for K–12 audiences, bringing the cultures, arts, and histories of Asia to students nationally and internationally. Her work focuses on inquiry-based learning, artmaking, and connecting... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Museum of Asian Art 1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20004
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Homelands: Exploring Complexity through Close Looking at Art
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How might works of art help deepen understanding of complex ideas and nurture empathy? How does “place” shape our identity? Participants will explore the exhibition Homelands, which shares diverse experiences of migration, immigration, displacement, and resettlement. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the power and catharsis of telling one’s story through art. Through slow looking...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Nathalie Ryan

Nathalie Ryan

National Gallery of Art
Nathalie Ryan is a Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where she has led programs for educators, families, teens, and the adult public since 2002. Her current work at the National Gallery is researching awe and well-being in the museum with Professor Dacher... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Learning on the Fly: Explore. Play. Design. Share.
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Air and Space Museum
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Experience the National Air and Space Museum through the lens of playful learning. Explore awe-inspiring scientific and technological phenomena, ask big questions, and create “on-the-fly".Gather information on an interactive gallery tour, then take on a collaborative design challenge inspired by what you discover. Prototype ideas, test them in the museum, and share your work with visitors...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dale-Deines

Elizabeth Dale-Deines

National Air and Space Museum
Elizabeth Dale-Deines loves sparking curiosity. Since launching her museum career in 2009 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, she’s used museum collections to get students, teachers, and lifelong learners asking big questions. She’s collaborated with the Boys and Girls Clubs... Read More →
avatar for Ashley Rattanawan

Ashley Rattanawan

National Air and Space Museum
Ashley Rattanawan is an Education Specialist for Teacher Professional Development at the National Air and Space Museum. She has a B.A. From the University of Georgia (go dawgs!) in Science Education. Ashley manages teacher professional development and training at Air and Space with... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Air and Space Museum
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Let's Play: Early Childhood Education in Art Museums
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
This session is designed for early childhood educators (PreK3-Kindergarten). Participants will experience a hands-on tour of the National Gallery of Art designed for early childhood students. We will meet in the Atrium of the East Building, do a brief introduction, and then engage in a mock tour designed for our youngest learners. Participants will engage in a variety of activities including...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Dena Rapoport

Dena Rapoport

National Gallery of Art
Dena works as a museum educator for the National Gallery of Art where she coordinates out-of-school programs for families. In this capacity, she enjoys helping families feel more connected to creativity and to the process of art making. She received the biggest resume boost after... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Making Place, Making Meaning: Solidarity, Story, and the Art of Nick Cave
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
This course explores solidarity through the work of Nick Cave's Mammoth exhibition. Grounded in a developing solidarity framework, participants move through making place, learning, and creating harmony. Participants will reflect on identity, culture, and belonging, engage deeply with Cave's themes of visibility, resistance, and joy, and transform their insight into creative or civic action. With...
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Speakers
avatar for Gerald D Smith Jr.

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Smithsonian
Gerald D. Smith Jr. is the former Principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, DC, where he led with a focus on equity, innovation, and community partnerships. Currently he is the Lead Education Specialist for Youth Development Programs at the Smithsonian Institution... Read More →
avatar for Jaime Chao Mignano

Jaime Chao Mignano

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Jaime Chao Mignano is the Director of Technology and Innovation at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD. She has been a technology and maker educator in Washington, DC for over a decade, serving schools and nonprofit organizations in developing and delivering curriculum... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Smithsonian American Art Museum 8th and G Streets, NW Washington, DC 20004
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Material Value: Making Meaning with Sculpture
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
What do you think is the most important aspect of art: the material used, the process of making, or the meaning behind it? In this interactive course for elementary school educators, we will explore how artists use repurposed materials to intertwine the importance of material, making, and meaning. We will use a thinking routine to compare and connect a variety of sculpture, and engage in...
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Speakers
avatar for Emily Mendonca

Emily Mendonca

National Gallery of Art
Emily Mendonca is a Museum Educator for Art Around the Corner, a partnership program with DC Public Schools at The National Gallery of Art. In this role she manages logistics, develops curriculum, and aims to infuse the power of joy into teaching and learning at all levels. She earned... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

My Other Set of Wheels is a Synagogue (and Other Stories of Jewish Washington)
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Explore one of DC's newest museums and see the city's history from a new perspective. We'll deep dive into local stories that range from 1790 to today, with a focus on inquiry that fosters connection to and curiousity for Jewish life and culture. How long has DC been home to Jewish communities? What was it about this city that brought Jewish immigrants here, and how did these communities develop,...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Anna Barr

Anna Barr

Capital Jewish Museum
Anna (she/her) is the Senior Manager for Education at the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum. A former public high school teacher and always a history buff, Anna prioritizes empathy, justice, and open inquiry in her educational practice. She has been developing and leading... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum 575 3rd St NW, Washington, DC 20001
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Out of Many, One
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Educators from the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) and The Phillips Collection come together with WISIT participants to celebrate American artists of color, consider the power of creative communities, and experience the rewarding complexity of looking at artwork pairings. Through gallery discussions using Harvard Project Zero thinking routines, and engaging in intentional jotting,...
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Speakers
avatar for Ashley Harris

Ashley Harris

National Museum of Women in the Arts
Ashley W. Harris (she/her) is the Associate Educator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) where she is responsible for coordinating group tours as well as managing the museum's volunteer corps. She joined NMWA's staff in 2013, but her introduction to the museum was during... Read More →
avatar for Carla Freyvogel

Carla Freyvogel

Phillips Collection
Carla White Freyvogel is an educator with more than 25 years of experience teaching in museums, including the National Building Museum, National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Phillips Collection, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She engages audiences of all ages with... Read More →
avatar for Adrienne Gayoso

Adrienne Gayoso

National Museum of Women in the Arts
Adrienne (Addie) L. Gayoso (she/her), Ohio native, has been a museum educator in Washington, D.C., since 2004. As the senior educator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), she develops programs for school, teacher, and multigenerational audiences as well as interpretive... Read More →
avatar for Monica Cohen Lenoff

Monica Cohen Lenoff

Phillips Collection
Monica Cohen Lenoff is a museum educator, special education teacher, and practicing artist with over 16 years of experience across diverse settings. She is a Museum Educator at The Phillips Collection, leading professional development grounded in Project Zero and Visible Thinking... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
National Museum of Women in the Arts 1250 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

Revolutionary Questions: An Inquiry-led Exploration of America's Founding Documents
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Library of Congress
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we hep students broaden their understanding of the founding of the U.S. and its impact on the world? Together, we will hone our primary source analysis skills with an iconic founding document and explore the Library's new exhibition, "The Declaration's Promise," guided by our own wonderings. Participants will also have the opportunity to discover the wealth of free resources available...
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Speakers
avatar for Abby Krolik

Abby Krolik

Library of Congress
Abby Krolik is an Educational Resources Specialist at the Library of Congress. She has over ten years of experience working in both museum and school settings and has dedicated her career to supporting educators of all kinds to use museum, library, or archival objects and resources... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Library of Congress 10 First St SE, Washington, DC 20540
  Museum Course 2

2:15pm EDT

This Is Not Recess: Learning Through Play
LIMITED
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Ford's Theatre
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
"This Is Not Recess: Learning Through Play" is a workshop that positions play as a rigorous and essential strategy for learning. Participants will explore arts integration as an approach to teaching. Through theater-based warm-ups, scaffolded activities, and collaborative play, educators will engage in practices that support comprehension, collaboration, and student voice. Participants will leave...
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Speakers
avatar for Axel Cruz

Axel Cruz

Ford's Theatre
Axel Cruz (he, she, they) is the Manager of Arts Education at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., where he leads the design and implementation of nationally recognized programs that integrate the arts, literacy, and civic learning. His work focuses on equipping educators and students... Read More →
avatar for Tricia Patrick

Tricia Patrick

Ford's Theatre
Tricia Patrick is an arts administrator who believes in the arts as a catalyst for conversation and change. Her pursuit of a performance career took her across the country and beyond, eventually landing in Berlin, Germany. There she developed her skills as an educator and workshop... Read More →
Wednesday August 5, 2026 2:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
Ford's Theatre 511 Tenth St NW, Washington, DC 20004
  Museum Course 2
 
Thursday, August 6
 

9:00am EDT

Plenary Session led by the Center for Digital Thriving - The AI to Z Workshop: Finding the Words Schools Need Now
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building
The AI to Z Workshop: Finding the Words Schools Need Now - Generative AI is changing how we teach, learn, and relate to one another in schools. These changes are happening so fast it feels nearly impossible to see, name, or talk about them. What if we had words for them? In this participatory plenary, the Center for Digital Thriving will invite you into the AI to Z Workshop, a practice that...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Carrie James

Dr. Carrie James

Co-Director of Project Zero, Center for Digital Thriving
Dr. Carrie James (she/her) is a sociologist, researcher, and the current Co-Director of Project Zero. Emphasizing qualitative methods, her work focuses on young people’s digital experiences, including opportunities and challenges for their well-being, social connections, and civic... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Beck Tench

Dr. Beck Tench

Center for Digital Thriving
Dr. Beck Tench (she/her) has deep and abiding curiosities about how to live well in a radically connected world. She is a Principal Investigator at Project Zero, where she serves as a senior researcher, designer, and co-leader of the IMAGINE AI portfolio of work at the Center for Digital Thriving. Her research explores how people find hope and digital agency, individually and collectively. Beck also teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Beck earned her Ph.D. in Information Science at the University of Washington, where... Read More →
avatar for Dan Be Kim

Dan Be Kim

Center for Digital Thriving
Dan Be Kim is a startup founder turned educational technologist, committed to reimagining how we teach and learn in the age of AI. Her current work centers on designing human-centered AI literacy programming for educators and learners. As a third culture kid with a multicultural upbringing... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building 3100 Macomb St NW
  Plenary Session

10:15am EDT

Learning Groups
Thursday August 6, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
WISIT Learning Groups are a dedicated time each day to connect with a consistent small group of colleagues, reflect on your learning, and make meaning of the week together. In these sessions, participants process ideas, generate new questions, and begin to translate insights into practical next steps and action plans for their own contexts. Learning Groups meet in the same room each day, creating...
See More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
  Learning Groups

11:45am EDT

Art Happenings
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Art Happenings 2026 : What We Hold in CommonThis year’s Art Happenings invite you to explore What We Hold in Common—the shared stories, values, and experiences that connect us. Each session offers a different creative pathway to reflect, make meaning, and express what binds us together.As you choose, consider what resonates with you—whether it’s storytelling, design, reflection, or...
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Thursday August 6, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
  Art Happenings

12:45pm EDT

Lunch
Thursday August 6, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus
Build Your Own Caesar Salad BarChopped RomaineProtein Toppings Include: Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shrimp, Mediterranean Grilled TofuSides & Toppings: Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms, Roasted Peppers & Onions, House Made Croutons, Crispy Chickpeas, Black Olives, Shaved Parmesan Cheese, Feta Cheese, Caesar Dressing *will have a vegan option availableDessert: Chocolate BrowniesBeverages: Infused...
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Thursday August 6, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus 3100 Macomb St NW
  Lunch

1:45pm EDT

Buzzworthy: How all Professional Learning Should Be
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 103
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
“For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students, schools must be cultures of thinking for teachers.” (Ron Ritchhart) This interactive workshop invites us to reimagine professional learning as engaging, inquiry-driven, and deeply relevant to our daily practice. Together, we will experience collaborative inquiry, self-reflection, and thinking routines as active learners, exploring how...
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Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dean

Elizabeth Dean

The Village School
Elizabeth has spent the past twenty years working in various roles in public and private schools as a high school English teacher, Department Chair, and Instructional Coach. She is currently the Head of Learning at The Village School, a learner-centered and project based learning... Read More →
avatar for Shannon Quinn

Shannon Quinn

Randolph Elementary School
Shannon Quinn is the IB Coordinator at Randolph Elementary School, where she leads efforts to build a culture of thinking grounded in the principles of Harvard’s Project Zero. She also serves on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Association of IB World Schools, facilitating professional... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 103
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Driving School Change Through Thoughtful Leadership and Inquiry
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 107
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can school leaders enculturate thoughtful inquiry in our learning communities and what role can thinking routines play in this shift? Come and explore ways to leverage thinking routines to inspire faculty and drive positive changes in the classroom. Through the lens of school leadership, we will delve into the practice of documenting teacher thinking and explore how this can be used to enhance...
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Speakers
avatar for Kristin Gilliland

Kristin Gilliland

Washington International School
Kristin Gilliland has worked for many years at the Washington International School, first as a Middle School Math teacher and now as the Middle School Assistant Principal. She earned her BS in Middle School education from Elon University and her MA in Education with a Math Specialist... Read More →
avatar for Anne Leflot

Anne Leflot

Washington International School
Anne is the Upper School Assistant Principal for Student Life and Grades 9 and 10 at Washington International School. As a French native, Anne taught literature for 10+ years in both public and private schools in various locations in France and the United States. She extensively uses... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 107
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

From Ideas to Action: Building a Culture of Thinking
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 105
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Who are your students becoming as thinkers through their time with you? This question will guide you on an engaging and reflective journey as we explore the ideas from Ron Ritchhart’s Cultures of Thinking in Action. Together, we will examine the types of thinking we wish to nurture in our classrooms and identify the essential habits of mind to prioritize. We will delve into the PZ Thinking...
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Speakers
avatar for Kara Kling

Kara Kling

Maret School
Kara Kling (she/her) teaches Humanities and serves as 8th Grade Dean at Maret. She is committed to experimenting with instructional approaches that support equity and promote students' understanding and engagement. In her curriculum design work, and as co-coordinator of Maret's "Middle... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 105
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

From Routine to Agency: Integrating AI into Cultures of Thinking
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 106
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How can we use AI to extend and deepen student thinking—without replacing it? In this interactive workshop, we will explore how thinking routines can position AI as a partner in inquiry, supporting perspective-taking, analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. Together, we will experience the LENS Framework (Launch, Expand, Navigate, Synthesize), a structured approach that keeps students at the...
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Speakers
avatar for Federico Pisano

Federico Pisano

Washington International School
Federico Pisano is a Middle School Spanish Teacher, Middle School Spanish Coordinator, and Grade 8 Coordinator at Washington International School in Washington, D.C., where he brings over 20 years of classroom experience to his practice. Throughout his career, Federico has been at... Read More →
avatar for Allie Wilding

Allie Wilding

Washington International School
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Carriage House Room 106
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Intro to Digital Thriving: Essential Tools for Educators Living & Teaching in a Tech-Filled World
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Technology is both helpful and harmful, connecting and dividing, inspiring and dispiriting. Our students’ experiences with technology are multi-faceted and our approach needs to be, too. In this mini course, you’ll get hands-on with resources from the Center for Digital Thriving and engage specific mindshifts that help you go from assuming to asking, from referee to coach, from an abstinence...
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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Carrie James

Dr. Carrie James

Co-Director of Project Zero, Center for Digital Thriving
Dr. Carrie James (she/her) is a sociologist, researcher, and the current Co-Director of Project Zero. Emphasizing qualitative methods, her work focuses on young people’s digital experiences, including opportunities and challenges for their well-being, social connections, and civic... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Beck Tench

Dr. Beck Tench

Center for Digital Thriving
Dr. Beck Tench (she/her) has deep and abiding curiosities about how to live well in a radically connected world. She is a Principal Investigator at Project Zero, where she serves as a senior researcher, designer, and co-leader of the IMAGINE AI portfolio of work at the Center for Digital Thriving. Her research explores how people find hope and digital agency, individually and collectively. Beck also teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Beck earned her Ph.D. in Information Science at the University of Washington, where... Read More →
avatar for Dan Be Kim

Dan Be Kim

Center for Digital Thriving
Dan Be Kim is a startup founder turned educational technologist, committed to reimagining how we teach and learn in the age of AI. Her current work centers on designing human-centered AI literacy programming for educators and learners. As a third culture kid with a multicultural upbringing... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Quilting the Fabric of Freedom: Stitching Liberation, Belonging, and Agency into Learning Communities
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Mad Lab (2nd Floor)
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How might we create learning communities that do more than include—that affirm, liberate, and empower? This interactive session invites you to explore the metaphor and practice of quilting as a framework for building culturally responsive, inclusive schools. Drawing on findings from ethnographic research with Black middle school students, the presentation weaves together Gloria...
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Speakers
avatar for Gerald D Smith Jr.

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Smithsonian
Gerald D. Smith Jr. is the former Principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, DC, where he led with a focus on equity, innovation, and community partnerships. Currently he is the Lead Education Specialist for Youth Development Programs at the Smithsonian Institution... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Mad Lab (2nd Floor)
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Ready, Set, Play!: Reclaiming Play as a Catalyst for Deep Learning
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 215
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Are you ready to play? This session challenges participants to rethink the essential role of play as a powerful driver of learning well beyond the early childhood years. Grounded in research, we will examine how play fuels engagement, deepens creativity, and strengthens social-emotional development across age groups. Together, we’ll analyze what meaningful play looks like in diverse classroom...
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Speakers
avatar for Aaryn Drapiza

Aaryn Drapiza

The Village School
Aaryn Drapiza (she/her) is devoted to learner-centered and community-oriented education. Her education journey began with elementary learners, and the insights she gained from those foundational years inspire and inform her approach to middle school, a stage she's deeply passionate... Read More →
avatar for Bridget Yoko

Bridget Yoko

The Village School
Bridget Yoko is a lifelong educator and child advocate who believes every child carries a story worth discovering—and that play is one of the most powerful ways to tell it. With over 13 years of experience in PreK–8 education and advanced degrees in Integrated Studies, Elementary... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 215
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Safe Brains Learn Best: Trauma, Memory, and Language Acquisition
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 110
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
How do brain science, emotional safety, and experiences of stress and trauma shape students’ ability to learn, especially for multilingual learners? In this interactive workshop, we will examine how stress and trauma impact key brain systems and what this means for attention, memory, and language development. Together, we will connect this research to practice, identifying concrete strategies...
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Speakers
avatar for Patricio Cortez

Patricio Cortez

Garnet-Patterson STAY
Patricio Poblete is a certified Spanish, ESOL, Biology, and Special Education teacher with over 14 years of experience in language acquisition and culturally responsive instruction. He holds a teaching degree and a master’s in TEFL with a major in linguistics from Universidad Metropolitana... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 110
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Students as Change-makers: Rethinking Power, Partnership, and Civic Action
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 111
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
Join us in reimagining youth-adult partnerships that cultivate students’ civic agency within and beyond the school’s walls. In this interactive session, participants will engage with visual texts using the Values, Identities, Actions routine, explore stories and resources from the John Lewis Leadership Program (Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia), and exchange ideas with colleagues from...
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Speakers
avatar for Deborah March

Deborah March

John Lewis High School
Deborah envisions a world where all young people experience belonging and agency, within and beyond the school walls. As the Senior Manager for the John Lewis Leadership Program in Fairfax County Public Schools, Deborah partners with students, staff, and community organizations to... Read More →
avatar for Mirella Saldana Torres

Mirella Saldana Torres

John Lewis Leadership Program
Mirella Saldana Torres is a Work-Based Learning Resource Teacher with a Master’s in Education in School Counseling from George Mason University. Drawing on her background in college-access work, counseling, and educational leadership, Mirella is committed to fostering student agency... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 111
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

The Neighborhood is Our Classroom
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 211
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
What becomes possible when the neighborhood becomes the classroom? Inspired by core ideas from Project Zero, this session shares the story of a Pre-K classroom that reimagined a traditional “community helpers” unit through the lenses of agency, inquiry, and civic engagement. You will explore how young learners engaged with their community in meaningful ways while also unpacking the...
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Speakers
avatar for Kathryn Gillon

Kathryn Gillon

Briya Public Charter School
Kathryn Gillon is a pre-K teacher at Briya Public Charter School in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, she studied history at American University and began her career in education as an assistant pre-K teacher with DC Public Schools. Kathryn... Read More →
avatar for Nury Sandoval

Nury Sandoval

Briya Public Charter School
Nury Sandoval is an experienced Early Childhood Educator and Inclusion Specialist with over 22 years of work in multilingual, neurodiverse, and culturally responsive classrooms. Holding degrees in Special Education and a Master’s in Education, she has led inclusive practices across... Read More →
avatar for Kerstin Schmidt

Kerstin Schmidt

Briya Public Charter School
Kerstin Schmidt is a long-time pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teacher and currently works as an instructional coach and early childhood curriculum specialist at Briya Public Charter School in Washington, DC. Originally from Chicago, she holds a BA in linguistics from the University... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 211
  Interactive Course

1:45pm EDT

Weaving Legacies: Migrant Contributions to the Fabric of American Communities
LIMITED
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 212
Limited Capacity seats available
Feedback Survey
What stories does our cultural library hold? What voices unveil the threads of our national tapestry? Come engage with Project Zero pedagogical tools to explore how our individual and collective narratives are woven into a shared fabric of belonging. In this interactive course, we will unmute voices often left out of the migration conversation and reveal connections across time, place, and...
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Speakers
avatar for Denise Rodríguez

Denise Rodríguez

Henderson Middle School
Denise serves as the MYP Coordinator for Falls Church City Public Schools. She previously taught Spanish Humanities at the middle school level and participates in Project Zero professional learning communities at the Washington International School. At WISSIT ‘26 she will co-lead... Read More →
avatar for Àngels Natal-Asensio

Àngels Natal-Asensio

Oakton High School
Àngels Natal-Asensio is a Spanish instructor and World Languages Department Chair at Oakton High School. Previously she taught English and German in her native Barcelona, where she started integrating Project Zero thinking routines along with art in the teaching of world languages... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:45pm - 3:45pm EDT
Middle School Building Room 212
  Interactive Course
 
Friday, August 7
 

9:00am EDT

Learning Groups
Friday August 7, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
WISIT Learning Groups are a dedicated time each day to connect with a consistent small group of colleagues, reflect on your learning, and make meaning of the week together. In these sessions, participants process ideas, generate new questions, and begin to translate insights into practical next steps and action plans for their own contexts. Learning Groups meet in the same room each day, creating...
See More →
Friday August 7, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am EDT
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
  Learning Groups

11:15am EDT

Closing Plenary Session: Co-Creating the Future Together: AI, Agency, and Cultures of Thinking
Friday August 7, 2026 11:15am - 12:45pm EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building
Featuring Aaryn Drapiza, Jaime Chao Migano, and Georgina Ardalan.This session highlights three classroom stories from across the DMV, offering a vivid and grounded look at how educators are integrating AI into their practice, not as a replacement for thinking, but as a tool to deepen it. From kindergarten through high school, teachers share how they are using AI to support cultures of...
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Speakers
avatar for Jaime Chao Mignano

Jaime Chao Mignano

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Jaime Chao Mignano is the Director of Technology and Innovation at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD. She has been a technology and maker educator in Washington, DC for over a decade, serving schools and nonprofit organizations in developing and delivering curriculum... Read More →
avatar for Georgina Ardalan

Georgina Ardalan

Janney Elementary School
Georgina Ardalan is an early childhood educator in DC Public Schools. She draws on her first career in architecture to create a nurturing, collaborative environment that encourages a culture of thinking, where both teachers and children question, reflect, and listen. Georgina serves... Read More →
avatar for Aaryn Drapiza

Aaryn Drapiza

The Village School
Aaryn Drapiza (she/her) is devoted to learner-centered and community-oriented education. Her education journey began with elementary learners, and the insights she gained from those foundational years inspire and inform her approach to middle school, a stage she's deeply passionate... Read More →
Friday August 7, 2026 11:15am - 12:45pm EDT
Black Box Theater - Middle School Building 3100 Macomb St NW
  Plenary Session

12:45pm EDT

Lunch
Friday August 7, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus
Menu
Salad Bar
Sandwiches: Curried Chicken Salad Wrap, Turkey Club on Baguette, Mushroom Caesar Wrap
Sides: Mediterranean Pasta Salad, Marinated Cucumbers, Variety Kettle Chips
Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Beverages: Infused Water, Assorted Soft Drinks

Boxes will be provided for the option to have a grab and go lunch.
Friday August 7, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus 3100 Macomb St NW
 
WISIT Summer Institute 2026
From $500.00

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Monday, August 3
Tuesday, August 4
Wednesday, August 5
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Black Box Theater - Middle School Building
Carriage House Room 103
Carriage House Room 105
Carriage House Room 106
Carriage House Room 107
Ford's Theatre
Huffard Hall - Le Centre Brown, WIS Campus
Library of Congress
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum
Middle School Building Mad Lab (2nd Floor)
Middle School Building Room 110
Middle School Building Room 111
Middle School Building Room 112
Middle School Building Room 210
Middle School Building Room 211
Middle School Building Room 212
Middle School Building Room 214
Middle School Building Room 215
Middle School Building Room 216
Middle School Building Studio Sol (1st Floor)
National Air and Space Museum
National Gallery of Art - East Building
National Gallery of Art - West Building
National Mall
National Museum of Asian Art
National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of Women in the Arts
National Portrait Gallery
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Gallery - Le Centre Brown
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory
Various Rooms Across Campus - See Description for Room #s
  • Art Happenings
  • Interactive Course
  • Learning Groups
  • Lunch
  • Museum Course 1
  • Museum Course 2
  • Plenary Session