The information on this page is for Empower19 in Chicago, Illinois. Check back in September for information about the 2020 ASCD Empower Conference, which will be held March 13–16, 2020, in Los Angeles, California.

Pre-Conference Learning Opportunities

Arrive early for an intensive conference learning experience.

ASCD's Pre-Conference Institutes and other learning opportunities will be held March 13–15, 2019. Find the complete listing of Pre-Conference Institutes, organized by day, by clicking on the links below. More Pre-Conference Institutes will be added as they become available.

One-Day Institutes | Two-Day Institutes | Three-Day Institutes | School Site Visits
Museum & History Tour

Pre-Conference Institutes

Powered by world-renowned experts and authors, the Pre-Conference Institutes offer a deep dive on topics of interest to educators now.

More than 20 available institutes will provide intensive and immersive learning experiences in sessions about curriculum, instruction, assessment, and more, including

Principal and teacher leadership,
Poverty and equity,
Interactive strategies for engaging reluctant learners,
Capacity building for success, and
Global engagement and school culture.

Pre-Conference Institute Registration Is Separate

Registration for the ASCD Empower19 conference does not include registration for a Pre-Conference Institute. You must register for Pre-Conference Institutes separately from your ASCD Empower19 registration. Combination discounted pricing options are available for one-, two-, and three-day Pre-Conference Institutes.

ASCD Activate Users must log in to register at the ASCD Member price.

See the registration information page for pricing and details

See registration terms and conditions

Additional Professional Learning Opportunities

The following professional learning opportunities are available at separate rates from Pre-Conference Institutes. Due to the special price of these events, they are not eligible for member, discounted, or combination pricing with Empower19.

School Site Visits

A limited number of school site visits across the greater Chicago area will be available on Thursday, March 14, 2019, at a special registration rate.

Learn more

Chicago Museums Tour

On Friday, March 15, 2019, spend the day touring two of Chicago's most popular (and educational) attractions: The Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium.

Learn more

Presentation Materials

Some Pre-Conference Institutes include additional fees for required books or materials above and beyond copies of the session's presentation handouts. Materials fees are indicated with each Pre-Conference Institute's description.

Instructions for downloading session handouts will be provided in March 2019.

Daily Schedule

Most Pre-Conference Institutes will follow this daily schedule.

Time	Activity
8:00–8:30 a.m.	Registration
8:30 a.m.	Morning Session
10:00–10:30 a.m.	Break (15 minutes)
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.	Lunch (on your own)
1:00 p.m.	Afternoon Session
3:30 p.m.	Session Adjourns