The International Society for Transforming Education helps educators worldwide fuse pedagogy, curriculum, and technology as catalysts for innovative solutions to education’s greatest challenges. We invite proposals from educators at all career stages, backgrounds, and locations.
We also welcome submissions from solution providers that focus on proven methods, rather than specific product promotion. While we do offer opportunities for product demonstrations and commercial content at the event, we encourage program proposals that align with our mission of transforming education. We may contact submitters to offer alternative presentation opportunities if their content is better suited for other event experiences.
The Call for Participation for ISTELive 27, June 27-30 in Boston, is now open online! Submit your session idea by September 30, 2026.
How to Create a Proposal That Stands Out
Focus on transformation, not tools. Attendees want practical outcomes and actionable strategies. Focus your title and description on the problem solved, skill gained, or transformation achieved.
Be bold. Share innovative and pedagogical knowledge from your own experience.
Be future-focused. Choose a trending topic and push the boundaries of current knowledge.
Inspire. Empower educators and students to explore and learn new strategies.
Engage. Encourage active participation and model best practices. Leave your audience energized.
Show, don't tell. Demonstrate creative applications of technology and invite the audience to participate.
Advocate for opportunity. Share the importance of application and access to meet the needs of all learners.
Be inclusive. Choose co-presenters who represent diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
Be objective. Share an idea; don’t promote a product or brand.
Avoid buzzwords. Words like “AI-Powered,” "Revolutionizing," and "Disrupting" reduce the perceived depth of the session. Use specific action verbs instead.
Need Help Getting Started?
Download our submission guide for tips and examples, or check out our FAQs for additional information.
You can always email us at conf-program@iste.org with any questions about the proposal process.
Not Ready to Present a Full Session or Don’t Have a Specific Topic?
If you’d love to contribute to the ISTELive 27 program but don’t have a passion project or you want to see what inspires you this school year, there may still be an opportunity to participate.
Additional Participation Opportunities
Click below to learn more about additional opportunities and to share your interest in participating in the 2027 conference:
Submission Details
There is no fee to submit a proposal. We seek ideas from educators at all levels and from all parts of the world.
Know of a visionary you’d like to see at a future ISTE conference? We’re looking for Mainstage presenters who inspire, amaze, and ignite our passion for learning.
Our Mainstage presenters are individuals from any field, including education, who bring fresh perspectives to our audience in new and exciting ways.
Catch our attention by:
Thinking outside the box. ISTELive 27 isn’t your typical education conference.
Keeping it simple. Make your case briefly, concisely, and with gusto.
Sharing examples. Link to videos and articles about your suggested speaker.
Offering diverse viewpoints. Tell us how your suggestion inspires, informs, and broadens the perspective and practice of all educators.
Don’t be shy – if you’ve got a burning message to share, feel free to recommend yourself!
Suggestions are reviewed continuously. The Mainstage team will reach out to your suggested speaker if they fit the conference theme.
Stay Informed
Be among the first to hear when the Call for Participation opens each year by completing the form below.
