Building on the success of the 2025 summit—which drew 275 educators from over 40 districts—we're expanding this year's opportunity. Join educators, technologists, and innovators for a transformative day exploring the intersection of deep learning and artificial intelligence in education. The 2026 summit emphasizes instructional coherence, preservation of student thinking, ethical AI literacy, and sustainable leadership practices. Sessions are organized across four strands: Instructional Transformation; AI Ethics and Literacy; Promoting Human Thought in an AI-Enabled World; and Strategic Leadership for Sustainable Innovation.
Attend practitioner-led sessions on AI implementation, ethics, and practical classroom applications.
Network with educators, administrators, and tech leaders driving innovation in education.
Explore hands-on demos and discover new AI tools that can transform your teaching practice.
Gateway Regional High School
775 Tanyard Road, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097
Event Time
Thursday July 23, 2026
8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
A full day of learning, networking, and innovation, including a continental breakfast, a motivating morning keynote, choice of engaging breakout sessions, a short sponsor spotlight, and lunch
"Rethinking AI's Dystopian Future: Education's Role in Shaping the Narrative"
Shawn McCusker · Director of Teacher Programs · Bill of Rights Institute
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP · Auditorium
AI in Education Isn't Really About AI
Tara Nattrass · Lenovo
CORE CONVERSATIONS · Library
Student Voice Panel
Gateway Regional & Consortium District Students
CORE CONVERSATIONS · Health Rooms A/B
Using NotebookLM to Modernize Learning, Leadership & Everything In Between
Lakishia Powell & Vinnie Du Beau · Delsea Regional SD
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 104 · Sponsored by SchoolAI
Designing a Guided Learning Experience with SchoolAI
Blasia Dunham · SchoolAI
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 106 · Sponsored by Teacher Created Materials
AI Literacy Isn't Extra — It's Core
Lindy Hockenbary · Teacher Created Materials
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 102 · Sponsored by Swivl
M2 Play Lab — Coherent Schools: How AI Can Help Leaders Connect Curriculum, Teaching & Culture
Gerard Dawson · Swivl
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Elementary Strand · Room 103
From Data to Action: AI-Powered RTI and Behavior Support in the Elementary Setting
Caleigh Heenan · National Park / The Gateway Group
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Leadership Strand · Room 105
Mission Before Platforms: Building Purposeful AI Fluency
Rosemary Seitel · NJPSA
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Special Education Strand · Room 107
Meeting IEP Goals Using AI: How We Leverage AI for Special Education Students
James Salvo · The Newmark School
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · AI Ethics & Literacy Strand · Room 109
Establishing Clear Expectations Using the Red Light Method
Julie Becker · Rancocas Valley Regional HS
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Protecting Human Thought Strand · Room 111
The Scaffolding Shift: Using Metacognition to Move from AI to Autonomy
Michele Lockhart & Jamie Burrows · Atlantic County Institute of Technology
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Computer Science Strand · Room 113
Strategic Innovation in the AI Era: A K–12 Leadership Lens on CS & STEM
Sharon Fleming, Rebekah Collipp & Mike Buttitta · NJDOE
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Gateway Teacher-Leaders Strand · Room 115
Games, Movement, and Joy: Using AI to Reignite Engagement in the Phone-Free Classroom
Kim Karwoski & Suzanne Lynch · Gateway Regional
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP · Auditorium
Unfiltered: The 8 AI Realities Facing Teens
Michael Edmondson · NJIT, Associate Provost
CORE CONVERSATIONS · Library
Inquiry in the Age of AI: Using BRI to Ground Student Thinking
Shawn McCusker · Bill of Rights Institute
CORE CONVERSATIONS · Health Rooms A/B
Designing for Learning in the AI Era
Caitlin Jensen & Gil Gonzalez · NJDOE
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 104 · Sponsored by SchoolAI
STEAM & Project-Based Learning with SchoolAI
Blasia Dunham · SchoolAI
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 106 · Sponsored by Teacher Created Materials
Tired of Student AI Slop? Solve it with the Assessment Puzzle
Lindy Hockenbary · Teacher Created Materials
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 102 · Sponsored by Swivl
M2 Play Lab — Coherent Schools: How AI Can Help Leaders Connect Curriculum, Teaching & Culture
Gerard Dawson · Swivl
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Elementary Strand · Room 103
Beyond the 'Wow' Factor: AI for Elementary
Katie Serbeck · Dover Public Schools
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Leadership Strand · Room 105
Beyond the Answer Machine: Adapting AI Thinking Partners for Student Projects
Kimberly Smith · Saint Raphael School
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Special Education Strand · Room 107
Leading Inclusive AI Systems Change: A Systems-Based Approach
Vanessa Lombardo · The College of New Jersey
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · AI Ethics & Literacy Strand · Room 109
AI Governance Is Not a Policy Document
Caleb Vail · Tenet
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Protecting Human Thought Strand · Room 111
Restorative Practices & AI: Leverage AI to Build Classroom Community
Stephanie Clinise · Hatboro-Horsham SD
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Computer Science Strand · Room 113
Free for All: NJCTL's Computer Science Resources and the Push for Cybersecurity Education in NJ
Ian Fallstich · NJCTL
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Gateway Teacher-Leaders Strand · Room 115
From Legal Speak to Student Voice: Using AI to Make the Law Relatable
Gil Coble · Gateway Regional
Goblins (Library) • Toddle (Auditorium) • Argossey (Health Room A) • SuperTeacher (Health Room B) • LinkIt (Lecture Hall) • Renaissance (Room 115)
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP · Auditorium
From AI Answers to I Am Thinking
Tracey Severns · Teach4Results
CORE CONVERSATIONS · Library
The Role of the Teacher in an AI-Enabled World
Amy Mount · Gateway Regional SD
CORE CONVERSATIONS · Health Rooms A/B
AI Tutors: Hype vs. Reality
Dr. Tim Novikoff · SuperTeacher
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 104 · Sponsored by SchoolAI
SchoolAI Browser Extension Workshop
Blasia Dunham · SchoolAI
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 106 · Sponsored by Teacher Created Materials
Model Lesson: Integrating AI Into Best Instructional Practices
Lindy Hockenbary · Teacher Created Materials
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Room 102 · Sponsored by Swivl
M2 Play Lab — Coherent Schools: How AI Can Help Leaders Connect Curriculum, Teaching & Culture
Gerard Dawson · Swivl
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Elementary Strand · Room 103
Little Learners, Big Possibilities: Using AI to Support Early Literacy in Elementary Classrooms
Sandi Shevlin · Westville Elementary School
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Leadership Strand · Room 105
AI Modes in Action: Protecting Thinking While Learning with AI
Vince Doud · Audubon Public Schools / Doud Works
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Special Education Strand · Room 107
Exploring AI Integration with AAC — Applications & Ethics
Madison Bronstein · TCNJ Assistive Technology Center
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · AI Ethics & Literacy Strand · Room 109
The Diplomatic Leader: Using AI to Differentiate Professional Development
Tamara Ehrgood · Camden's Promise Charter School
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Protecting Human Thought Strand · Room 111
The Literacy of Empathy: Teaching Students to Lead AI with a Human Compass
Kathleen Bially · Gateway Regional SD
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Computer Science Strand · Room 113
Creation Through Iteration: Using AI as a Thought Partner
Dr. Vincent Du Beau · Delsea Regional SD
PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE · Gateway Teacher-Leaders Strand · Room 115
Let AI Open a Door Into Challenging Texts
Amanda Warrington & Dustin Widener · Gateway Regional SD
Secure your spot at the Gateway AI in EDU Summit
In a challenging fiscal landscape, we believe access to quality professional learning should never be a barrier. South Jersey educators have historically had limited access to high-caliber professional development — and we are ready to confront that head on. This year, we are not charging a registration fee. We extend our sincere gratitude to Gateway Regional School District and its Board of Education for generously hosting and staffing the Summit, and to our sponsors whose support makes the materials, meals, and overall experience of the day possible.
This summit welcomes educators, leaders, college faculty, and education partners who are ready to discuss what's next and what's possible at the intersection of AI and education.
This is a free, one-day regional professional learning event. Complete the registration form to join us.
Open Registration FormShare your expertise with fellow educators
Submit your presentation proposal and join us as a speaker at the summit.
Submit ProposalThank you to our partners making this event possible
Interested in partnering with the Gateway AI in EDU Summit? Download our sponsorship prospectus and reach out to Dr. Amy Mount to reserve your tier.
Commitment deadline: May 8, 2026 • [email protected]
