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2026 Opportunity & Access Symposium

Opportunity-Centered Professional Learning

The Opportunity & Access Symposium is a virtual professional learning experience designed by educators, for educators, with a clear purpose: expanding access to gifted and advanced learning opportunities for all students. Grounded in the principles of inclusion and equity, the symposium highlights approaches that help ensure advanced learning opportunities are accessible to students who have historically been underrepresented in gifted programs.

Through expert-led sessions, peer collaboration, and practical strategies, participants explore how to build more inclusive identification systems, strengthen support for advanced learners, and create pathways that allow talent to be recognized and developed in every community.

Participants leave with actionable tools, new perspectives, and a network of educators committed to ensuring that advanced learning opportunities are available to every student with the potential to thrive.

Schedule

The 2026 Opportunity & Access Symposium will be taking place on Thursday, April 30, 2026. We know how busy educators are—so we made this symposium fully virtual. No travel, no long days out of the classroom—just high-quality professional learning you can access from anywhere, at a time that works for you.

Learn alongside peers from across the country and hear from educators and experts who are tackling the same challenges you face every day. Sessions emphasize inclusive identification practices, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, and systems that recognize diverse expressions of giftedness. Participants will explore ways to reduce barriers, broaden pathways into advanced learning, and create environments where every student’s strengths are valued and developed.

The schedule for the virtual event is:

11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. ET: Welcome & Opening Keynote 

  • Humans Who Teach: Becoming and Remaining Human While Nurturing the Gifts in Young People, presented by Shamari Reid 

12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. ET: Breakout Sessions 

  • Cultivating Gifted Multilingual Learners: Creating Environments and Instruction that Uncover and Develop Talent, presented by Donna Albrecht and Marcy Voss
  • From Identification to Development: What Jazz Teaches Us About Cultivating Talent in Underrepresented Students, presented by Anthony Washington
  • Helping Students Understand Why They Qualify for Gifted Services May Support Motivation and Participation, presented by Ashleigh Kelley 

1:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m. ET: Breakout Sessions

  • Awareness > Advocacy > Action: Civic Engagement & Social Justice in the Gen-Ed Classroom, presented by Vanessa Heller
  • Beyond the Referral Form: Using Testimonio to Identify Underrepresented Gifted Learners, presented by Alejandra A. Fernández Morgado and Angela Novak
  • Cultural Code Switchers: Leveraging Federal Mandates for EL and 2e Learners, presented by Rosa Varela 

2:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m. ET: Breakout Sessions 

  • Fostering and Developing Potential for Underserved, Underrepresented, High-Potential Students, presented by Debi Torres, Telekia Grubbs-Williams, and Christopher Vian
  • Paying The Black Tax: Lessons from the Systemic Recession of Black Gifted Education Professionals, presented by Ty'Bresha Glass
  • The CRISPA Artifact Catcher in a Rural K–12 Context: Implications for Gifted Identification, presented by Vicki Boley and Shelley Green 

3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET: Panel 

  • Advocating for Access and Opportunity to Gifted Services: A Conversation With Students & Educators, moderated by Joy Lawson-Davis 

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Shamari Reid

Dr. Shamari Reid
Humans Who Teach: Becoming and Remaining Human While Nurturing the Gifts in Young People
In this keynote, Dr. Reid will present practical applications from his latest book, Humans Who Teach, along with evidence-based strategies to help educators better care for themselves while honoring the humanity of gifted youth. Attendees will learn how to move beyond the either/or approach to gifted education in which they feel they must choose between caring for themselves and serving young people. In this session, attendees will learn healthy ways to do both. Together, we will become and remain human while honoring our commitments to bring about meaningful change in gifted education.
Dr. Shamari Reid (he/him/his) is the author of Humans Who Teach: A Guide for Centering Love, Justice, and Liberation in Schools. An assistant professor of justice and belonging in education at New York University, Dr. Reid’s work centers love as a moral imperative in social justice education, and as a path toward culturally sustaining school communities. In addition, he has published on race, gender, and sexuality in schools various peer-reviewed journals such as Teachers College Record, Urban Education, and Curriculum Inquiry. Dr. Reid is the creator and host of the Heinemann podcast series Water for Teachers.

Registration Rates

NAGC Member
Save $30 by being a member of NAGC
$129
$99
Non-Member
Join NAGC today to save on registration fees
$129
Student
Discounted price for students
$79
Group Rate
The price below is for a group of 5 or more individuals
$129
$79
Save $50 per person by registering as a group!

Why You Should Attend

I use the symposium to keep my knowledge current, and also as an advocacy tool, to show decision makers the value of gifted education, talent development, and enrichment in a state where it’s not mandated. Thank you for this accessible and affordable opportunity.
Dee
2025 Attendee
There is so much work to do in the area of equitable gifted education for Black and Brown students. It's necessary work and it is doable. We just have to continue advocating and educating ourselves and one another about ways we can be more intentional and consistent in our efforts.
Tamara
2024 Attendee
Most PD I attend on gifted does not focus specifically on underrepresented groups when that is the group I most need to address. Providing strategies, hearing from some gifted students from marginalized groups, and hearing how best families and teachers can support these students was extremely helpful.
Teresa
2024 Attendee
It's helpful to hear what others are doing to close the gaps and level the field for each student to be seen and valued.
Tia
2024 Attendee

Register

This symposium focuses on practical ways to build programs and systems that support equitable access to advanced learning for years to come. Register for the 2026 Opportunity & Access Symposium today!