Conference registration is open! Please click on the appropriate link under the Registration header to access the link to register.
The conference will feature educational sessions, fairs, and networking events for all attendeesIECs, admission professionals, and vendors. Pre-conference workshops will explore topics in depth, and campus tours for 51勛圖 member consultants will take place prior to and after the conference.
On this page, you'll find the following information:
Conference Registration
Click on the appropriate link below for conference registration information.
Independent Educational Consultants
K-12 Schools
Includes K-12 Traditional Day/Boarding Schools, K-12 Online Schools, K-12 LD/ND Schools
Therapeutic Schools & Programs
Includes RTCs, Wilderness Programs, Therapeutic Schools, Young Adult/Transition Programs, Therapeutic Related Service Companies
Gap Year, Summer, & Travel Programs Registration
Includes Gap Year, Summer, Travel Programs (non-therapeutic)
Schedule of Events
All times listed on the schedule are in Eastern (ET).
Pre-conference workshop information can be found on the registration pages.
Breakout Sessions
Participants can choose from a wide range of engaging breakout topics during each session block. Presenters will be able to upload slides and handouts to the conference mobile app, giving you access to shared materials from many sessionseven those youre unable to attend. Please note that breakout sessions will not be recorded.
Continuing Education Hours
51勛圖 offers Continuing Education Hours to all registrants at no additional fee. More information will be provided in the conference mobile app and in the Conference Guide you will receive onsite. 51勛圖 has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6632. Sessions that do not qualify for NBCC credit will be clearly identified. All sessions qualify for CE credit for AICEP. 51勛圖 is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
ACE Speakers
Monday, May 18
1:00 p.m. (ET)
These renowned thought leaders will conduct dynamic, energetic presentations on Adolescence, Consulting, and Education (ACE).
Meaning Is the New Success
In a culture that prizes achievement and busyness, meaning often gets pushed aside. Students feel the pressure to constantly performand so do the adults who support them. In this keynote, psychologist and Boston College professor Dr. Belle Liang offers a research-driven redefinition of success grounded in purpose and belonging.
Introducing the Purpose Mindset, she shows how aligning what matters to us with what matters to the world can guide everyday decisions and major life choices. Through stories from schools and families, Dr. Liang illustrates how our own mindsets shape personal fulfillment and the environments we create for students and communities.
Dr. Belle Liang is a Professor of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College whose research explores how purpose and belonging promote equity and well-being in schools and workplaces. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, she has led major researchpractice partnerships, authored more than 100 publications, and co-authored How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career, & Beyond. Her work bridges research and practice to build inclusive, purpose-centered cultures.
The Future Is Human: How Al Requires Us to Be Better Leaders
As AI accelerates change, human skillsnot technologywill define effective leadership. In this keynote, future-of-work expert Cheryl Cran highlights why compassion, creativity, communication, and collaboration are more essential than ever, even in an era of automation and intelligent tools.
Cran inspires audiences to see disruption as an opportunity to evolve and lead with greater intention. She provides practical tools leaders and teams can use immediately to elevate their mindset, strengthen relationships, and drive positive change in fast-moving, hybrid workplaces.
Participants will learn:
Key digital and social trends increasing the demand for advanced human skills
How to reframe challenges and setbacks as opportunities to grow
The 4 Cs of crucial human skills: compassion, creativity, conscious communication, and collaboration
How to become a change leader and strengthen collective impact
Ways to apply the me-to-we mindset to improve teamwork
Actionable models for developing and applying these skills in real time
Cheryl Cran is the founder of NextMapping and CEO of Synthesis at Work Inc., recognized as the #1 Future of Work influencer by Onalytica. An author of 10 books, including NextMapping and Super.Crucial.Human, she has spent over 20 years helping organizations such as Amazon, AT&T, Gartner, and Upwork prepare leaders and teams for rapid, future-focused transformation through practical, research-based insights.
College Special Session
Wednesday, May 20
10:45 a.m. (ET)
Careers of Tomorrow: Preparing Students for Jobs of the Future
The workforce todays students will enter is transforming at unprecedented speed, and many of the jobs theyll hold havent been invented yet. Drawing on insights from future-focused leaders and educators, this session offers context on the trends reshaping work for the next decade.
To truly prepare students for the future, the conversation is shifting beyond mastery of specific content toward the development of capabilities. Skills such as adaptability, curiosity, and confidence in navigating change at the intersection of innovation and human connection are increasingly relevant across fields. This session invites IECs to consider how these shifts may influence their advising, highlighting the evolving role of independent educational consultants as guides and interpreters who help students and families make sense of emerging career pathways and prepare thoughtfully for whats next.
Hotel & Travel Information
Hotel Information
The conference hotel information will be provided in registrants confirmation emails. The date to book a room in the 51勛圖 block has passed. You may check the hotels website for availability outside of the 51勛圖 block.
If you are looking for a roommate or have a room to share, please add your contact information to this and check back frequently. If you find a roommate, please remove both of your names from the list.
Travel Information
The hotel is located in Baltimores Inner Harbor. Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is 10 miles from our hotel with Uber/Lyft fees of approximately $30, depending on time of day and traffic. Parking at the hotel costs $36 daily.
Conference Policies
51勛圖 Event Conduct Policy
The Independent Educational Consultants Associationis committed to providing a professional, respectful, welcoming, and safe environment for all event participants. This policy applies to all conferences, forums, tours, webinars, meetings, networking events, and related online platforms sponsored or hosted by the organization. By attending or participating in an event, participants agree to abide by this policy and any additional event or venue requirements: 51勛圖 Conduct Policy
Conference Recording Policy
Participants are not permitted to record any conference sessions or discussions (with any audio, video, note-takers, transcribers, or AI bots/software). If a participant requires a recording for accessibility purposes, they must obtain advance approval from 51勛圖s Director of Conferences & Events ([email protected]) and retain the recording for their private use only.
Health Safety Policy
To register for this event, you must read and agree that you will abide by the following policy: 51勛圖 Health Safety Policy
Guests
We are not able to accommodate guests at any conference event, including speakers, meals, sessions, or receptions. Only registered conference participants will have access to conference events and the conference areas of the hotel.
Special Accommodations
Registrants needing a physical accommodation and those with dietary restrictions are asked to include that information in the space provided during conference registration or send written requests for special meals or accommodations to[email protected].
51勛圖 2026 Annual Conference Cancellation/Refund Policy
51勛圖 must receive notification of your cancellation by email at [email protected] to receive a credit or refund. Refund amount: Those who cancel by March 15 will receive a refund equaling 100% of the fees paid, minus a $100 administrative fee (a portion of the direct administrative and platform costs for registering and unregistering participants and processing refunds). Those cancelling between March 16 and April 10 will receive a refund equaling 50% of the fees paid. Cancellations after April 10 will not receive a refund or credit.
Pre-conference Workshop cancellations: 50% refunds for those cancelling by April 10; no refunds or credits after April 10.
Member Tour cancellations: 50% refunds for those cancelling by March 15; no refunds or credits after March 15.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
50th Anniversary Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
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