Join Us

Register now for our 12th annual conference, themed Building the Future We Want: Increasing Equitable Postsecondary Attainment, on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. This year’s in-person, one-day conference will be held at I Hotel & Illinois Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois. The conference is an engaging learning opportunity designed for leaders from secondary and postsecondary education, local and state government, community-based organizations, policy advocates, grantmakers, employers, and other stakeholders interested in equitably increasing postsecondary attainment in Illinois.

Early Bird Pricing

A special price of $65 is now available for the first 100 paid registrants. Prices will increase to $75 once the early bird spots sell out, so register now!

Keynote Speaker

Wil Del Pilar, PhD is senior vice president at Ed Trust, a national policy and advocacy group. In his role, Wil spearheads Ed Trust’s mission to highlight inequities and outline solutions in order to improve access, success, affordability, and completion in higher education for low-income students and students of color. Prior to joining Ed Trust, Wil served in Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s administration as deputy secretary of postsecondary and higher education, where he developed and implemented the state’s strategic vision for higher education. Before joining Governor Wolf’s team, Wil had experience in the Pennsylvania Department of Education, working as an executive assistant in the state’s higher education office. In this role, he managed an array of services for the state, including the College Access Challenge Grant and the Pennsylvania Information Management System. Aside from working for Pennsylvania’s Department of Education in higher education policy roles, Wil has held senior development positions, as the director of development at Pennsylvania State University and at the University of Florida’s Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program. In both positions, he fought to secure funding to support access and success initiatives for historically underrepresented students. In addition to his policy and development experience, Wil has a wealth of institutional experience, working in admissions at Chapman University in Orange, California, and the University of California Santa Cruz, as a financial aid counselor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and as a research assistant at Penn State. Wil holds a doctorate in higher education/higher education administration from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from California State University-Dominguez Hills, and a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University.

Preliminary Agenda

Additional session information is coming soon!

8:00–9:00 a.m. | Breakfast & Networking

9:00–10:15 a.m. | Welcome & Opening Plenary

  • Keynote speaker: Wil del Pilar, PhD, Senior Vice President, Education Trust

10:25–11:20 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions 

  • Navigating the Future: An In-depth Look at the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations Framework
  • Successful Dual Credit Partnerships and How They Increase Enrollment
  • From Application to Approval: Navigating the College and Career Pathway Endorsement with  the Illinois State Board of Education
  • Breaking Barriers: Communicating College & Career Pathways to Students and Families
  • Building Blocks for Equity… Literally

11:30 a.m.–12:25 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

  • FAFSA Updates
  • Employer Panel: Work-Based Learning in Northern Kane County
  • Growing Future Educators: Building a Pathway for Change at Crete-Monee High School
  • Improving and Accelerating Access to Credentials and Degrees for Working Adults in the Early Childhood Field
  • Supporting Students in Rural Communities

12:35–2:00 p.m. | Lunch & Student Voices

2:15–3:10 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

  • Student Perspectives on College and Career Pathway Endorsements and Career and Technical Education
  • Thinking Longitudinally: Using Data to Support Postsecondary Readiness and Success
  • High-Quality Criteria for Pathways and Work-Based Learning
  • Partnering Industry and Education for Student Success
  • Foundations for Equitable Systems: Policy Updates
  • Post-Pandemic Learning Renewal: Lessons Learned and Lingering Equity Issues

3:20–4:15 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

  • Higher Education Funding
  • Chronic Absenteeism: How It Started and How It’s Going
  • Regional Collaboration for Student Success: Authentic School and College Partnerships
  • Bridging the Gap: Supporting ‘Some College, No Credential’ Learners

FAQs

Will there be parking?

Yes! Complimentary parking will be available.

Yes! Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included.

Advanced registration is required. For a quicker check-in process on the conference day, please have your ticket with the QR code ready at the check-in tables (digital or print).

Yes! ISAC will provide professional development hours for ISBE educator licensure or continuing education credits through the Illinois Department of Financial Regulations. Completion of the evaluation survey at the conclusion of the conference is required to earn PD hours or CE credits.

The I Hotel room block is now full. Fortunately, the Champaign area has many hotels nearby.

Register Now

Having trouble? Visit the Eventbrite page.