The LEArning Curve

Attending the LEA Convocation can be a ministry-changing experience. Numerous professional development and spiritual growth opportunities are available for attendees, along with opportunities for social interaction with like-minded educators and friends. To help you make the most of your experience, a series of summer blogs will provide tips to help you prepare for the 2025 Convocation. The blogs are authored by Paul Piel, LEA’s Technology Project Coordinator, and Denise Rice, Director of Educational Resources for LEA. Both have attended numerous Convocations as participants, volunteers, and staff members of LEA. Today’s blog will focus on pre-convocation tips.

Registration:

LEA’s new registration site makes the process easier. A Helpful Tips guide is available by clicking HERE. PRO TIP:  If attending as a group, it is easier and faster to designate one contact person to register all attendees from your school. This can be done by linking multiple attendees together using the ‘Add Another Individual’ tab on the online registration form. This automatically fills in the school information for each attendee being registered, and changes can be made more quickly.

• Do you need to make changes or updates to your registration?
  • If registered as part of a group, contact the individual who entered the registration. This is your contact person who has access to updating registrations.
  • Individuals can make changes by accessing their account.
  • To make changes to a registration, the person who registered should have received directions on how to access the account at the bottom of the confirmation receipt. By using the personalized directions, you should have access to either the group account or the individual account. If you can’t find your confirmation receipt, please contact the LEA office at lea@lea.org.
  • If help is still needed, contact Julie Klopke, LEA’s Director of Member Services, at 708-209-3343 or the LEA Convocation Help Desk at leaconvo25@arrowhead.freshdesk.com
• Looking to save money on your registration? Register before September 1^st to avoid a significant increase in registration rates after that date. Information on registration and hotel rates can be found HERE.
• Are you planning to use Title Funds? Please complete the LEA Planning Guide form and submit it to the LEA office. The form can be found HERE. For helpful information on using Title Funds, click HERE.

Sectionals:

With over 175 sectionals to choose from, professional development and spiritual growth opportunities abound. Choose from general sectionals that apply to all attendees or look for sectionals that apply to your area of expertise.

• A list of sectionals, including Title, Presenter Name, and Description, can be found HERE. Or, a list of sectional titles by Time Slot is available HERE.
• If you want to see a list of sectionals that have been curated for your area of ministry, go to the LEA Convocation page on our website and look under our Sectional List drop-down menu.
• When choosing Saturday’s sectionals, our Featured Speakers have topics that relate to the whole ministry of the church and school. These would be great to attend together as a faculty or department.

Two New Features Available Through the Registration Site:

LEA is offering Box Lunches and Together Spirit Wear as options this year! You can make selections for both when you register. If you have already registered, you can still add items by updating your registration. All items will be charged to your registration fees.

• Box lunches are available for pre-purchase ($30 each) on both Thursday and Friday. These will be available in a designated area for quick and easy pick-up. Options for both days include:
  • Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich with Lettuce, Tomato, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon Aioli, on Ciabatta, with Kettle Chips (V, AVG), Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Water
  • Shaved Roast Beef Sandwich with Red Onion, Arugula, Pepperjack Cheese, Horseradish Aioli, on an Onion Round, with Kettle Chips (V, AVG), Blondie, and Water.
  • Italian Salad (V, AVG) Mixed Greens, Tomato, Onions, Kalamata Olives, Artichokes, Provel Cheese, Red Peppers, and Italian Dressing, with Kettle Chips (V, AVG), Apple, and Water.
  • Turkey Cobb Salad (AVG) Mixed Greens, Smoked Turkey, Bacon, Tomato, Red Onion, Avocado, Egg, Blue Cheese Crumbles, and Ranch Dressing, with Kettle Chips (V, AVG), Orange, and Water
  • Garden Vegetable Wrap (VEG) with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Squash, Red Pepper Sauce, in a Spinach Wrap, with Kettle Chips (V, AVG), Apple, and Water
• LEA Convocation Branded Clothing may be pre-ordered before September 15 and will be shipped to your designated address. Order shirts for the whole faculty and ship to one address! Shipping is a $5.00 flat fee, regardless of the order size. Items include:
  • Men’s (XS-5XL) and Ladies (XS-4XL) Performance Polos in White or Platinum – $34
  • Men’s (XS-4XL) and Ladies (XS-3XL) Fleece Vests in Heather Charcoal – $48
  • Adult Classic ¼ Zip Sweatshirt (S-3XL) in Oxford or White – $40
  • Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirt (S-5XL) in White – $20
  • Long Sleeve T-Shirt (S-3XL) in White – $25

Planning Your Days:

Whether this is your first Convocation or your 15^th, you will want to keep abreast of what’s happening, and we have you covered.

• Do you need a copy of the schedule or other information? You can find helpful information in two places: LEA Convocation (on the LEA website) and at Convocation Registration.
• A third place for information will be the app (available September 1st). You will be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule, browse exhibitors, maps, and general convocation information. The app is free. Download the ‘Guidebook’ application from the App Store. From this application, tap “Download Guides.” Enter “2025 LEA Convocation” in the search bar to find and download our guide. 

Additional Information:

Other helpful information is as follows:

• Hotel reservations cannot be made before registering for the Convocation. When completing your registration, the link to the hotel registration becomes available.
• The Thursday Night Banquet is the only assigned seating at Convocation.
  • Everyone listed as part of a group will be seated together. Depending on the size of the group, it may be split into smaller groups, but they will be seated at adjacent tables.
  • If you registered someone as “New Kindergarten Teacher” or another type of placeholder, OR if you add (or subtract) people from your staff, you need to update registration as soon as you know names. Also, please notify Denise Rice directly at denise.rice@lea.org immediately with the changes. Alterations to the seating chart can be made until Friday, September 12^th. After that date, LEA will no longer guarantee that your group will be seated together.
• To avoid confusion or issues, please sit at your assigned table. This is especially important for servers who need to identify attendees with special dietary needs and allergies so they can provide the correct meal.
• Your assigned table number for Thursday’s banquet will be on your nametag. 
• There will be hosts and a printed seating chart to help you find your table that evening.
• Dress for all portions of the convocation is educator casual. Dress in what makes you comfortable as you grow in your ministry.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Convocation. Always remember, if you have any questions, you can email us at lea@lea.org. And look for another set of helpful tips in a few weeks.