The Golden State Connection 2027

(Keynote Session by Ben Schettler) In a confused and chaotic culture, it can feel like Christianity is in retreat. Ben Schettler provides keys to biblical worldview shaping, advancing truth in an education paradigm, and equipping Gen Z and Gen Alpha to thrive!

(Administrative Session by Dr. Deborah Miller) Healthy, mission-aligned relationships between the school board and the head of school are essential to the long-term stability and vitality of a Christian school. This session provides leaders with a framework for cultivating trust, clarity, and collaborative partnership with their board—particularly the board chair. Participants will gain insight into the structural, relational, and missional dynamics that characterize strong governance-leadership alignment and learn strategies for proactively nurturing these relationships. 

(Early Childhood Session by Dr. Julie Madsen) In the classroom, the use of Pathways for Preschool and Footsteps for Fours fosters age-appropriate developmental skills and discovery learning. Learn creative management tips and lesson planning strategies for educators of early childhood education.

(Elementary Session by Jamie Meachum) A strong foundation in phonics is key in reading instruction. Let’s look at the importance of phonics as the first step.

(Upper Elementary Session by Rachel Cruice) Friendship can feel like everything—or nothing—in the life of an elementary-aged girl. One moment there are giggles and shared secrets, and the next, hurt feelings and broken bonds. In this workshop, we will discuss how we can help our girls navigate the ups and downs of friendships in a way that pleases Christ.

(Middle and High School Session by Pam Litzenberger) "Students say, “It hurts to think!” or “It’s hard!” Our students must do more than just memorize facts and formulas. In this workshop, we will discuss the levels of thought and how you can encourage critical thinking in your math classroom, using specific examples from BJU Press math textbooks. Learn practical ways you can challenge your students to learn to problem-solve and build their critical-thinking skills."

(Middle and High School Session by Dr. Bryan Smith) Can writing, grammar, and literature be taught Christianly? Absolutely—but only if we approach these subjects in the right way. Effective biblical integration in English focuses on Christian worldview shaping. Students learn Christianly as they are taught to see English from a Christian worldview. Learn about effective practices that will enable you to achieve core language arts objectives in a distinctively Christian way.

(General Session by Dr. Jenny Copeland) Incorporating technology into your classroom should take your instruction to the next level—not hijack your preparation time! Discover some amazing tools that will help you manage your classroom and motivate your students without tons of work behind the scenes.

(General Session by Cindy Dickinson) Do you feel like your students sometimes just aren’t getting it? Are you looking for ways to provide differentiated instruction or new ways to present concepts? Instructional strategies are like vehicles that get students from where they are to where they need to be. Learn instructional strategies that can be used to differentiate. Discuss and determine which strategies can meet your students’ needs best. Leave with a list of instructional strategies that you can use in your classroom right away.

(General Session by Dr. Rebecca Weier) The way we think and talk about our life matters. We want to help students to develop the language and thought patterns that encourage growth. As students recognize that failure is a stepping stone to success and learn to take appropriate risks, they grow.

(General Session by Erin Burchik) "Discover how this new AI platform can strengthen biblical worldview instruction and support both teachers and students in your school. Join us for a special workshop introducing BJU Press AI by TrekAi—a groundbreaking AI platform trained on BJU Press materials and built to guide learning through a biblical lens and the Socratic method. This session will explore how BJU Press AI by TrekAi empowers teachers with time-saving tools like quiz and rubric generators, paper proofreading, and a lesson plan generator, all while providing students with on-demand academic support, review, and personalized learning—without just giving away the answers. School leaders will get a firsthand look at the platform’s capabilities, its faith-aligned design, and how it integrates seamlessly with BJU Press resources."

(Administrative Session by Dr. Deborah Miller) This session will equip heads of school to “lead up"—to provide support and direction to the board in their own professional development. We will review the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities that boards should have in order to fulfill their role effectively as strategic board members. This session will also suggest strategies school leaders can adopt to develop high-functioning board members who know their roles and are able to do them well.

(Early Childhood Session by Dr. Julie Madsen) In this session, learn how to encourage growth in your students by using a biblical worldview in all aspects of teaching. You will learn how to incorporate biblical teaching in your classroom to strengthen your students’ emotional skills, cognitive development, spiritual growth, and thinking habits. This session also covers Christian values to instill in students, such as compassion, honesty, love, and forgiveness.

(Elementary Session by Cindy Dickinson) Teachers play many roles in the classroom. One of the most important is being a classroom manager. Learn how to organize your classroom from a biblical perspective to benefit both your students and yourself. If you don’t manage your classroom, your students will!

(Elementary Session by Rachel Cruice) “Take out your worksheet . . .” is often met with groans as students face yet another page of routine practice. But what if those same worksheets could become engaging, interactive experiences instead? In this workshop, you’ll discover simple, low-prep ways to transform everyday worksheets into activities your students will actually enjoy. You’ll walk away with practical strategies you can implement as soon as Monday. Let’s turn the ordinary into something your students are excited to dive into!

(Elementary Session by Jamie Meachum) Why are reading groups important? Do they really make a difference? We’ll look at tips for creating and maintaining successful reading groups in the classroom.

(Middle and High School Session by Dr. Rebecca Weier) The advice to “study harder” often causes discouragement for students who are already trying but not finding success. Explore five study strategies that lead to success in STEM-related subjects! This session is geared toward high school-level math and science teachers.

(General Session by Dr. Jenny Copeland) Technology is no longer a novelty in education; it is a vital and powerful force in education. But while we focus our attention on finding the newest tool or incorporating the most fabulous app, are we remaining vigilant of the potential misuses of technology? Everyday technology tools have made cheating incredibly easy, but unfortunately, the strategies students are using to cheat are often beyond what educators would have even considered! This session will present specific cheating methods as well as specific safeguarding and accountability strategies. Come get ideas for how to protect your classroom and your students! 

(General Session by Pam Litzenberger) Are you the teacher who is in the profession for the summers off, break days, and 8 AM–3 PM hours? Is it just a job? Or do you desire to be the teacher who enters the teaching field to reach those difficult students and open the door to learning for them? There is a middle ground here. How can we become an effective teacher—a master teacher—the kind every administrator wants to clone—but without school taking over our lives 24/7?

(General Session by Dr. Bryan Smith) So you know about the importance of a biblical worldview, and you know about Creation, Fall, and Redemption. What’s next? Now it’s time to dig into some of the important complexities of biblical worldview shaping in education. In this session, we will discuss how CFR can help us analyze and evaluate the thorny issues we face as educators. We will also begin to implement a strategy that can get us started in planning an entire year of instruction.

(Administrative Session by Dr. Deborah Miller) Every board has its challenges, but some consistently struggle with patterns of dysfunction that undermine mission effectiveness. This session will examine the qualities of healthy and dysfunctional boards, diagnose common roots of dysfunction, and suggest redemptive strategies to help boards move toward unity, clarity, accountability, and purposeful governance.

(Early Childhood and Lower Elementary School Session by Dr. Julie Madsen) Keeping young students consistently engaged and motivated is one of the most joyful and challenging aspects of teaching. This session explores strategies and practical techniques to foster intrinsic motivation in little learners. Participants will gain insights into the developmental needs of early childhood, the role of relationships and environment in sustaining engagement, and how to design meaningful learning experiences that spark curiosity, independence, and persistence.

(Elementary Session by Cindy Dickinson) Math can be an engaging and exciting subject to teach. It is so much more than just recalling and memorizing. Interested in current ideas for your math classroom? Join me to discover ways you can M.A.T.H. M—make it interesting, A—add to their knowledge, T—take it to the next level, and H—find out how they did. By engaging, instructing, applying, and assessing, you can take your math classes as well as your students to the next level.

(Elementary Session by Jamie Meachum) Watching students develop skills in reading is rewarding! Both the student and the teacher get excited when progress is made. In this session we will explore clear, objective methods for assessing reading, and remove the guesswork from the grade.

(Middle and High School Session by Pam Litzenberger)

(General Session by Rachel Cruice) “What’s a verb again?” We’ve all been there! In this engaging workshop, discover why some learning sticks while other information seems to vanish overnight. Explore research-based strategies—including retrieval practice, spaced review, and meaningful engagement—that help move learning into long-term memory. You’ll leave with practical, classroom-ready techniques for making lessons more memorable, strengthening retention, and helping students build knowledge that lasts.

(General Session by Dr. Jenny Copeland) Introducing Trove, the premier learning platform for teachers and students using BJU Press materials. Building on the best features of our previous technology solutions, Trove makes it easier than ever to find instructional resources, build sharable lesson plans, create digital or printed assessments, and interact with students in an online format. Join me to learn more!

(Middle and High School Session by Dr. Rebecca Weier) Zig Ziglar said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” Every year we see students finish high school with stellar grades who struggle to manage their lives on their own when they graduate. Learn the four attitudes that will propel your students to thrive personally, academically, socially, and spiritually.

(Keynote Session by Dr. Bryan Smith) We live in an age of secular unbelief. For that reason, we need to convey to our young people not just an understanding of the Christian faith, but also skill in defending it. The challenge is that there are different approaches to defending the faith, and these approaches can be very confusing. But there is a way forward: The Bible itself shows us how to defend belief in God and His Word. That’s what we need to teach to our young people.