267 participants joined 12 IMESD staff and 15 presenters for a day of professional learning on October 9, 2026. Attendees came from 18 districts: John Day, Pendleton, Pilot Rock, Ukiah, Helix, Athena-Weston, Milton-Freewater, North Powder, Echo, Ione, Hermiston, Morrow County, Umatilla, Nixyaawii, La Grande, Stanfield, and Baker, along with IMESD itself.

With 40 sessions on the schedule, there was something for everyone. Sessions were open to K-12 teachers, counselors, administrators, substitute teachers, classified professionals, specialists, and student support staff. A catered lunch and a simple breakfast were provided, and participants received PDUs for attending.

The day was anchored by keynote speaker Adam Welcome, whose message, “Everything is Contagious!”, challenged educators to stop talking about what they want to do and start doing it. Participants were invited to dive deep, get personal, and leave with strategies to focus on what matters most, plus a plan to put those strategies to work with their teams.

Thank you to everyone who made the summit possible: our presenters, the staff at Pendleton High School and Pendleton School District, the Pendleton High School Leadership students, the IMESD team, and every educator who gave up a day to learn alongside colleagues.