Each summer, educators from across the country travel to Hillsdale for our annual conference in classical education. Whether you are brand new to classical education or a seasoned veteran, the summer conference provides all teachers at Hillsdale-supported schools a chance to reflect on their work and prepare for the coming academic year.

To provide for teachers, staff, and school leaders who are unable to travel at this time, many of the conference sessions will be recorded and available at this website after the conference.

Session 1

Sunday, June 19 to Thursday, June 23

  • 7th-12th Grade
  • Art
  • Music
  • Physical Education
  • Latin
  • Modern Foreign Language

Session 2

Thursday, June 23 to Sunday, June 26

  • School Leaders and Administration
  • Special Education
  • Office Personnel
  • College Counselors

Session 3

Sunday, June 26 to Thursday, June 30

  • Kindergarten
  • 1st Grade
  • 2nd Grade
  • 3rd Grade
  • 4th Grade
  • 5th Grade
  • 6th Grade

Attendees at Session 2 are welcome to come early or stay late to attend either or both of the other sessions.

If a teacher's courseload includes subjects or grade levels that are covered in separate sessions, he or she may choose which session to attend.

Conference Information about Session 2

Special Guests

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Daniel Willingham

Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia

Daniel Willingham is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-12 education. He writes the “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” column for American Educator magazine, and is the author of several books. His writing on education has appeared in seventeen languages and in 2017 he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences.

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Ian Rowe

Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Ian Rowe is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on education and upward mobility, family formation, and adoption. Mr. Rowe is also the cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies, a new network of character-based International Baccalaureate high schools opening in the Bronx in 2022; the chairman of the board of Spence-Chapin, a nonprofit adoption services organization; and the cofounder of the National Summer School Initiative. He concurrently serves as a senior visiting fellow at the Woodson Center and a writer for the 1776 Unites Campaign.

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Michael Maibach

Distinguished Fellow on American Federalism, Save Our States

Michael Maibach is a seasoned professional in global business diplomacy, advisor to non-profit organizations, and a supporter of vital civic causes. He is a Distinguished Fellow on American Federalism and Save our States, an organization dedicated to defending the Founder's Federalism and the Consititution's Electoral College. He is also the Founder of the Center for the Electoral College.

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Sacred Heart Academy

Showcase School

The classical school world is filled with good ideas. Each year, we invite a school from outside Hillsdale College's network to join us. We are pleased to welcome Sacred Heart Academy during Session 2 this year.  

Sacred Heart Academy is a Catholic K-12 classical school in Grand Rapids, MI. The school was founded in 1903 as the Sacred Heart of Jesus School and re-founded as a classical school in 2013.