ATLIS 2026 Annual Conference

Do you love the idea of attending the conference, but you aren't sure if your boss will feel the same way? We're here to help! 

Prepare for the conversation

Before reaching out to your boss, be prepared to communicate a few things, including:

The top topics you are interested in:

Think about which tracks best align with your school's mission and vision, as well as your own professional development goals. View the list of sessions to help you plan.

Sessions cover a range of topics, all unique to independent schools, including:

• Operations, IT, and cybersecurity
• Technology for teaching and learning
• Data and institutional research
• Leadership
• AI in Education
• And more

The skills you are hoping to learn and sharpen:

Whether you are hoping to bring back cybersecurity measures, connect with some of your school's vendors who will be represented at the conference, network with indy school thought leaders, or learn about emerging technology for the classroom, be specific in what you hope to take back with you after the event. View the sessions and schedule to better prepare for this conversation.

Calculate the anticipated cost:

Present the cost breakdown to your employer up-front and include opportunities to save so they know you are thinking of ways to save the organization money. (Check out airline discounts offered to attendees, and take advantage of the discount offered for those who stay in the ATLIS room block!)

Note: Focus on the needs and mission of the school and how this will help you address them. If you can tie into how it will impact your school's strategic plan, that is another angle. Don't focus on the details of the conference until you get a conceptual buy-in from your boss.

Talk to your boss

You know your boss the best. If they work better face-to-face, here are some talking points you can use (choose only a few):

• I’d like to invest in my professional development so I can get better at _____________ (fill in the blank with the topics you want to learn more about; cybersecurity, technology for community building, AI in education, leadership skills and strategies, future of ed tech, institutional research…)
• This investment will help me help the school in the following ways: __________________ (ideas: be prepared for a cyber incident, help create policies around our school’s use of AI, learn what we should be doing to prepare for emerging tech…)
• The sessions at the conference will help me address our school's strategic plan (or mission) in the following ways (list out some high-level topics).
• I want to learn from other independent school technology leaders and thought leaders who have had proven results.
• I don’t want to guess what I should or shouldn’t do, especially when it comes to cyber safety for our school. I want to make sure that our technology plans and cybersecurity approaches are sustainable, especially in the age of AI.
• I can learn more about how schools are grappling with artificial intelligence, and find valuable solutions to implement here in our school.
• I want to be the best that I can be in my career with our school. I believe the ATLIS annual conference is a smart investment that can get me there.
• Will you invest in me and our school by approving this request?

Send an e-mail to your boss

Quickly modify the email template below to fit your needs.
NOTE: There are four areas in [ ] that you'll want to customize.

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ATLIS 2026 Annual Conference Justification Letter

Dear [SUPERVISOR'S NAME],

I would like your approval to attend the ATLIS 2026 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, from April 26-29. Significant areas affecting our school's technology as a whole will be covered in-depth at the conference. Attending will help me keep our school prepared for advancements in artificial intelligence, the rise of cyber threats in schools, and emerging educational technology.

Educating myself on these topics, as well as connecting with other independent schools to see how they are tackling them, will put us in a good position to always be prepared for the future.

The conference has been designed to directly address the current needs of independent school technology programs for both ed tech and operations.

I hope to attend the following sessions to help our school's specific needs:
[List out a few sessions you want to attend]

The cost of the conference registration is: [calculate your cost based on the conference registration fee plus a pre-conference workshop, should you plan to attend one]

The hotel and travel cost is [calculate your travel cost by booking your hotel in the room block and checking out airlines discounts found on this page]

Sending me to this conference will be a wise investment of time and funds, as I will be investing in my professional development in these topic areas.

Sincerely,
[INSERT YOUR NAME]

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please email the ATLIS team at conference@theATLIS.org.

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If there's anything else ATLIS staff can do to support your case with your employer, please let us know.