Challenge for All
Summit 2027
Overview, Schedule, and Resources
CFA Summit Conveners’ Message
At #CFASummit2027, C stands for Challenge, but also for Collaboration and Community. F asks you to go back to your schools and Finish what you start here so you can help your highly able/gifted students to Flourish. All are included here, but A also stands for Action and Advocacy and invites you to Ask for help from our knowledgeable community. We can't wait to work with you all to help craft and extend the narrative for the gifted and highly able learners in all of our schools! - Anita, Selena, and Cynthia
Participant Guide: Joining, Navigating, and Accessing Sessions
Before the Summit
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At this stage, we kindly ask you to:
Review the schedule and note the timing of each session in your local time zone.
Explore the session descriptions to familiarize yourself with the focus of each talk.
If you encounter any issues accessing the page or have questions about the schedule, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are so glad you’ll be joining us and look forward to an engaging and inspiring Summit together.
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Join a few minutes early to check your audio, video, and connection.
Familiarize yourself with the Lobby before the Summit so you can move easily between sessions.
Keep your Zoom app updated to the latest version for the best experience.
If you have any questions or experience difficulty joining, please email us at ashley.jacob@hagtcollaborative.org and we will be happy to assist you.
During the Summit
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To join the Summit, please use the Zoom Event Link below to enter the Conference Lobby
When you enter, you will arrive at the Lobby tab — this is your main event space. You can visit the Lobby anytime before or during the Conference to get familiar with it, view announcements, and access all sessions from there. We recommend visiting the Lobby before the Summit begins to get comfortable navigating the space and ensuring you can access everything smoothly on the day of the event.
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At the top of the page, you will see three tabs: Lobby, Sessions, and Speakers.
Lobby: Displays announcements, updates, and general event information.
Sessions: Lists all the sessions with their titles, timings, and presenters.
Speakers: Introduces each presenter and the sessions they are part of. You can click on a speaker’s name to learn more about them.
Spend a few minutes exploring these tabs before the Summit begins so you feel comfortable moving between sections.
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To begin the day, join the Lobby where you will see the introductory session listed along with a Join button. Click Join next to the session name to open Zoom and participate directly.
After the introductory session ends, return to the Lobby to explore the other available sessions.
From there, go to the Sessions tab to see all upcoming and ongoing sessions.
When you find one you would like to attend, simply click Join next to that session.
You can return to the Lobby anytime to explore or switch sessions throughout the Summit.
After the Summit
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Recordings of all sessions will be available directly on the Lobby page after the Summit. Once a session is over, the recording will appear there after it has finished processing.
Please note that it may take some time for each recording to become available depending on Zoom’s processing speed. Once processed, you can click on the session title to watch the recording.
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After attending the Summit, we kindly ask that you complete the Feedback Form linked below on this page. Your feedback helps us improve future events and ensure we continue to meet the needs of our global community.
Quick Navigation Links
CFA Summit Lobby
CFA Summit Schedule
Advisory Groups
CFA Summit Padlet
CFA Summit 2027 Schedule
Day 1 (February 5th, 2027)
Laying the Foundation: Welcome, Student Voice and Summit Overview
Advisory Groups - (random) in “Small Fires” - get to know ya!
Breakout Session 1
Dr. Priscilla Bade-White
Strategies to Support Social and Emotional Learning for Gifted Learners
Strand: Nurturing Cognitive & Affective Growth
Breakout Session 2
Dr. Selena Gallagher
Talent Development: An Inclusive Approach for Highly Able Learners
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Breakout Session 3
Cindi Hogwood
Disrupt the Default: Refocusing on Creativity in the Classroom
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Transition & Take Ten
Breakout Session 1
Dr. Anita Louise Churchville
Cognitive Rigor Remix: How to Create Critical Thinking Labs for All Learners
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Breakout Session 2
Dr. Selena Gallagher
Identification in Context
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Breakout Session 3
Cindi Hogwood
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Developing HAGT Services
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Advisory Groups - Network (job-alike)
Laze, Lounge, and Lunch
Breakout Session 1
Desirée Daring
Designing with Data: A Collaborative School Model to Meet the Needs of All Learners (PART 1)
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Breakout Session 2
Rodnella Turner
The Launchpad: Practical Steps for Creating a High Ability Program from Scratch (PART 1)
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Breakout Session 3
Shany Abraham
From Depth to Dimensions: Expanding the Conceptual Sphere for Secondary High-Ability Mathematicians (PART 1)
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Breakout Session 1
Desirée Daring
Designing with Data: A Collaborative School Model to Meet the Needs of All Learners (PART 2)
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Breakout Session 2
Rodnella Turner
The Launchpad: Practical Steps for Creating a High Ability Program from Scratch (PART 2)
Strand: Evidence-Based Pathways to Excellence
Breakout Session 3
Shany Abraham
From Depth to Dimensions: Expanding the Conceptual Sphere for Secondary High-Ability Mathematicians (PART 2)
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Advisory Groups — Coordinate: Review Day 1, plan Day 2 sessions
Day 2 (February 6th, 2027)
Laying the Foundation: Student Voice + Summit Day 2 Overview
Pre-Action Planning with Consultants in School Teams
Breakout Session 1
Maya Krishnadas
When Giftedness Doesn’t Look Like High Achievement: A Case Study of Twice-Exceptional Learners
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Breakout Session 2
Dr. Seth Jaeger
Building Intellectual Resilience in Gifted Learners
Strand: Nurturing Cognitive & Affective Growth
Breakout Session 3
Larissa Watson
What Thinking Feels Like for Gifted Students: Instructional Implications for International Schools
Strand: Nurturing Cognitive & Affective Growth
Breakout Session 4
Dr. Anita Louise Churchville
Learning Support Assistant Session A
Transition & Take Ten
Breakout Session 1
Chandra Poole
Scaffold Up, Not Out: How to Upscale Tier 1 Humanities Organizers to Challenge High-Ability Minds
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Breakout Session 2
Dr. Anita Louise Churchville
Don’t Manage Behavior: Decode It!
Strand: Nurturing Cognitive & Affective Growth
Breakout Session 3
Maya Krishnadas
Learning Support Assistant Session B
Advisory Groups - Network (job-alike)
Laze, Lounge, and Lunch
Breakout Session 1
Linus Velez
Differentiation on Demand: Using AI to Adapt to Learners’ Needs
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Breakout Session 2
Dr. Selena Gallagher
Highly Able Mathematicians in the Elementary Classroom
Strand: Precision Strategies for Unlocking Talent
Breakout Session 3
Cindi Hogwood
From Potential to Well-Being: Strengthening Socio-Emotional Support for High Ability Learners
Strand: Nurturing Cognitive and Affective Growth
Advisory Groups - Teams: Action Planning & Consultation on Next Steps
Closing Remarks, Lightning Share-Outs and... Goodbyes!
CFA Summit Padlet
More From the CFA Summit
CFA Summit Recordings
Access recordings from the CFA Summit to revisit key sessions, insights, and strategies shared by educators.
Share your feedback
Help us figure out how to improve upon and make this Summit even more beneficial for our international community of professionals. Share your honest feedback while it’s fresh
on your mind.
Ongoing Professional Learning
Learning doesn’t end at the Summit! Deepen and widen your professional development through our spring, summer, fall and winter Flex courses.
SUNY Graduate Credit
Attending the CFA Summit for graduate credit? Make sure you have received your coursework from us BEFORE the Summit and have completed it by the due date. Once you have submitted your assignments, we will share your final grades with SUNY so that you can receive 2 graduate credits.