22 Must-attend Conferences and Webinars | Spring 2025 Edition

New Jersey's educators consistently demonstrate their dedication to professional growth, leveraging a wealth of resources to enhance their skills and create dynamic learning environments. This unwavering commitment to self-improvement often places New Jersey at the forefront of prestigious national rankings in education.

Conferences have long been vital hubs for professional networking, idea exchange, and career development. In recent years, the landscape of professional development has undergone a significant transformation, breaking down geographical barriers and opening up unprecedented opportunities for educators. New Jersey-based teachers now have the ability to participate in events not just within the state, but across the country and around the world.

The following list showcases a variety of professional development events that reflect this new, interconnected educational landscape. These opportunities cater to educators seeking to refine their teaching methods and stay at the forefront of educational innovation.

Please note: All times listed in the blog are Eastern Standard Time.

April

New Jersey State Bar Foundation Conference of New Educators
New Jersey Law Center, One Constitution Square, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
April 9, 2025  
8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Free

This conference is best suited for college seniors, master's-level students and educators/school counselors with fewer than five years of experience. This year's keynote speech is focused on grief and how to understand and support loss in any school.

NJSLS Learning Lounge: More Than Just a Month: Sikh American History
Virtual
April 9, 2025  
3 - 4 p.m.

NJSLS provides elementary and social studies educators with knowledge and resources about underrepresented historical narratives they can relay to their students. In April's professional development session, attendees receive an overview of Sikhism and the contributions of Sikh Americans from the 19th century to the present day.

Epidemics in the United States
Rutgers Academic Building, West Wing
15 Seminary Place, 6th Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8542
April 11, 2025
$35

Learn how epidemic diseases, like COVID-19 and its variants, have impacted society over centuries. Other topics include evolving theories on disease causation, patient activism, contemporary policy, how public health measures develop and more.

Tech Tools for Student Modalities
Virtual
April 15, 2025  
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. 
Free

New tech tools have changed how teachers can encourage their students to engage with content. Learn how VR, AI, Canva, TikTok and YouTube can effectively support student learning. 
 

Harnessing the Power of Graphic Novels in the Classroom
Virtual 
April 29, 2025
4:30 - 6:30 p.m. 
Free (must be NJEA member to sign up)

Graphic novels hold more power than you'd think, being incredibly useful tools for literacy and engagement in the classroom. Through this workshop, educators will learn how students can benefit from incorporating graphic novels into their reading journeys. 


Lauren Leigh Kelly: Motivating students to read, write, and think in grades 6-12 through Hip Hop texts and other evidenced based strategies
Rutgers Douglass Student Center
April 30, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Onsite registration fee: $180

Learn how to engage in hip-hop and youth culture without looking like a complete nerd in front of students. At this workshop, educators learn strategies that help bridge the gap between classroom learning and cultural practices. 

Talking About Race
New Jersey Law Center 
1 Constitution Square 
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
April 30, 2025
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Free

Educators learn the best strategies to speak intentionally about race and confront racist ideas and policies. Additionally, attendees will discover which strategies are best to use with students to help examine privilege and intersectionality. 

May

The Caribbean in the making of the West
Rutgers Academic Building, West Wing
15 Seminary Place, 6th Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8542
May 2, 2025
$35

Marisa Fuentes is the associate professor of the Department of History and Women's & Gender Studies at Rutgers University and is bringing early Caribbean history to the forefront. To recenter the Caribbean in world history, this seminar will explore Caribbean history, from the first interactions between Europeans and Indigenous peoples, to early forms of capitalism, racial slavery, racial hierarchy, and exploitative labor systems.


New Jersey Special Education Summit: Advancing Special Education Through Equity, Innovation, and Collaboration
Foundation for Educational Administration 
12 Centre Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831
May 2, 2025
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
$150

Learn practical solutions to support students with disabilities from education leaders based in New Jersey and across the United States.


Unconscious Bias
New Jersey Law Center 
1 Constitution Square 
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
May 6, 2025
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Free

Unconscious (or implicit) bias is in us all systemically. This workshop invites attendees to learn how unconscious bias appears so they can address it in themselves and their schools. 

Next Generation Teacher Symposium
48 New Street Newark, NJ 07102
May 6, 2025
2 - 6 p.m. 
Free

Are you an educator advocate looking to be inspired? Join us at the Next Generation Teacher Symposium to hear from our graduating seniors and future generation of teachers! Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone passionate about teaching. Don't miss out on this chance to learn, grow, and be a part of the future of education. Secure your spot today!

Tech Tactics in Education 2025: Thriving in the Age of AI
Virtual  
May 7, 2025
8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 
Free

Absorb the latest thinking on AI, cybersecurity, data, ed tech and more through hands-on learning and interactive discussion. Attendees will leave this conference as stronger technology leaders. 

The Role of the School Climate Team
New Jersey Law Center 
1 Constitution Square 
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
May 8, 2025
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Free

Members of School Climate Teams (SCT) better understand the team's important role in creating and maintaining a positive school climate. 
 

NJ STEM Enterprises and Alliances Showcase
Kean University – STEM Building
May 10, 2025
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
$100

STEM business leaders collaborate with public partners to help resolve workforce, economic and education challenges impacting New Jersey and the state's industries. 


Restorative Justice: Tier 3
New Jersey Law Center 
1 Constitution Square 
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
May 15, 2025
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Free

Restorative Justice can help students positively re-integrate into school after an absence. This approach is used in schools because it is proactive, builds community and helps address harm and conflict. 

43rd Annual NJASA/NJAPSA Spring Leadership Conference: Uniting, Empowering, Celebrating: Education Matters
Caesars, Atlantic City, NJ
May 14-16, 2025
No fee for NJASA members
Non-member full conference: $599
Non-member day pass: $299

Small group roundtable discussions were just added to the conference this year, in addition to the 40+ workshops and two keynote speakers. Topics range from women in leadership and change agency in school innovation to building a culture of continuous learning and softening mental health returns. 


NJTESOL 2025 Spring Conference
Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Brunswick
May 20-22, 2025
$200-$300

This year's topic is Intersectionality: Shaping Experiences & Creating Opportunities. As part of the theme, attendees access sessions that offer strategies for multilingual classrooms, building confidence in writing, improving language learning and more.


New Jersey Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
The College of New Jersey
May 30, 2025  
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 
$185-$215

This year's theme is how to invest in teacher excellence so math teachers feel empowered and confident. 

June

Summer Inclusion Leadership Conference
Kean University – Union, New Jersey
June 6, 2025
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 
$75-$125

Discover how Multi-Tiered System of Supports and inclusive education work together and what actions are needed to support their alignment. 


Law and Disability Conference
NJ Law Center (1 Constitution Square, New Brunswick)
June 10, 2025
9:20 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Free

This year's key conference issues include housing, immigration, juvenile justice and domestic violence. Educators may be particularly interested in Workshop 3, which helps them better understand the rights of children with behavioral health diagnoses in the school and juvenile justice systems. 

Summer Music Educators Workshop
Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing
June 28–July 1, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
$75

Create more joy in the classroom to empower deeper learning experiences through music. This conference equips music teachers with strategies to foster joyful environments that sustain a lifelong love of music. 

4th Annual New Jersey Forensic Science Education Conference
New Jersey Institute of Technology
June 30 - July 2, 2025  
8 a.m.–3 p.m.
$500

This conference invests in forensic science education at the pre-college level and helps increase forensic-science knowledge in middle and high school teachers. 

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.