ICIC Annual Conference 2026: From Spark to Scale

For 25 years, Indiana's charter schools have been proving what's possible when communities are given the freedom to innovate. From Spark to Scale celebrates that legacy while looking ahead to what's next.

Join school leaders, board members, educators, and partners from across the state for two days of learning and connection. The conference features panel discussions with practitioners tackling real challenges, speakers sharing fresh perspectives on the future of charter education in Indiana, and dedicated time to collaborate with peers facing the same opportunities and obstacles you are.

Whether you're scaling a proven model or sparking a new idea, this is where Indiana's charter community comes together to learn from each other and move the work forward.

Two days built for Indiana charter school leaders, with timely statewide updates, practical breakout sessions, big-picture conversations, and plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the sector.

We’ll kick off with conversations focused on what’s happening across Indiana and what it means for charter schools, including:

• The state of Indiana's charter school sector and emerging national trends
• Legislative updates and ICIC's advocacy priorities
• Indiana's changing demographics and what they mean for enrollment, staffing, and the future of our schools
• The latest on Indiana's new school accountability system
• Preparing for upcoming changes to referendum and operations levy sharing
• Innovation in action: identifying and removing barriers that make it harder for schools to innovate
• Responsible growth in a mature charter sector
• Networking and happy hour with charter leaders and partners from across Indiana

Friday will feature a full lineup of conversations and breakout sessions designed for school leaders, academic teams, operations staff, finance teams, enrollment professionals, and others working across charter schools.

Topics will include:

• A fireside conversation reflecting on Indiana education and the charter movement
• Recognizing outstanding charter school leaders and schools
• Supporting and sustaining educators and school leaders
• Improving math instruction
• Understanding your school's return on investment
• Leadership development and telling your school's story
• Using data to drive better outcomes
• Time management and systems for school operations teams
• Building an exceptional family experience that supports enrollment
• Financial planning, forecasting, and year-end preparation
• Governance, internal controls, audits, and common financial pitfalls
• Building durable skills through student enterprise and real-world learning
• Moving beyond "Family Night" to create meaningful family and father engagement
• Interactive expert pop-ins where attendees can get help with AI, policy, accountability, finance, enrollment, innovation, and more

And more sessions and speakers are still being added.

This is a preview of planned conference programming. Sessions, speakers, topics, and timing are subject to change as we finalize the full conference agenda.

For those coming in from out of town, we have a room block at Home2Suites in Fishers. The hotel is located in the same parking lot as the Wellington.

You can access the ICIC room block using this link.

Or you can copy the link below:
https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=INDFEHT&arrivalDate=2026-11-11&departureDate=2026-11-14&groupCode=CHTICI&room1NumAdults=1&cid=OM%2CWW%2CHILTONLINK%2CEN%2CDirectLink

Info: The Mind Trust, TogetherEd Partners, Barnes & Thornburg, Project Lead The Way, Ziegler, Kokua Education, Ziegler

Info: Donovan, IASP, K-12 Coalition

Info: We've got a jam packed 1/2 day full of learning, sharing and collaborating! Snacks will be provided.

Info: Drinks and networking with some of the best educators, policymakers and advocates around!

Info: We'll welcome everyone, recognize outstanding leaders and schools in our community, preview our legislative agenda, and kick off some great breakout sessions.

Info: Let's enjoy a catered lunch with our fellow charter school innovators. If you have dietary restrictions, please let us know on your registration form.

Info: We'll continue the learning with sessions focusing on engagement, academics, finances and more!

Info: Have a question you’ve been meaning to ask? Need a second set of eyes on something? Drop in for quick, informal conversations with experts across a range of topics, including AI, policy and legislation, accountability, finance, enrollment, innovation, and more.

No presentation, no formal session. Just bring your questions, challenges, ideas, or “can you help me figure this out?” moments and connect directly with someone who can help.

And yes, we’ll even provide the good popcorn.

Event venue & nearby stays

The Wellington Fishers Banquet & Conference Center, 9775 North by Northeast Boulevard, Fishers, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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