The Learning Counsel has announced Thom Markham as a featured keynote speaker for its 2020 National Gathering, scheduled for November 16–18 at the Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort in Stone Mountain, GA. Widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of Project Based Learning (PBL), Thom Markham, Ph.D., is an educator, positive psychologist, and global entrepreneur committed to youth development and shaping a constructive educational future.
Keynote theme: School of Fun: How Project Based Learning Retains Students
Markham’s keynote, “School of Fun: How Project Based Learning Retains Students,” will examine why PBL not only improves learning outcomes but also strengthens student retention and recruitment. He emphasizes that meaningful engagement—rooted in passion, purpose, and the excitement of tackling compelling tasks—is central to why students choose to attend and remain in school. Beyond legal requirements and institutional structure, schools compete for students’ attention in a marketplace of alternatives. Implementing Project Based Learning effectively creates a vibrant community experience—a “kid club”—that helps keep students motivated and invested in their education.
This year’s National Gathering is the Learning Counsel’s seventh and marks the organization’s first event in the Atlanta area. Designed as a retreat-style conference for school and district leaders navigating digital transformation, the National Gathering has earned a reputation as a meeting place for progressive educators from across the United States. Attendees gather to share proven practices, review new research, and explore practical next steps for technology-driven transformation in K–12 education.
The three-day program will offer a carefully curated lineup of keynote presentations, workshops, and collaborative learning groups. With an emphasis on efficient, impactful professional development, the Gathering compresses essential insights into a compact schedule so leaders can return to their districts ready to implement change.
2020 National Gathering theme: Education Leaderacy Skills Today
LeiLani Cauthen, CEO and Publisher of the Learning Counsel, notes that the pace of the digital transition in education has accelerated dramatically in recent years. What once allowed a more leisurely rollout of technology initiatives is now overtaken by constant shifts in policy, accountability requirements, and increased demands on administrators and teachers. Many districts face burnout and struggle to keep pace, and student migration to alternative learning models continues to be a challenge.
Cauthen adds that a growing group of innovators is supporting schools and districts through meaningful technology transitions. Some early adopters, having moved past initial gains, are now seeking deeper, more authentic transformation rather than incremental change. The 2020 National Gathering aims to support both new innovators and those who have reached a plateau by providing practical strategies, actionable insights, and specific leadership skills required to move beyond surface-level adoption.
Through its nationwide Digital Discussion meetings and ongoing research, the Learning Counsel has identified common barriers to transformation—many rooted in mindset and organizational culture rather than technology alone. This year’s conference will address those barriers with concrete answers and unique approaches to help districts advance their digital strategies and embrace Project Based Learning as a driver for engagement, personalization, and student success.
About Thom Markham
Thom Markham is an internationally recognized leader in Project Based Learning. As an educator and positive psychologist, he brings a strengths-focused approach to education that combines academic challenge with student well-being. In 2015, Markham founded PBL Global, an organization that promotes a transformative model of PBL designed to meet the needs of the next half-century of education. His model integrates project-based learning with well-being practices, design thinking, coaching and mentorship, intellectual rigor, personalization, and social entrepreneurship to prepare students for meaningful work and civic engagement.
The Learning Counsel’s 2020 National Gathering will deliver actionable guidance for district leaders, school administrators, and instructional leaders who are committed to sustaining student engagement and driving lasting educational change. Topics will include leadership skills for digital transformation, strategies for authentic Project Based Learning implementation, and ways to build resilient school communities that keep students connected and thriving.