July 17-20, 2023 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Click here to register for the convention.
Click here to reserve your hotel room(s).
Monday, July 17
Conference Schedule
At The Crowne Plaza, King of Prussia
- 5:30-6 pm Registration
- 6-8 pm Fellowship
Tuesday, July 18
At Peace Lutheran Church (WELS)
- 9:00-9:15 Devotion/Announcements
- 9:15-10:30 Keynote: Dr. Gene Pfeiffer (Bethany Lutheran College) One Strategy – Four Outcomes That Promote Thoughtfulness in Your Classroom.
- 10:40-11:30 Breakout Sessions
- 1. Jon Matzke – (King of Grace Lutheran School: Golden Valley, MN) Connecting K-8 Social Studies to a Christian Worldview
- 2. Noelle Blumer – (Gracie’s Preschool: Vero Beach, FL) New Avenues of Learning in Early Childhood Education
- 3. Carrie Pfeifer – (Bethany Lutheran College: Mankato, MN) Supporting Students with Reading Gaps
- 11:30-12 Area Orientation – Free Exploration in Philly
- 7:30-9:00 Group Tour of Philadelphia
Wednesday, July 19
At Peace Lutheran Church (WELS)
- 9:00-9:15 Devotion/Announcements
- 9:15-10:30 Keynote: Ed Bryant – (Faith Lutheran Church, Medford, OR) Christian Teachers: Reconcilers with Christ, Estranged from the World.
- 10:40-11:30 Breakout Sessions
- 1. Shu-Ting Lai – (Bethany Lutheran School: Port Orchard, WA) Building Relationships in Lutheran Schools
- 2. Chris Poetter – (Holy Cross Lutheran School: Madison, WI) Integrating Art in All Subject Areas, Part 1
- 3. Carrie Pfeifer – (Bethany Lutheran College: Mankato, MN) Supporting Students with Reading Gaps
- 11:30-11:45 Area Orientation – Free Exploration in the Area
- 7:00-8:00 Communion Service
Thursday, July 20
At Peace Lutheran Church (WELS)
- 9-10:30 Keynote- Lainie Harkins (West Chester University) Considering Classroom Management – The art and Science Beyond the Manual
- 10:40-11:30 Breakout Sessions
- 1. Kevin Zimmerman – (Christ Lutheran School: Port St. Lucie, FL) Use of Technology in Education
- 2. Chris Poetter – (Holy Cross Lutheran School: Madison, WI) Integrating Art in All Subject Areas, Part 2
- 3. Carrie Pfeifer – (Bethany Lutheran College: Mankato, MN) Supporting Students with Reading Gaps
- 11:30-11:45 Closing Devotion
Travel Note: You will need to transportation arrangements to the hotel from the Philadelphia airport. Please note the options below for your consideration when planning your travel.
Planning Your Transportation at the ELS Teacher Convention
Once you have arrived in Philadelphia you have several options for transportation to and around the conference area. Below are some suggestions for getting to the hotel (The Crowne Plaza—King of Prussia) and the venue for the Convention (Peace Ev. Lutheran Church—WELS) as there is no shuttle or direct transportation from the airport to the convention.
Option 1: Rent a vehicle at the Philadelphia International Airport.
Reservations for vehicle rentals can be made on numerous websites for one of the many rental car companies located at the Philadelphia International Airport. You may have the best luck on pricing from a website like priceline.com or Travelocity.com, although there are many others out there. Vehicles are available at the airport property, so no transportation is needed to reach them. It is recommended that you rent the vehicle for the duration of your stay in the area to make it easier to get back and forth to the hotel and conference as well as in to see the sites in Philadelphia.
Option 2: School Rental–Rent a 15-passenger van at the Philadelphia International Airport.
If your school faculty are traveling as a group it may make sense to rent a 15-passenger van as a group to fit everyone and their luggage. Reservations can be made on numerous websites for one of the many rental car companies located at the Philadelphia International Airport. As above, you may have the best luck on pricing from a website like priceline.com or Travelocity.com. Vehicles are available at the airport property, so no transportation is needed to reach them. It is recommended that you rent the vehicle for the duration of your stay in the area to make it easier to get back and forth to the hotel and conference as well as in to see the sites in Philadelphia.
Option 3: Public Transportation
If you would rather take public transportation, there is a two-step process for getting from the Philadelphia International Airport to The Crowne Plaza. At Airport Terminal A you would ride the SEPTA (train) Airport Line toward Center City Philadelphia and get off at Suburban Station. From there you were transfer to SEPTA bus 124 (toward Chesterbrook via King of Prussia) or 125 (toward Moore Park) at JFK Blvd and 17th St. There is a two-block walk between the subway station and the bus stop. You will ride the bus quite a few stops to the Mall Blvd and Wills Blvd—Mbfs stop which will be within a block of the hotel. The SEPTA leaves the airport every half hour on the 11 and 41. It will likely take 1 hr 45 min to arrive at the hotel. Please use this link for planning: https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Philadelphia-Airport-PHL/Crowne-Plaza-Hotel-Philadelphia-King-of-Prussia-an-IHG-Hotel#r/Train-line-124-bus
