2026 PACE Teaching & Learning Conference
Theme: Immersed in Learning: Educators as Designers of Experience, Community, and Change
Location: Pellissippi State Community College, Hardin Valley Campus
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Lisa Forbes | www.professorsatplay.org
Keynote Session: The Power of Play in Learning
This interactive keynote invites participants to explore how play, curiosity, and joy can deepen engagement and strengthen learning. Grounded in the neuroscience of play and real classroom examples, the session encourages educators to rethink how learning environments are designed.
The 2026 Pellissippi Academic Center for Excellence (PACE) Teaching & Learning Conference brings together higher education professionals to explore innovative, practical, and engaging approaches to teaching and learning. As classrooms continue to evolve, educators are increasingly called to design learning experiences that connect coursework to careers, communities, and real-world practice.
This conference highlights active learning, experiential strategies, technology and AI, assessment, faculty development, and career immersion. Sessions emphasize practical takeaways, creativity, reflection, and experimentation that can be applied immediately in classrooms and programs.
Conference participants may choose from workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, experiential learning sessions, and poster presentations. Whether you are faculty, staff, or educational leader, this conference offers meaningful opportunities to learn, connect, and grow.
Conference Tracks
- Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies
- Active Learning & Student Engagement
- Accessibility
- Faculty Development & Leadership
- Career Immersion & Workforce Pathways
- Assessment, Research, & Continuous Improvement
Schedule at-a-Glance
Friday, March 27
- Registration | 3:00 – 6:30 p.m.
- Welcome & Opening Remarks | 5:00 – 5:10 p.m.
- Opening Plenary Presentation | 5:10 – 6:30 p.m.
- Reception & Poster Session | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 28
- Registration | 8:00am – 10:30 a.m.
- Breakfast & Roundtable Discussions | 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
- Sessions | 9:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
- Lunch | 12:15 – 1:30 p.m.
- Sessions | 1:45 – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 29
- Breakfast & Roundtable Discussions | 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
- Sessions | 9:15am – 11:00 a.m.
- Closing Plenary | 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Boxed Lunch & Departure | 12:30 p.m.
Contact the PACE Director, Antija Allen, at aallen2@pstcc.edu if you have any questions.
Accommodation Notice: To request reasonable accommodations for this event, please contact Lauren Ziegler at awareness@pstcc.edu, at least three business days prior to the event.
