The Nation’s Brightest Future Educators Convene in Orlando for National Conference

June 26, 2025—Orlando, Florida—PDK International today is kicking off its largest conference yet for its Educators Rising career and technical student organization that fosters the skills among middle, high school, and college students in their journey toward becoming educators.

This year’s conference theme is “Empowering Future Leaders,” a theme that was selected last year by the organization’s student delegates. The event will bring over 3,400 attendees from across the nation to participate in break-out sessions, competitions, contests, and professional learning. Many of the students attending this year’s conference have already achieved success in either regional or state conference events, making them eligible to compete at the national level in Orlando.

Keynoters at this year’s conference include Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year and Nicholas Moore, the deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Career and Technical and Adult Education.

This event also celebrates PDK International’s acquisition of the Future Educators Association in 1994, which was re-branded and re-imagined as Educators Rising in 2015. Since that time, Educators Rising has grown to include annually over 20,000 student members in over 1,300 chapters in middle and high schools across the nation. In addition, Educators Rising has collegiate chapters to support students embarking upon completion of their teaching degree after high school.

Chief operating officer Albert Chen remarked:

“Educators Rising has been a trusted ally of districts who are struggling to attract an adequate number of high quality teachers to their schools. This annual event gives students who want to change the world through their leadership as educators a chance to prove to themselves and their peers that they have a future in our public schools. Our organization is proud of the impact we’re not only having in these students’ lives, but across the nation in our ability to help districts respond to the challenges facing public education.”

80% of Educators Rising students are open to pursuing a future career in education, including through support roles, as teachers, administrators, and in specialty roles such as speech pathology, technology support, nursing, and more.

The multi-day event continues through June 29. The 2026 Educators Rising National Conference will take place in Portland, Oregon. PDK International is indebted to many educators who volunteer to assess student competitions and support the organization’s mission to redefine teacher preparation pathways.

PDK International is also thankful to the many participating sponsors and exhibitors including our diamond level sponsor, the National Education Association, our platinum level sponsor, ETS, our silver sponsor, the American Federation of Teachers, and our bronze sponsor, Teaching Channel.

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About PDK International
Established in 1906, PDK International supports P-20 educators, researchers, and policy makers by strengthening their commitment to the profession throughout the entire arc of their careers. We are committed to elevating the profession through the intersection of research and practice. Through our core values of community, leadership, service, optimism, and excellence, we encourage educators and stakeholders to elevate the discourse and change the narrative around teaching and learning to ensure that every student has a high-quality education. www.pdkintl.org

About Educators Rising
In 2015, PDK International – in its 115-year commitment to the profession of education – launched Educators Rising, formerly the Future Educators Association (FEA). Today, Educators Rising is cultivating a new generation of highly skilled educators by guiding young people on a path from high school through college and into their teaching careers. By working with aspiring educators who reflect the demographics of their communities and who are passionate about serving those communities through public education, Educators Rising is changing the face of teaching. educatorsrising.org