SCHEDULE DETAILS Summit Agenda

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

REGISTRATION & CAMPUS DESIGN THINKING SITE TOURS.

University of Toronto Mississauga Campus & Mindshare Workspace

Room: Rotunda

Locations:

1. University of Toronto Mississauga, Address: 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga

 

2. MindShare Workspace, Address: 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy, Suite I3, Mississauga

The visit to MindShare Workspace will highlight Canada’s first shopping mall-based coworking and innovation hub, where startups, educators, and business leaders collaborate. Participants will see how the space fosters creativity, digital literacy, and future-ready skills through a flexible, tech-enabled environment.

10:00 AM- 2:00 PM

Taking AIME for AI in Education: A National Research-Policy Framework for Advancing Ethical and Inclusive AI Integration in Canadian Education Think Tank outcome report

Room- KN 112 (Kaneff)

speaker-1

Dr. Julie Mueller

speaker-2

Dr. Keri Ewart

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Pre- Conference Stickhandling beyond the backlash to thrive in an AI world

speaker-1

Robert Martellacci

speaker-2

Josh Chernikoff

speaker-3

Peter Singh

speaker-4

Curtis Carmichael

speaker-5

John Della Fortuna

speaker-6

Dr. Bonnie Schmidt

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Pre-Conference Wellbeing & Flourishing Symposium

speaker-1

Dr. Gina Cherkowski

speaker-2

Michael Cooper

speaker-3

Dr. Gail Markin

speaker-4

Derek Tangredi

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Networking & STEM, AI & eSports Discovery Zone

An interactive recharge zone where delegates can connect, explore hands-on EdTech, AI tools, STEM maker demos, and wellbeing innovations.
Room: Rotunda

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

WELCOME/ LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/FIRESIDE CHAT

Room: Rotunda

 

The Panellists: 

speaker-1

Dr. Tom D'Amico

speaker-2

Dr. Gina Cherkowski

speaker-3

Dr. Michael Fullan

speaker-4

Ryan Donaghy

speaker-5

Bill Hogarth

speaker-6

Dr. Richard Olumide Oyefeso, MD, FAAP,

speaker-7

Ignacio Mongrell

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Cocktail Networking Reception/11th EdTech Awards/ Celebrating MindShare Learning 25th Anniversary Gala

Room: Rotunda

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Speakers & Sponsors VIP Dinner

Location: IL FORNELLO

By Invitation Only

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

REGISTRATION, LIGHT BREAKFAST & NETWORKING /EXPLORE THE EDTECH STEM AI Esports PLAYGROUND

Room: Rotunda

8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

WELCOME, FIRST NATIONS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND OFFICIAL GREETINGS

Room: KN 137

speaker-1

Robert Martellacci

speaker-2

Victoria Clarke

speaker-3

Ignacio Mongrell

speaker-4

Dr. Peter Balyta

8:50 - 9:00

Welcome & Global Perspective: The State of AI in Education

Room: KN 137

Andreas Schleicher

Director for Education and Skills at the OECD. He initiated and oversees the Progrmme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and created a global platform to innovate and transform education and skills policies

speaker-1

Andreas Schleicher

9:00AM - 9:30 AM

OPENING KEYNOTE

Room: KN 137
(Virtual)
Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

speaker-1

Minister Evan Solomon

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Cross-Canada Check Up Panel: Exploring AI Use Cases with C21 Canada & Dell Technologies

Room: KN 137

Moderators: Robert Martellacci & Katina Papulkas

The Panellists:

speaker-1

Robert Martellacci

speaker-2

Katina Papulkas

speaker-3

Dr. Steve Joordens

speaker-4

Karl Hildebrandt

speaker-5

Jill Kowalchuk

speaker-6

Heather Campbell

speaker-7

Dr. Keri Ewart

speaker-8

Clarke Hagan

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Networking Break & Discovery Zone: STEM, AI & eSports Playground

An interactive recharge zone where delegates can connect, explore hands-on EdTech, AI tools, STEM maker demos, and wellbeing innovations.
Room: Rotunda

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

SPOTLIGHT KEYNOTE

Room: KN 137

Topic: Technology for good: How ASU is designing an AI-ready university

Description: Recognized as the most innovative university in the United States for over a decade, Arizona State University is meeting the moment of artificial intelligence. In this session, ASU Chief Information Office Lev Gonick will explore emerging themes and outline how ASU is approaching the rapidly evolving world of AI, remaining on the cutting-edge while also staying grounded in responsible and principled innovation.

speaker-1

Dr. Lev Gonick

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

Lunch & Networking at the EdTech Discovery Zone: STEM, AI & ESports Experience

Room: Rotunda

 

11:45AM - 12:30 PM

Lunch Keynote

Room: Rotunda

Topic: TBD

 

speaker-1

Steve Brown

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

11th DRAGON'S DEN EDTECH STARTUP CHALLENGE

Room: Rotunda

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

C21 National AI Collective: All Member and Guest AI Report Briefing

Room: KN108

By Invitation Only

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Panel Discussions - Session 1

Please Select one of the options below

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Option 1: C21 Canada Spotlight Session:

Room: KN 137

Topic: The State of EdTech—Navigating AI, Screen Time and Mobile Phones for Human Flourishing

Moderators: Dr. Tom D'Amico

 

speaker-1

Dr. Tom D'Amico

speaker-2

Geoff Edwards

speaker-3

Dr. Steve Joordens

speaker-4

Randolph MacLEAN

speaker-5

Dr. Jessica Rizk, PhD, OCT

speaker-6

Dr. Lisa Walsh

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Option 2: Forward Edu/ InkSmith

Room: KN 130

Topic: AI as a Creative Tool: Hands-On with micro:bit and Canadian-Built MicroChat

The Presenter: Jeremy Hedges, Founder & CEO, Forward Education
Session description

MicroChat turns AI into a creative design tool for the micro:bit. Students use it to bring their own ideas to life on real hardware, learn through inquiry as they test and refine what they build, and develop the skills they will need to make the most of AI in their careers. Most Canadian school boards already own micro:bits. MicroChat, built in Canada, unlocks their creative potential inside a safe sandbox of coding apps that never touches the wider internet and keeps student data sovereign and safe.

This session is for system and school leaders who want to get hands-on and see for themselves what students can create when AI is used as a powerful design tool rather than a shortcut. At the end of the activities, Jeremy Hedges will close with a presentation on Forward's MicroChat AI grants for boards and schools. Bring a laptop to take part in the activities.

 

 

speaker-1

Jeremy Hedges

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Option 3: Amira Learning

Room: KN 108

Topic: Past the Hinge Point: What Classroom AI Must Prove Before It Reaches a Child

The Presenter: Ashish Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer, Amira Learning
Session description
Ask Canadian district leaders about their current position on student-facing AI and most will say, “Proceed with caution.” Part of the reason is that most AI in schools is built for adults. Amira Chief Strategy Officer Ashish Gupta shows what changes when AI is purpose-built for how children learn to read. Amira listens to a child read aloud, catches the reading errors in real time, and gives teachers their next instructional move. Attendees will get an in-depth look under the hood of a working classroom AI model: Amira’s Reading Error Detection model, trained on children’s voices.
  The discussion will put classroom AI to three tests: Is it grounded in the science, with evidence to back it? Does it advance equity, serving every learning fairly? Does it keep teachers in the driver’s seat of personalized learning? Together, these tests show what classroom AI must prove to earn a green light.

 

speaker-1

Ashish Gupta

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM

Networking Break & Discovery Zone: STEM, AI & eSports Playground

An interactive recharge zone where delegates can connect, explore hands-on EdTech, AI tools, STEM maker demos, and wellbeing innovations.
Room: Rotunda

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

Panel Discussions - Session 2

Please Select one of the options below

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

Option 1: Human in the Loop: What Responsible AI Scaling Actually Looks Like in a Canadian Classroom

Room: KN 137

Topic: What Responsible AI Scaling Actually Looks Like in a Canadian Classroom

The Presenter : Rob Long

This hands-on breakout session shows what responsible AI scaling looks like in practice, using real-time visibility and equitable access for younger learners as concrete proof points. Participants test an AI learning tool live and instantly see that interaction appear in a teacher/administrator-facing view, making "human in the loop" tangible rather than theoretical. Canadian privacy expectations are woven in as genuine discussion prompts. The session closes with a simple truth: human potential meeting AI possibility only holds up in a real classroom if the human stays visibly in control.

speaker-1

Rob Long

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

Option 2: Trade Comissioner Service – Global Affairs Canada:

Room: KN 108

The Presenters : Hanif Inami, Abigail Sobin

Join us for an engaging discussion with Trade Commissioner and EdTech founders on how the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) supports Canadian companies in expanding internationally. Learn how the global TCS network provides valuable market insights, strategic guidance, and connections to help you enter new markets and broaden your export horizons. We'll also highlight funding opportunities and key programs, such as our EdTech Accelerator, that can help drive your business forward.

speaker-1

Hanif Inami

speaker-2

Abigail Sobin

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM

Option 3: Logics Academy

Room: KN 130

Topic: Beyond the Prompt: Using AI to Power Creativity in the Modern Makerspace

The Presenter: Derek Tangredi 
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how students design, create, and problem-solve. In this fast-paced, interactive session, discover how AI tools (Microsoft Copilot etc) can be combined with makerspace tools such as robotics, 3D design, physical computing, and digital fabrication to accelerate creativity and innovation in K-12 classrooms.
Through practical demonstrations and real-world examples, participants will explore how AI can support brainstorming, design thinking, accessibility, multilingual learning, prototyping, and project development. Whether you are building with robotics, designing for a 3D printer, or planning STEM challenges, AI can help students move from idea to creation faster than ever before.
Leave with actionable ideas, ready-to-use prompts, and new ways to connect AI and making to foster creativity, problem solving, and student engagement in any learning environment.

speaker-1

Derek Tangredi

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Networking Break & Discovery Zone: STEM, AI & eSports Playground

An interactive recharge zone where delegates can connect, explore hands-on EdTech, AI tools, STEM maker demos, and wellbeing innovations.
Room: Rotunda

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

International Closing Panel

Room: Rotunda

Topic: Key Global Takeaways on the Future of AI in Education

The Panellists:

speaker-1

Robert Martellacci

speaker-2

Dr. Tracey Burns

speaker-3

Maxim Jean-Louis

speaker-4

Jennifer Womble

speaker-5

Fernando Valenzuela Migoya

speaker-6

Dr. Bonnie Schmidt

speaker-7

Ashish Gupta

4:45 PM - 5:00 PM

WRAP UP & CLOSING REFLECTIONS

Topic: Closing Reflections

Room: Rotunda

The Panellists:

speaker-1

Robert Martellacci

speaker-2

Ignacio Mongrell

speaker-3

Dr. Peter Balyta

Join Us! Reserve your Spot Today