STEVENS POINT, Wis. (March 12, 2024) – Skyward, a school administration software provider committed to helping K-12 leaders spend less time on tasks and more time with students, gathered with edtech and K-12 leaders March 6-8, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Florida for their annual international conference, iCon. With over 450 attendees representing 18 states, participants enjoyed over 80 informative sessions, engaging networking opportunities, and a special ceremony celebrating Skyward's 2024 Leader in Excellence Winners.
For the last 21 years, iCon has been the premier professional development event for Skyward users. Based on their unique district needs, attendees representing various K-12 roles could customize their experience with their choice of sessions. In addition to sessions geared specifically toward maximizing the benefits of the software, iCon offered sessions covering topics such as ransomware mitigation, emotional intelligence, and student health & wellness.
To make the most of the conference, attendees also had built-in time to meet other Skyward users, learn from districts, network with peers and edtech partners, and enjoy the beach at various social activities.
“This year, it was a joy to watch more attendees than ever before share how they are using Skyward to improve administrative tasks at their districts,” said Ray Ackerlund, president of Skyward. “As the use of Skyward’s Qmlativ grows, attendees already using Qmlativ or those looking forward to adopting in the future can use iCon as a platform to learn more about the system and talk with others that use it. We are excited to see what our district partners can achieve going forward."
Since 2015, Skyward has been honoring Skyward superusers at iCon. These Leader in Excellence winners are recognized for their unique solutions, dedicated nature, and inspiring achievements that influence leaders worldwide.
This year’s individual recipients included:
• Andrew Thumma, database administrator at Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
• Audrea Carmack, Skyward director at International Leader of Texas in Richardson, Texas
• Juan Martinez, PEIMS coordinator at San Benito CISD in San Benito, TX
• Kathy Tennant, technology integration specialist at Freedom Area School District in Freedom, Wisconsin
• Robin Ballard, PEIMS coordinator at Lake Dallas ISD in Lake Dallas, Texas
• Shari Hines, administrative support at Fairmont Area Schools in Fairmont, Minnesota
The district awards were given to:
• Boerne ISD in Boerne, Texas
• Denali Borough School District in Healy, Alaksa
• School District of New Richmond in New Richmond, Wisconsin
“This was my first year at iCon, and I really enjoyed collaborating with other leaders and learners in a way that goes beyond training,” said Jeff Levy, assistant superintendent and chief financial officer at Lincoln County R-III School District in Troy, Missouri. “I learned so much about how to build on our existing practices with Skyward. I would encourage all our K-12 peers to come to iCon to grow together and experience each other’s company.”
Next year’s international conference will take place February 26-28, 2025 at TradeWinds Island Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida. For more information, visit skyward.com/icon.
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