Member Benefits

Membership is Free.


  • Community Access — Connect with an extraordinary community of educators and volunteers. Our social channels belong to the community, giving members opportunities to share their voices, lead conversations, and help shape IDEA’s story.

  • Growth Opportunities — Participate in IDEAcon, year-round Professional Learning, and Practical Resources.

  • Opportunities to Help and Share — Volunteer as a Connector, Catalyst, Luminary, or Spark to contribute your strengths, build meaningful relationships, share ideas, and support others.

  • Individual Support — Need help attending IDEAcon and or an innovative classroom idea?  Members have access to scholarships and mini-grants. 


  • Community Recognition — Celebrate members who have made an impact, spark new ideas and think innovatively, inspire colleagues, and strengthen the education community.


  • Advocacy and Voice — Help elevate the educator perspective by participating in Advocacy Day, sharing your experiences with decision-makers, and contributing to conversations that shape the future of education.


* Come for the learning, events, resources, and recognition and stay for the Community.

Community and Growth Opportunities

Community Access

Membership aligns you with access to our Regional and Spotlight Communities.  You can connect locally through communities based on where you live, work, or serve, and expand your network through Spotlight Communities centered on shared subjects, roles, interests, and experiences.

Growth Opportunities

Professional Learning 

Participate in conferences, workshops, webinars, and other learning experiences throughout the year. Explore digital-age learning, innovation, and emerging technologies while earning professional-development hours through eligible programs.


IDEAcon

Learn alongside educators from across Illinois and beyond. IDEAcon brings together practical ideas, inspiring presenters, emerging technologies, and meaningful opportunities to build lasting professional relationships.


Practical Resources

Discover ideas, tools, recordings, strategies, and best practices that can support your work. Members can also contribute their own experiences and resources to help others throughout the IDEA community.


Professional Learning | IDEACon| Resources

Opportunities to Help & Share

Volunteer Powered Community

As members give their time, talent, and encouragement, they often gain just as much in return. By building meaningful relationships, creating learning experiences, sharing ideas and stories, and encouraging others, they strengthen both their own professional journeys and the broader IDEA community.

Volunteer as a Connector, Catalyst, Luminary, or Spark

Connectors

Build relationships and strengthen community. Welcome members, lead chapters or Birds of a Feather groups, support networking, encourage member engagement, and organize community events.


Catalysts

Create learning experiences that help educators grow. Present workshops, facilitate webinars, teach at IDEAcon, lead professional learning, host discussions, and develop new learning opportunities.


Luminaries

Amplify the best ideas, resources, and voices across our community through our socials. Help us create social media content, curate resources, publish our newsletters, produce podcast episodes, interview educators, highlight member work, and share innovative practices.


Sparks

Inspire educators to lead, innovate, and imagine what is possible. Mentor others, celebrate accomplishments, recognize excellence, encourage innovation, recruit future leaders, and share stories of impact.

Member Support Opportunities

IDEA Mini-Grants

  • Provides IDEA members across Illinois with funding to turn innovative ideas into action.
  • Supports classroom technology, makerspaces, engaging projects, and emerging practices.
  • Helps educators pursue opportunities that may fall outside their regular school budgets.


Explore IDEA Mini-Grants


IDEA Scholarships

  • Helps make IDEAcon accessible to more educators.
  • May support conference registration, lodging, or both.
  • Includes opportunities to seek sponsorship from local businesses, organizations, family members, or friends.


Explore IDEAcon Scholarships

Community Recognition

Educators of the Year

  • Recognizes IDEA members who make outstanding contributions to technology-enhanced education.
  • Honors educators at every experience level—from emerging users to accomplished leaders.
  • Celebrates educators who connect, share, innovate, and inspire others.


Explore Educators of the Year

2026 Educators of the Year

Administrator

Woman in black headscarf and embroidered shawl, arms crossed, leaning against a white brick wall.

Dr. Sawsan Jaber, NBCT

Assistant Professor in the Education Division

Saint Xavier University

Classroom Teacher

Woman with light brown hair smiles, wearing a black and white striped shirt and a white jacket.

Crystal Ellis

Third Grade Teacher

Kinnikinnick School District

Tech Leader

Woman smiling, wearing a sleeveless maroon top and a thin necklace.

Lisa Berghoff

Director of Instructional Technology & Peer Mentoring Teacher

Township High School District 113

Advocacy and Voice

Students for Innovation: Advocacy Day

Every day, Illinois students and educators are transforming learning through creativity, digital-age practices, and emerging technologies. IDEA exists to amplify that work and ensure their experiences help shape conversations about the future of education.


Each spring, IDEA brings selected student teams and educators from districts across Illinois to the State Capitol in Springfield. During this one-day event, students present authentic projects and demonstrate directly to state leaders how innovative learning is influencing their classrooms, communities, and futures.


Advocacy Day puts IDEA’s values into action:


  • Connect students and educators with state leaders.
  • Grow student confidence, communication, and leadership.
  • Share authentic examples of innovative teaching and learning.
  • Inspire continued investment in opportunities for Illinois students.


More than a student showcase, Advocacy Day gives educators and students a meaningful voice in decisions affecting education. Their stories help policymakers understand the importance of sustaining and expanding support for innovation in Illinois classrooms.


When students share what learning can become,
they inspire all of us to help move education forward.