Teacher Training

The Spark Conference: LCA Reignites Creativity and Innovation in Elementary Education

Lakewood Catholic Academy is a leader in elementary education and provides professional development opportunities for other Catholic school educators and administrators.  Created in 2018, The Spark Conference has become one of Cleveland’s largest conferences for Catholic educators.  The annual August event is a first class professional development experience that inspires and energizes teachers for the school year ahead.  The event features both nationally recognized leaders in education as well as breakout sessions led by Lakewood Catholic Academy teachers and administrators.

Due to the unprecedented challenges related to COVID-19, the Spark 2020 Conference was reimagined to be a free virtual event.  The Lakewood Catholic Academy Spark Team provided distance learning training to over 650 Catholic elementary teachers from around the country!

The Spark 2021 Conference will be held on August 3rd and will feature Mr. Ron Clark!
Registration for the Conference will open in December 2020

What Teachers are Saying . . .

“Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for the Spark experience.  It was the perfect way to “fire up” for the school year.  I stand in awe of the LCA staff and the excellence that is poured into the event – it was masterful and magical!  Kudos to every single individual – they treated us royally!”

“Thank you very much for planning such an awesome professional development day for teachers in the diocese.  The speakers were excellent!  The energy was palpable.  The excitement was just what we needed to start the year!  Every detail was noticed.  Thank you for sharing your vision and expertise with so many teachers who otherwise would not have had the experience of first rate presentations!”

If you wonder what inspires us and what we are reading at LCA, here is what is on our bookshelf:

  • Crash Course  by Kim Bearden
  • Talk to Me  by Kim Bearden
  • Daring Greatly  by Brene Brown
  • Creative Schools  by Sir Ken Robinson
  • The Essential 55  by Ron Clark
  • Move Your Bus  by Ron Clark
  • Mindset  by Carol Dweck
  • Teach Like a Pirate  by Dave Burgess
  • The Smartest Kids in the World  by Amanda Ripley
  • Me to We  by Craig and Marc Kielburger
  • Bored and Brilliant  by Manoush Zomorodi
  • The Distraction Addiction  by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
  • The Wild Card  by Hope and Wade King

The SPARK Conference