The 2026 AWSP / WASA Conference

By Erica Crane, EdD

It was so good to be back in Spokane, WA, to connect with our partners at the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). The conference theme of “Better Together” resonated with our team and our mission, as we also believe we learn better side by side in this work.

Our co-founders, Mike and Erica, facilitated workshops, led our booth in The Commons, and met up with sideby community members in person. We learned from education leaders across the state of Washington who spoke with us about the challenges they’re facing in supporting their learning communities and the wins they’re celebrating in how they’re leading innovation.

With Scott Friedman, Associate Director at the AWSP, Erica and Mike facilitated sessions to support education leaders in navigating AI in their schools and communities. Two sessions were planned, and a third was added to accommodate demand. Leaders were definitely eager to dive into what it can mean to use AI for the operational elements of their jobs, to get time back for the relational elements of the work that matter most.

What’s next:

• We’re continuing to partner with the AWSP on shared learning opportunities for their members across the state of Washington. We offer shared badging related to leading and learning with AI.

• Current shared badges in summer of 2026 build on the workshops offered in person at the conference, to keep learners connected, take the learning deeper, and help leaders earn additional necessary clock hours. These badges include: AI for Leading Efficiently and Leading Teams in the AI Era

• We’re seeking additional strategic partners who also want to empower their educators with peer-driven learning, so they can share what they’re trying in practice, and turn those experiences into insights that strengthen the whole cohort.

We’re excited to continue adding individual educators to our open community focused on AI for Deeper Learning. sideby also acts as a learning and improvement system for teams or programs. We’re partnering with organizations to support peer-driven professional learning at scale with insight into what’s working for discovering and spreading innovation. Learn more about partnerships for innovation or AI learning. You can also check out an example organizational Insight Report. Our partners at the AWSP create such an incredible in person learning experience with the way they gather and show up to this work.

We hope to keep contributing to how leaders in this state connect and learn between the times they can all be in the same room or building.