From the CDL Team

Dear Christian Deeper Learners,

 

Thanks for being a part of the Christian Deeper Learning network!

 

We are writing to announce some changes and what you can anticipate in the future.

 

We began our efforts in 2015 to bring Christian educators interested in and practicing Deeper Learning together for mutual learning and encouragement. We had our first international conference in 2018 at The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida. Our most recent conference - CDL6, was held at Surrey Christian School near Vancouver, BC, and gathered approximately 500 educators.

 

Of course, to put these conferences on takes a great deal of time, energy, and resources. We want to express our deep gratitude to our host schools, our planning committee volunteers, our sponsors, and, of course, our presenters and attendees over all the years. As co-chairs (Krista, Steven, Dan), it was a labor of love and expressing our hope for what Christian education could become. But time marches on, and life changes. Dan retired (mostly) on January 1, 2023, Krista has a full-time role as Director of Learning Innovation at Elevate USA, and Steven and Joanna are continuing their CDL Institute work and consulting but enjoying a different pace of life. 

 

As co-chairs, we would love to see the Christian Deeper Learning network continue and, over the past months, have had meaningful conversations with Jenn Thompson, the new CEO at Christian Schools International (CSI), about CSI leading the CDL effort. CSI is already working with many of our Deeper Learning schools, and it seems like a natural fit in terms of all of us having a shared reformational philosophy and a desire to encourage innovative practice. CSI’s accreditation models, Measuring the Mission and FOCUS, encourage schools to fully integrate a comprehensive and fully integrated approach to faith development and student learning. We are excited about CSI’s desire to continue to gather and encourage educators around Christian Deeper Learning principles.

 

There are no plans for a CDL conference this year, but you may stay informed on future announcements by signing up for CDL emails from CSI here. We will maintain our website for the next year so that you can access any past blog posts you might have enjoyed or saved for reference. 

 

We wish you all the best in your work as you seek to form students in Christ’s ways and to help them understand what it means to follow him!

 

Blessings to you all,

 

Krista Wallace

Steven Levy

Dan Beerens

 

Christian Deeper Learning Co-Chairs