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Friday 27th March 2026
Central Queensland University, Gladstone
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Coming to Gladstone in 2026, The Future Of Education Summit will give regional educators fresh strategies to engage students, scale their impact, and connect with peers from across Queensland. As a regional satellite of the national Summit in Brisbane, the Gladstone event is uniquely designed by and for regional educators, showcasing the strengths and innovation of our communities.
Find out more about what’s in store for attendees by exploring the program below!
7:30am - 8:00am
Registration Open
For attendees wanting to beat the traffic, we will be hosting an optional 'Coffee And Conversations' session before the official program. Grab a coffee and a bite to eat as you network and hear from an insightful panel discussion to prepare you up for the day ahead!
8:00am - 8:30am
Coffee & Conversations Fireside
Scott Millar | CEO at BOP Industries
Bianca McLeish | Student Wellbeing Coordinator at Catholic Education Diocese of Rockhampton
Join us for an impactful discussion with Bianca McLeish, Founder of The Teacher Wellbeing Academy, as she unpacks the realities of teacher burnout and what sustainable wellbeing can actually look like in schools.
Moderated by Summit Co-Founder Scott Millar as part of our optional Coffee & Conversations fireside chat, this session draws on Bianca’s 20+ years of classroom experience alongside insights from neuroscience, psychology and Positive Education. In this discussion we'll explore why burnout is becoming increasingly common, how stress impacts the nervous system and the practical, evidence-informed strategies that can help educators restore balance and reconnect with their purpose.
8:30am - 9:00am
Coffee & Networking
Post panel, our attendees will have time to grab a coffee and network with fellow delegates.
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8:30am - 9:00am
Registration Open
Registration will remain open for all attendees from 7:30am with coffee and a selection of hands-on activations available for attendees once they arrive. Please ensure you have arrived and registered in time for our official welcome at 9:00am.
9:00am - 9:10am
Official Welcome
Scott Millar | Chief Executive Officer At BOP Industries
Our Summit Emcee, Scott Millar, will be officially opening the Future Of Education Summit Gladstone 2026 as he welcomes attendees, and provides an overview of what to expect in the day ahead.
9:10am - 9:20am
Acknowledgement To Country
We'll be starting our program with a acknowledgement of country from traditional owners of the land on which we will be gathering.
Speaker Coming Soon!
9:10am - 9:20am
Councillor Welcome
Michelle Wagner | Gladstone Councillor
Councillor Michelle Wagner will officially welcome guests as we open the Future of Education Summit Gladstone 2026, acknowledging the importance of community, education and the future of our region. This welcome will set the tone for the day ahead and the conversations to follow.
9:30am - 10:00am
Generation 2032 - Impact, Legacy and Beyond
Dominque Lamb | Director of Community Affairs at Brisbane 2032
Brisbane 2032 is a Games where people can reach their full potential on and off the sporting field, surrounded by the awe-inspiring beauty of Brisbane, Queensland and Australia. The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will celebrate the people, performance, and the backdrops in a new experience era.
By bringing together diverse communities and fostering connections for everyone to shine at their brightest. Learn more about what this will mean for your community no matter where you're from, your students and much more.
10:00am - 10:30am
Local Legends: Meet The Industry Leaders In Your Own Backyard
Renee Mooney | Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Qld Lead at ACCIONA Energia
Bernadette Ariens | Project Cooridnator at Not For Profit House
Linda Pfeiffer | Deputy Dean Research, School of Education and the Arts at CQUniversity
Geoff Augutis | Company Director at Queensland Computers
Our opening panel brings together inspiring industry leaders from the local region to showcase the talent, innovation and opportunity already thriving in our own backyard. Panelists will share their career journeys, the industries shaping the local economy and the real-world skills they look for in the next generation.
This conversation will highlight the power of strong school industry connections, demonstrating how local partnerships can open doors for students, strengthen regional pathways and ensure young people can build meaningful careers without having to leave their community.
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10:30am - 11:15am
Morning Tea
We'll be breaking for morning tea to give attendees the opportunity to get a bite to eat, network and engage with our hands on activations.
11:15am - 12:00pm
First Round | Future Focused Learning Experiences
We will have a selection of 45 Minute Future Focused Learning Experiences running concurrently for our attendees to select from. Each experience will be an opportunity for attendees to get hands on as they learn from leading educators as they share their insights, advice and experiences on a topic of expertise.
Rayner Digital Labs
Why Virtual Reality Matters in Education
Department of Education
Human Skills in AI-Enabled Industries
Gladstone West State School
Empowering Student Voice: Co-Designing Curriculum for Relevance, Engagement, and Real-World Impact
12:00pm - 12:45pm
Second Round | Future Focused Learning Experiences
We will have a selection of 45-minute Future Focused Learning Experiences running concurrently for our attendees to select from. Each experience will be an opportunity for attendees to get hands on as they learn from leading educators as they share their insights, advice and experiences on a topic of expertise.
Queensland Computers
Preparing Students for an AI-Driven World
Hervey Bay State High School
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Academy- changing the shape of assessment and learning
CQUniversity
Backyard to Big Ideas: Utilising Local Resources to Enhance Curriculum Learning
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12:45pm - 1:30pm
Lunch
We'll be breaking for lunch to give attendees the opportunity to get a bite to eat, network and engage with our hands on activations.
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Roundtable Discussions
We will have a selection of three interactive Roundtable Discussions running concurrently to provide attendees an opportunity to connect, collaborate and co-create as they explore a topic of interest to them. Our Roundtable Discussions can be found below:
Roundtable One:
Measuring & Assessing Future Skills: Curriculum To Capabilities
Facilitated by Dr Geoff Augutis | Company Director At Queensland Computers
As schools shift from curriculum delivery to capability building, a key challenge remains: how do we meaningfully measure and assess future focused skills?
In this roundtable, we will explore how different schools and systems are tracking capabilities such as digital literacy, problem solving and collaboration and what models are proving most effective in practice.
Facilitated by Dr Geoff Augutis this session invites open discussion, shared examples and practical insights into turning future skills into measurable outcomes.
Roundtable Two:
Finding Your Tribe: Building A Network To Create Opportunities
Facilitated by Nicole Amey | 2025 Outstanding Intrapreneur – Education Sector
Strong networks create strong opportunities. In a rapidly changing world of work, knowing who you are connected to and how to activate those connections is just as important as what you know.
In this roundtable, we will explore how to map and grow meaningful networks, build effective industry partnerships and strengthen personal/professional brands.
Facilitated by Nicole Amey, this session will focus on practical strategies for building communities of practice, making purposeful connections and measuring the impact of your networks over time.
Roundtable Three:
Digital Tools To Enhance Learning, Not Replace It
Facilitated by Scott Millar | CEO At BOP Industries
As digital tools continue to reshape classrooms, the focus must remain on how technology can enhance learning rather than replace great teaching.
In this roundtable, we will explore the difference between digital literacy and digital confidence, the growing role of AI tools in the classroom and how gamification can be used to deepen engagement.
Facilitated by Scott Millar, this session will also unpack how digital pedagogy can be embedded authentically, drawing on current departmental rollouts and real classroom practice.
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Post Summit Celebrations
As the official summit program concludes, we will be inviting attendees to join us for some music and drinks as we share our learnings from the day, and celebrate the hard work being done by innovative educators across the regions!
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We've got an action-packed day planned for our Future Of Education Summit Gladstone 2026 and we hope we can see you there! Tickets are on sale now and selling quickly. Make sure to grab yours now!