90%
of members are responsible for
the professional development
of others.
About Learning Forward
Learning Forward is the only association devoted to improving student results through advocacy and support for high-quality professional learning. Our readers and website visitors are education leaders – superintendents, central office leaders, principals, instructional coaches, and state and regional leaders.
More than 70,000 readers come to our publications and website to find the answers they need to solve learning challenges for both staff and students.
The Learning Professional is THE publication for those who make their institutions’ professional development buying decisions and is an important part of their decision-making process.
Learning Forward’s flagship publication, The Learning Professional, is the authority on professional learning for educators, and includes the most trusted and current information available on high-quality professional learning. The Learning Professional reaches more than 16,000 principals, superintendents, teachers, coaches, curriculum and instruction administrators, human resource professionals, and state and regional leaders in school improvement planning.
The Learning Professional, Connect, and our annual conference program aren’t just publications. They are tools that Learning Forward members actively use to make decisions. Our vision is Equity and excellence in teaching and learning. Let our readers know that you share this vision.
99%
of our readers say that The Learning Professional is helpful for their work.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to growing educators’ skills. Great professional learning is customized to educators’ needs and systems’ goals. So how do you design professional learning that is aligned with both local goals and best practices and research? Grounded in the Learning Designs standard from the Standards for Professional Learning, this issue will examine the “how” of professional learning.
Articles might cover:
– effective facilitation strategies that engage educators and build their buy-in. – how to build on adult learners’ existing knowledge. – how to integrate expectations for collaboration. – equity considerations. – how to make the most of educators’ time.
Dec. 1, 2024
Dec. 13, 2025
February 3-7, 2025
April 2025
Navigating new roles
Getting a new position is exciting, but what happens afterward? And what do educators need to stay and thrive in these new roles? This issue will dig into how to support new-to-the-role professionals at all points along the career continuum, including teachers, coaches, support staff, and leaders at all levels.
Topics might include:
– mentoring for novice teachers – helping coaches understand their role and navigate common challenges – leadership coaching – learning communities for new teacher leaders
Jan. 1, 2025
Jan. 15, 2025
April 7-11, 2025
June 2025
Measuring learning
Research shows that high-quality professional learning makes a difference for student outcomes. But how do you measure the progress of specific professional learning initiatives? How do you collect, analyze, and make meaning of multiple forms of data? Grounded in our commitment to evaluation and our readers’ requests for more information on conducting it, this issue will home in on measuring the results where they matter most—for students.
It will feature how educators, professional learning designers, evaluators, and other practitioners measure the implementation and impact of professional learning and use the findings to improve initiatives and tell stories of success.
Mar. 1, 2025
Mar. 14, 2025
June 2-6, 2025
August 2025
Professional learning resources
Supporting the professional growth and expertise of teachers requires resources, including funding, time, technology, curriculum, and more. How do you secure and sustain those resources, document their use, and make sure you’re getting the most out of them? At a time when Covid relief funds are winding down and many budgets are tightening, how can you do more with less?
This issue will feature ways educators are finding, getting creative with, and maintaining the resources that enable high-quality professional learning and improvement for students.
It will also share strategies and stories about Title II-A, the U.S. Department of Education’s funds allocated for educator professional learning.
May 1, 2025
May 15, 2025
August 4-8, 2025
October 2025
Learning communities for leaders
Leadership can feel like a lonely endeavor, but it shouldn’t be. Just like teachers, leaders learn and grow to be their best in community. This often requires going beyond the barriers of school buildings and district offices to connect across organizational boundaries. This issue will explore models of leadership development and support grounded in collaboration.
Articles might address topics such as:
– how to create safe and encouraging spaces to connect with role-alike professionals. – strategies to facilitate collaborative professional learning both within and outside of school walls. – leadership communities of practice. – innovative career pathways in leadership.
Jul. 1, 2025
Jul. 15, 2025
October 6-10, 2025
December 2025
Meeting the needs of today’s learners
Today’s students have to manage a lot on top of learning: cell phones and social media distract from learning while anxiety and chronic absenteeism are on the rise. How can educators teach students who are not fully ready to learn? Some of the solutions to making schools more welcoming, engaging, and effective for today’s learners lie in professional learning. What are schools doing that’s working, and what data do they have to show it?
Topics of interest include:
– supporting positive and productive school cultures. – building students’ self-regulation and readiness to learn. – improving social and emotional outcomes as part of academic improvement. – restorative practices or initiatives that have increased student safety, student belonging, and connection.
Bonus Distribution: Learning Forward Annual Meeting in Boston, MA (500 copies).
– 500-525 words – 1 image (photo or graphic) – Your company logo – Byline and author biography (no more than 35 words)
2-Page Advertorial or C-Suite Q&A
Bleed: 17.25″ x 11.386″ Trim: 16.76″ x 10.875″
– 900-1,000 words – 1 image (photo or graphic) – Your company logo – Byline and author biography (no more than 35 words)
Paper: High-quality matte finish Trim: 8.375″ x 10.875″ Live area: 7.375″ x 9.875″ (no type or logos outside this area) Binding: Saddle-stitched Press: Sheet-fed cover, web-offset text Materials: Press-ready PDF files should be 300 dpi and CMYK Reminder: Export your artwork files with bleed and no crop marks
Learning Forward’s digital newsletter, Connect, is delivered to all Learning Forward members each month. Connect seeks to:
Explore the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders, coaches, mentors, instructional specialists, lead teachers, and master teachers face.
Focus on the context that makes effective professional learning possible across an entire system of schools.
Strengthen leadership practices and leading learning among all members of the school community.
Advertising Rates & Specs
Position
Dimensions
1x
3X+
Sponsored Content
25 character title 100 character body copy 15 character call to action URL to link call to action
$1,350
$1,150
Banner Ad
600 x 250px + click through URL
$1,260
$1,050
Sponsored Content Emails
This limited-inventory opportunity allows your company to provide a fully-created HTML email to be sent to roughly 55,000+ email opt-in Learning Forward members. This exclusive opportunity is available to 1 advertiser per month.
Advertising Rates
List type
Cost
Sent to
Full List
$8,250
Includes all current email opt-in members (approx. 55,000)
Targeted List
$5,250
Choose 1:
Teachers/Teacher Leaders (approx. 21,500)
District/Central Office Staff, Principals/Assistant Principals, Directors/Coordinators of Professional Learning and Superintendents/Assistant Superintendents (approx. 20,500)
HTML Materials Requirements for Advertisers
Fully designed, ready-to-send email in an HTML file (use a testing service such as litmus to confirm html validation and deliverability of code)
Footer must include; Company Name, Full Address, Email Address, Unsubscribe Text, Learning Forward’s Disclaimer (disclaimer to be added by Learning Forward)
Subject line for email (40 characters maximum)
Pre-Header text for the email (75 characters maximum)
Helpful Hints For Positive Metrics
Do not use a whole single image as your email blast
Make sure the “Subject Line” is positive and consider promotion of an “offer” in the “Subject Line”
Build the HTML file with tables instead of DIV; DIV does not work well with email
Do not use a whole single image as your email blast
All images and fonts need to be linked to the appropriate files hosted on your servers (no local files)
All hyperlinks need to be embedded
Deadlines and Proofing
Materials are due at least two weeks prior to email send date
All content is subject to review by Learning Forward
Necessary alterations are the responsibility of and at the expense of the advertiser
Materials that do not meet stated advertising specifications will be rejected
Once the advertiser-provided HTML is approved by Learning Forward, a proof from Learning Forward’s email system will be sent for advertiser approval
A delay in materials or advertiser approval could jeopardize the send date and result in not running at all; or pushing out several months due to the popularity of this email blast opportunity
Social Media
Reach more than 80,000 followers of Learning Forward social media platforms with sponsored content posts. Social media posts may NOT publish within 5 business days prior to, during, or after Learning Forward events. Paid posts are limited to one post suite per week.
Network directly with more than 3,000 potential customers and clients. Your support will be acknowledged in conference materials and throughout the conference in a variety of ways.
This page hosts valuable resources for the execution of your sponsorship agreement and deliverables.
Current/Contracted Sponsors
Contact Renee Taylor-Johnson at [email protected] with any questions on the items below. Unless otherwise indicated, all assets may be submitted via email to Renee by the listed deadlines.
Deliverables listed below are tagged with the corresponding sponsor level to which they apply. Please review your executed sponsorship agreement for details on quantities and sizes. 🥉 Bronze 🥈 Silver 🥇 Gold 💎 Platinum 🏛️ Legacy
Exhibitor Service Kit
This resource is anticipated around September/October and will be posed here once available. The decorator will be Corporate Events, a Boston-based company.
Company Logos🥉🥈🥇💎🏛️
Send the complete list of logo files and a click through URL to [email protected] as soon as possible to begin gaining exposure as an event sponsor.
.eps or AI full color logo (no background)
.eps or AI knockout/white logo (no background)
PNG or JPEG full color logo (preferably no background)
Deadline: At time of contract – see Program Ads deadlines for print cutoff
Program Ads🥇💎🏛️
Specifications Paper: High-quality matte finish Trim: 8.375″ x 10.875″ Live area: 7.375″ x 9.875″ Binding: saddle-stitched Press: sheet-fed cover, web-offset text Materials: press-ready PDF files should be 300 dpi and CMYK
Ad size
specs
Full Page
8.889″ x 11.386″ with bleed 7.373″ x 9.875″ without bleed
Half Page
7.373″ x 4.625″
Conference Preview Deadline: April 15, 2025 Conference Program Deadline: June 1, 2025
Submit print-ready ads to Renee.
The Learning Professional Ads🥈🥇💎🏛️
CLICK HERE to view the current production schedule.
CLICK HERE to download the 1-hour session submission form (Word Document). Submit completed forms to Renee.
Deadline: July 11, 2025 for inclusion in the printed program and December 7, 2025 for inclusion on the conference website.
Event Registrations🥉🥈🥇💎🏛️
Sponsors can expect a complimentary registration code from Renee, which can be used on the event registration page for the quantity of registrations indicated by your sponsor agreement.
Deadline: December 10, 2025
Standard Memberships🥉🥈🥇💎🏛️
Email Renee the following information for each person intended for a complimentary membership: full name, company name, job title, email address and mailing address.
Deadline: N/A
Email Send 🥉🥈🥇💎🏛️
The list can be requested at any time by emailing Renee. Please allow 24-48 hours to process and send the Excel file of registered attendees. Provided fields include: full name, school district/organization, job title, city, state and email.
Terms of Use The email list provided to sponsors is for a one-time use only. Sponsors may use the list, or individual emails, solely for the purpose of a single authorized communication related to their sponsorship. Any further use, duplication or distribution of the list is strictly prohibited. By accepting the list, sponsors agree to these terms.
Deadline: N/A
Sponsor Reception🥉🥈🥇💎🏛️
The sponsor reception takes place on Monday from 3:00-4:00 pm, where appetizers and refreshments will be served along with a cash bar. Sponsors can expect to receive 1-2 (depending on sponsor level) 6′ table(s), 2 chairs and electricity at the reception. Sales are permitted.
Geofencing
Geofencing is the most targeted and effective way to reach an audience that has visited a very specific location at a specific time. For conferences, we start collecting user data on the first day of the show. As users enter the geofenced area their mobile id is collected and we can immediately start to serve your marketing message to this audience. We continue to deliver ads during the conference for an effective “at market” campaign and then target these same users for a week (or more) after the event.
By offering hyper-targeted location-based ads, you will capture the attention of attendees at the annual convention, in their hotels, and even back at their offices and homes after the show. Don’t miss this targeted advertising opportunity!
Option 1:
Device ID or “Lookback” Geofencing
This option allows you to capture attendees from the event location and serve them ads after the event. It’s a great way to keep your brand top of mind with this targeted audience.
Microproximity PLUS Device ID or “Lookback” Geofencing
This option allows you to serve ads to attendees both during and after the event. While attendees are at the event, your ad may highlight a session you are speaking at, a special offsite event you are hosting, or simply direct them to your booth. After the event, you may change your creative to a broader message about your brand.
80,000 minimum impressions per campaign
$40 CPM for Display Ads, $65 CPM for Video Ads
Two sets of creative may be supplied
GeofencingSpecs:
Submit all sizes for maximum reach. This is a mobile-heavy campaign, so the 300×250 and 320×50 will deliver the most impressions. Make the text on your ad as large and easy to read as possible. Consider using an animated GIF with multiple frames for the 320×50 so the text can be large and spread across multiple frames.
Display banners for both desktop and mobile in the following sizes (JPEG or GIF plus the click-through URL)
728 x 90 pixels
300 x 250 pixels
300 x 600 pixels
160 x 600 pixels
320 x 50 pixels
Contact your Learning Forward account executive today!
When emailing us your materials, please include the client acronym in your subject line.
All advertisers are subject to review and publisher’s advertising policies.
Necessary alterations are the responsibility of and at the expense of the advertiser. All materials must be submitted in accordance with the published deadlines and meet the criteria stated in the advertising policy.
A high-resolution PDF/X-1a file is required for all ads.
Colors must be CMYK. No ICC profiles, RGB, or Pantone colors.
Resolution of all photography and scanned illustrations must be at least 300 dpi. Line art should be 600 dpi.
Vital copy and images must be at least 1/8” away from trim. Spread ads must have at least 3/8” total gutter.
Materials should be submitted without crop marks, but full-page ads should include the required 1/8” bleed.
All fonts used must be embedded in the PDF file.
Using the bold, italic, or other style keys is not encouraged. Please use the bold or italic version of the font. (For example, instead of making Adobe® Garamond bold with the style key, use the actual font for Adobe® Garamond Bold.)
Flatten all layers and set transparency to highest setting.
Ads must be suitable to print as-is. Association is not responsible for any errors in content.
PLEASE NOTE: Materials that do not meet the stated advertising specifications will be rejected.
Necessary alterations are the responsibility of and at the expense of the advertiser. All materials must be submitted in accordance with the published deadlines and meet the criteria stated in the advertising policy.
FOR PRINT SUBMISSION
For instructions on how to upload your A high-resolution PDF/X-1a file, click here.