WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the second consecutive year, PBA has partnered with a private sponsor and other local educators to host over 25 teachers and school administrators from Kazakhstan for its Empowering Teacher Leaders conference, led by the School of Education & Behavioral Studies (SEBS) on December 1-5, 2025.
In 2024, the conference focused on teachers integrating special needs students into the classroom. This year the focus shifted to supporting school administrators. The objective of the partnership is to help strengthen the education system in a country that has continued to grow since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
“I’m deeply passionate about students learning, regardless of where those students are on the globe,” said Dr. Marcia Bedasse, dean and associate professor of SEBS, as she reflected on the importance of the conference. “The very same way we take the gospel to every corner of the world, we want to take good instructional practices to every corner of the world.”
Over the five-day conference attendees learned leadership skills in the school context, how to empower teachers to be risk takers, how to make data-informed decisions, and developing a growth mindset. On day three, participants were hosted by Michael Lupton, principal of Renaissance Charter school in West Palm Beach. Lupton shared his school’s monumental growth over the past decade, which went from a school facing significant challenges to being ranked 15 among a group of 200 similar institutions. He shared how leaders can utilize data driven strategies to pioneer their own growth.
“It’s a pleasure to collaborate with PBA for this conference,” said Lupton. “Some of my former students are now studying here. I also have a great relationship with Dean Bedasse and the Sailfish community.”
For many of the participants, this was their first opportunity to travel so far from home. The experience of the trip and all that she had learned left Ainur Jurunova nearly speechless. “It has been a great, transformative week,” she said. “The speakers are addressing the root of our problems and giving us practical steps to fix them.”
The Kazakhstani educators left with more than a certificate of completion for their efforts. Plans are already underway for a third year of training.
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