13th Excellence Through Education Conference Returns to Riverside to “Create Possibilities” for Students and Educators

RIVERSIDE – It was September of 2014 when the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) launched a new conference at the Riverside Convention Center to eliminate barriers to success for all students. After 12 years of hosting the conference at various desert locations and helping thousands of educators from across the state and nation grow their impact on serving all students, the Excellence Through Education (ETE) Conference returns to its roots in Riverside for 2026.

Featuring the theme “Creating Possibilities: Imagining More. Designing Better. Measuring What Matters,” the ETE Conference will empower and equip approximately 800 educators from school districts, sites, and community partners with evidence-based practices to strengthen their systems, structures, and practices.

“The mission of the very first conference in 2014 remains at the core of this year’s Excellence Through Education conference theme,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez. “Our theme is a call to action for the education community: to create unlimited possibilities for our students, we must imagine new ways to serve, design better systems, and ensure that student success is what matters most.”

Educators from 18 districts, 3 counties, and multiple charter schools, colleges, and universities have registered for the two-day conference. Registration and conference details are available at www.rcoe.us/excellence-through-education. 

Testimonials from attendees at the 12th Annual Conference included:

• “I love hearing from other educators on what they are doing to improve instruction and support the closing of the educational gap.”
• “This is a great way to kick off a school year.”
• “I always leave so inspired with a great reminder of why I love working in this field—Students first and foremost!”

Beyond keynote speakers and dozens of breakout sessions, the two-day conference also includes multiple student performances, dedicated district participant team time, wellness activities, a scavenger hunt, and networking activities.

The 2026 Excellence Through Education Conference will feature dozens of breakout sessions and keynote presentations highlighted by:

Tommie Mabry, Ph.D. – A speaker, consultant, and award-winning author of three books will share how he discovered basketball could pave the way out of a challenging childhood and become the first in his family to graduate from high school and college before being hired as a teacher at the same school district that once expelled him.

Candy Singh, Ed.D. – Nationally-recognized leader with over three decades of experience in education. As a former superintendent and university professor, she now empowers leaders and organizations through speaking, coaching, and consulting, guiding them to create workplaces and schools where individuals feel inspired, valued, and motivated to contribute.

Ernesto Mejia – After overcoming temporary paralysis at age 16, Ernesto defied the odds as a first-generation college student to become a higher education administrator. As the founder of CoolSpeak and a bilingual speaker and facilitator, he delivers engaging and impactful learning experiences connected to family engagement, student success, and the American Dream.

Tony Plana – An award-winning actor, producer, director, and arts advocate who has appeared in more than 80 feature films, Tony has also served as a co-founder and artistic director of the East L.A. Classic Theatre (ECT) and Transforming Arts & Minds (TAM). He uses the performing arts to advance education, creativity, and personal growth.

Previous keynote speakers have included: Alberto Carvalho, Tavis Smiley, Gregory Boyle, Ron Clark, Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Pedro Noguera, Chris Emdin, Michael Bonner, and Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch.

The exclusive Presenting Sponsor for the 13th Annual ETE Conference is LEGO Education.

Platinum sponsors include:

CharacterStrong, FranklinCovey Education

Silver sponsors include:

Molina Healthcare of California, Erickson-Hall Construction Company, Imagine Learning, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Instructure, NextGenMath LLC, Silver Creek Modular

Bronze sponsors include:

Association of California School Administrators, Alliant University, MOSAIC Legacy, SchoolShare Investment Board/CalKIDS, Class Solver, Summit K12, digiCOACH, Benchmark Education, Elevo, HMH Education Company, Amplify, SitelogIQ, ANEW Project, SameGoal, Woodcraft Rangers, Western Governors University, PowerSchool, School Wellness Solutions, Curriculum Associates, UC Scout, Catapult Learning, SafeRide School, STEAM on Demand, Kagan Professional Development, Inc., Standards Plus Associates, Code Ninjas Eastvale-Chino, Think Education, Joy School English

For more information, visit www.rcoe.us/excellence-through-education. 

About the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE)

RCOE is a service agency supporting the county’s 23 school districts and 500+ schools that serve nearly 430,000 students—more than the student population of 17 states. RCOE services include administrative support to districts and charter schools, programs for preschool, special education, pregnant minor, correctional, migrant, and vocational students. In addition, the organization provides professional training, support, and resources for more than 18,000 teachers, administrators, and staff, throughout the 7,000 square miles of Riverside County. Learn more at www.rcoe.us.