Amanda Young is an experienced leader in educational transformation, specializing in virtual learning environments and innovative instructional design. With over a decade of experience in leadership and education, she has a proven track record of driving growth, improving learning outcomes, and enhancing engagement. As the leader of Education Imagine Academy, Amanda spearheaded a comprehensive redesign of the Wichita Virtual School, leading to significant improvements in enrollment, graduation rates, and student/family satisfaction.

Her leadership is grounded in a commitment to equity and access, recognized as the recipient of the National Microsoft Community Influencer of the Year Award (2021) for her advocacy for inclusive technology. A Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and Canva for Education Advisory Board member, Amanda brings expertise in leveraging technology to create impactful learning experiences. As an ambassador for both Diffit! and CommonSense Media, Amanda represents public schools in her service and advocacy on Digital Citizenship and Literacy.

Amanda’s work has earned her several prestigious nominations, including Kansas Teacher of the Year and Kansas Master Teacher of the Year, and her early career innovations in peer mentoring and service learning earned her national accolades. Currently pursuing a doctorate in Instructional Design & Performance Technology, Amanda continues to focus on creating equitable, accessible learning environments while supporting the professional growth of her teams and driving strategic initiatives.

Jake Potter, APR, serves as Director of Public Relations and Outreach Services for the Leavenworth Unified School District (USD 453) in Leavenworth, Kan. The suburban school district rests on the northeastern outskirts of the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area, provides Pre-K through 12th-grade educational services to approximately 3,400 students, and boasts the first public high school in the State of Kansas (1865) and the nation’s oldest student JROTC program.

Potter is entering his 15th year in the district where he has led the public relations department, including strategic planning efforts, successful passage and delivery of a bond initiative, district podcasts and social media content management, and creation and oversight of a summer student PR internship program. He has also championed Leavenworth’s implementation of MagicSchool/MagicStudent AI, and leads the district’s professional development related to artificial intelligence challenges and opportunities in a K-12 teaching and learning environment. 

Prior to school PR, Potter worked for a public relations firm in the KC area providing strategic communications counsel and support to a variety of public sector agencies and organizations.

Potter has served the Kansas School Public Relations Association (KanSPRA) in various capacities since 2016, including as president for the 21-22 school year. He also serves as the SouthCentral Region Vice-President of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)’s Executive Board, representing Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. He has presented at chapter, statewide, and national conferences, including the NSPRA National Seminar and National Association of School Boards. 

Cecil R. Short is an Assistant Professor and Director of Secondary Education at Emporia State University. His research broadly focuses on increasing learner agency through Personalized Learning, Blended Teaching, Open Educational Resources (OER), and OER-Enabled Practices. In 2024, Dr. Short received the "Scholarly Advancement of Teacher Education and Educational Technology Award" from AECT, the oldest educational technology organization in the world. More about Dr. Short and his work can be found online at www.cecilrshort.com.