All We Have Left Is Hard Work: Building the Community for Schools and the World We Deserve Through Public Memory and Storytelling

A powerful call to reimagine how schools are shaped by the stories we tell—and the communities we choose to build.

In this keynote, Dr. Bettina Love invites leaders into a necessary and timely conversation about what it truly takes to build schools—and communities—where every student can learn, belong, and thrive.

Through storytelling, public memory, and collective action, she explores how the narratives shaping our education systems influence who experiences belonging, opportunity, and support—and who does not.

Dr. Love challenges participants to move beyond reflection and consider what it means to lead with truth, care, and shared responsibility in this moment.

Participants will leave with:

• A deeper understanding of how narratives shape school systems and student experiences

• A renewed sense of responsibility for building inclusive, affirming communities

• Clear reflection on how their leadership can contribute to more opportunity-rich environments for all students

Additional Small Group Opportunity
In Conversation with Dr. Bettina Love:
Leadership, Belonging, and the Hard Work of Change 

 This informal small group conversation creates space for participants to engage directly with Dr. Bettina Love through an open, question-led format. Participants are invited to bring their reflections, questions, and real-time leadership challenges as Dr. Love guides the group in exploring what it takes to lead with truth, care, and shared responsibility while building inclusive, affirming communities where every student can learn, belong, and thrive. 

Capacity is limited to 50 participants to support
a more personal, interactive experience. 

Join us in Renton for this headlining keynote and group coaching experience.

Why This Keynote Matters

This keynote serves as a powerful anchor for the convening—grounding participants in the deeper purpose of this work and setting the tone for reflection, connection, and action throughout the experience.

It is an invitation to not only examine systems—but to reimagine what is possible when communities come together with intention, clarity, and shared responsibility.

About Dr. Bettina Love

Dr. Bettina Love is an award-winning author, researcher, and educator whose work centers justice, belonging, and transformative change in education. She is the William F. Russell Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a nationally recognized voice on educational freedom.

She is the author of We Want to Do More Than Survive and the New York Times bestselling Punished for Dreaming. Her work has influenced educators, leaders, and systems across the country, challenging them to move beyond surface-level change and toward meaningful, lasting transformation.

Through her scholarship and speaking, Dr. Love partners with schools and communities to build environments where every student is affirmed, supported, and able to thrive.