VEA’s EPIC (Education Professionals in Collaboration) Conference is scheduled for November 7-8, 2025 at the Richmond Marriott Downtown, Richmond, Virginia. This year’s theme is “Focus Forward: Surviving and Thriving in Public Education.” The target audience is local VEA affiliates, Pre-K-12 teachers, education support professionals and administrators, college and university students, higher education faculty, staff and administrators, human resource personnel, local school boards, and community organizations. Open to ALL educators, members and non-members.
The EPIC Conference represents a transformative opportunity for educators to engage in unprecedented levels of professional collaboration. This gathering creates a dynamic space where educators from diverse backgrounds, roles, and experiences come together to celebrate the rich diversity that defines our educational community, build collective resilience in an era of constant change, advance cultural competency through meaningful dialogue, and foster authentic collaboration that goes beyond simple cooperation. Through interactive sessions and cross-role discussions, we develop the skills and relationships necessary to create truly inclusive educational environments where every student’s identity is respected, their background is valued, and their potential is fully realized. The EPIC Conference is more than a professional development event—it is a catalyst for transformation, a celebration of our shared values, and a launching pad for the collaborative work that will define the future of public education.
Registration Deadline is October 10, 2025!
George M Johnson is an Award-Winning Black Non-Binary Writer, Author, and Executive Producer located in the LA area. They are the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Young Adult memoir All Boys Aren’t Blue discussing their adolescence growing up as a young Black Queer boy in New Jersey through a series of powerful essays. The book was optioned for Television by Gabrielle Union in 2020, and as of 2024 is the #1 most challenged book in the United States according to the American Library Association.
George was listed on The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2020. The Out 100 Most Influential LGBTQ People in 2021. And in 2022 was honored as one of the TIME100 Next Most Influential People in the World for their fight against censorship in the United States.
In 2021 they wrote and Executive Produced the Dramatic Reading of All Boys Aren’t Blue starring Jenifer Lewis and Dyllon Burnside which received a 2022 Special Recognition Award from GLAAD, and a 2023 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Daytime Special.
As a former journalist, George has written for over 50 major outlets including Teen Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, NBC, and Buzzfeed and Huffpost. In 2019 George was awarded the Salute to Excellence Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for their article “When Racism Anchors your Health” in Vice Magazine.
Their second memoir WE ARE NOT BROKEN received the Carter G. Woodson Honor which recognizes books that “accurately and sensitively depict the experience of one or more historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups in the United States”.
Their third book Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I wish I Knew has received 4 starred reviews and an Audie nomination for Best YA Audiobook of 2024.
George is also a proud HBCU alum twice over, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
Friday, November 7
4:30 pm – 9:00 pm
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Check-In
Dinner
Opening Session
Saturday, November 8
7:00 am – 7:55 am
7:00 am – 7:55 am
8:00 am – 8:40 am
8:50 am – 10:00 am
10:10 am – 11:20 am
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
1:25 pm – 2:35 pm
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
Check-In
Breakfast
Morning Plenary Session
First Breakout Session
Second Breakout Session
General Session and Luncheon
Third Breakout Session
Closing Session
The average pay of Virginia public school teachers in 2023-24 was $65,830. That is $4,260 below the national average of $70,090.
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