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Christian Deeper Learning Gatherings
Designed to gather Christian educators who seek to cultivate deep learning, engaging students to discover who they are as image-bearers and find their place in God’s story.
June 21–25, 2026
Norfolk, Virginia
Christian Deeper Learning Summer Institute
Join us at Norfolk Christian Schools in Norfolk, Virginia for a transformative week exploring the heart of Christian Deeper Learning—where faith, community, and purpose come together to inspire educators toward meaningful, Christ-centered teaching.
Christian Deeper Learning Summer Institute
Christian Deeper Learning invites our students to be engaged in God's story, equips them to play their unique role, and empowers them to apply knowledge and skills to produce real work that meets real needs of real people.
Is the Deeper Learning Institute for You?
- Want to deepen their thinking about what Christian education looks like, not only in chapel and Bible class, but in curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment in all subjects.
- Are teachers, instructional guides, principals, or someone interested in innovation, creativity, and teaching practices that engage all students.
- Desire to go beyond commercial textbooks to design curriculum that forms the self and shape the world.
- Interested in learning assessment strategies that equip students to take responsibility for their own learning.
What to Expect
Participants will learn about:
Spiritual formation: How to define their Christian values and move them from the posters on the walls into the minds, hearts, and behaviors of their students.
Curriculum design: How to design curriculum that provokes complex thinking, inspires beautiful work, and forms students into the character of Christ.
Instructional practice: How to plan lessons that engage students as active participants—making creative connections and constructing meaning together in accord with God's Word.
Assessment: How to use assessment to help students learn, grow, and take responsibility for their own progress. They work as if for God and not for grades.
Registration & Cost of Institute
We have a limited number of spots available, so register soon before space runs out! The early bird cost is $350 per attendee and increases to $400 per attendee on February 1, 2026. If you are registering a team of 3+ people, discounted pricing is $315 per attendee. Registration does not include lodging. Hotel information will be shared after registration.
Onsite at Norfolk Christian Schools
Norfolk Christian Schools (NCS) has generously offered to host the Christian Deeper Learning Summer Institute at their school. NCS is a PK3–12 school serving 756 students on a preparatory, Christian-centered campus.
The setting at Norfolk Christian Schools offers both a focused academic environment and access to a vibrant, engaging regional context. The nearby city and waterfront provide convenient options for breaks, meals and informal gatherings outside of formal sessions.
Christian Deeper Learning Institute Facilitators
Steven and Joanna Levy
Over the course of thirty years, Joanna Levy has served as classroom teacher, principal, and spiritual director of New Covenant School in Arlington, Massachusetts. She was named “Volunteer of the Year” by the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association for a biography project she did with her class called “Writing the Lives of the Elderly.” She supports teachers in designing engaging curriculum that serves an authentic audience, meets state standards, and fosters discipleship. Joanna helps educators create a culture in their schools in which students are deeply involved in their own spiritual growth.
Steven Levy has spent twenty-seven years in the classroom and twenty consulting for EL Education. He is a former senior fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE). Steven and his wife offer independent consulting to Christian schools internationally. He was a co-founder a network of schools called Christian Deeper Learning. He has been honored with numerous awards, including the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year and Disney National Elementary Teacher of the Year. His book, Starting From Scratch, tells stories of his classroom adventures.