Hosted by the University of Notre Dame, the Alliance for Catholic Education, and Higher-Powered Learning.

About BLiCSS:

Blended and personalized learning is a growing movement nationwide, including in Catholic schools. Over the past decade, hundreds of Catholic schools have incorporated adaptive online learning into classrooms to serve their students better. Though there are a number of forums and spaces in which blended learning leaders and practitioners can gather to share best practices and collaborate, BLiCSS is the singular opportunity for leaders and teachers in Catholic education specifically to form a unified mission and vision for blended learning in Catholic schools and collaborate to share best practices from across our schools. 

To fill this need, we created the Blended Learning in Catholic Schools Symposium with two goals in mind:

1. To gather thought leaders in the blended-learning space with an explicit connection to Catholic schools to share ideas, bright spots, and challenges. 

2. To develop our shared capacity to implement high-quality blended learning in Catholic schools. 

BLiCSS gathers school and diocesan administrators, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, university faculty and staff, and education software company representatives.

Symposium Schedule

Wednesday, March 25th:

• 5:00-8:00 - Registration, Welcome, Cocktail Reception, Dinner, and Presentation

Thursday, March 26th:

• 8:00-9:00 - Breakfast (Provided)
• 9:00-12:00 - Morning Presentations and Workshops
• 12:00-1:00 - Lunch (Provided)
• 1:00-4:00 - Afternoon Sessions
• 6:00-9:00 - Cocktail Reception, Dinner, and Presentation

Friday, March 27th:

• 8:00-9:00 - Breakfast (Provided)
• 9:00-11:00 - Morning Sessions and Closing

Symposium Location, Travel, and Accommodations

Location: All symposium events will be located on the University of Notre Dame’s campus. 

Travel: The nearest airports to campus and their travel time (by car) are listed below:

• South Bend Airport (SBN) - 15 minutes
• Midway Airport (MDW) - approximately 2 hours
• O'Hare Airport (ORD) - approximately 2 hours 30 minutes

Please note that Midway and O'Hare are in the Central Time zone, while South Bend and Notre Dame are in the Eastern Time zone.

Accommodations: We have reserved a block of rooms at the following hotels. Book using the links below to get a discounted rate. Book your hotel room before Monday, February 23, 2026 to get the discounted rate we’ve secured with three local hotels.

• Morris Inn
• Inn at Saint Mary's
• Hilton Garden Inn

Transportation: Parking is available at the hotels and on campus if you will have a car. Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) and taxis are available from the South Bend airport. All symposium events are within a 5-10 minute walk across the beautiful University of Notre Dame campus from the Morris Inn. The Inn at St. Mary’s and the Hilton Garden Inn offer a complimentary shuttle to campus. 

Meals: All meals (Wednesday dinner, all meals on Thursday, and breakfast on Friday) are included in your registration. 

Cost and Deadlines: The cost to attend BLiCSS 9.0 is $175 if you register before December 1, 2025. After December 1, the registration fee is $250. The last day to register for BLiCSS 9.0 is Friday, March 6, 2026. After this date, we will be unable to issue refunds for registration payments.

FAQs

Who is invited to participate in the Symposium?

The Blended Learning in Catholic Schools Symposium will gather thought leaders and practitioners in the blended-learning space with an explicit connection to Catholic schools. All are invited to attend; however, the symposium is geared toward thought leaders and school administrators.

What is the appropriate dress for the Symposium?

Feel free to dress however you feel most comfortable. Most people will likely wear business casual.