Speaking Engagements, Professional Development Workshops, and Author Visits
Practical, research-informed learning experiences that help educators.
Jessica DeLisa partners with schools and organizations to translate research, data, and lived experience into meaningful action. Through keynote presentations, professional development workshops, and author visits, she helps educators rethink how data is used in schools and how protective factors can change the trajectory of a student’s life.
Professional Development Workshops
Interactive Training for Schools & Districts
Jessica provides professional development designed to move educators beyond compliance-based data use and toward meaningful, student-centered decision-making.
Participants leave with practical frameworks, tools, and strategies they can immediately apply in their classrooms and schools.
Workshop formats:
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Professional Development Sessions
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Half-day workshops
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Full-day professional development
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Multi-session learning series
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District leadership training
Sample workshop topics:
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Bringing Students into Data Conversations
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Developing data tools with Google Sheets
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Turning Data into Action: Determining Next Steps After Analysis
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Real-Time Data in Classrooms
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What are Protective Factors and Why do They Matter
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Supporting Students Who Face Adversity
Speaking
Engagements
Keynote & Conference Presentations
Jessica delivers engaging keynote presentations that challenge educators to rethink the role of data, relationships, and protective factors in shaping student outcomes.
Drawing from her own childhood experiences and her professional work in education, Jessica bridges research, data literacy, and lived experience to help audiences see students differently and act with greater intention.
Popular speaking topics include:
• Supporting Vulnerable Students Through Protective Factors
• When Data Becomes a Risk Factor Instead of a Protective One
• Bringing Students into Data Conversations
• Rethinking How Schools Measure Student Success
• Overcoming Adversity: The Power of One Educator’s Belief
Each presentation blends storytelling, research, and practical strategies educators can apply immediately.
Ideal for:
• Education conferences
• District professional learning days
• Leadership summits
• School faculty events
Author Visits
Inspiring Students to Celebrate Differences
Jessica DeLisa is the author of the children's book A Different Book, a story built around the joyful message that it is fun to be different.
The book itself embraces that idea by being intentionally different in creative and engaging ways that spark curiosity and conversation among young readers.
Through engaging author visits, Jessica helps students explore the importance of appreciating differences in themselves and in others. Her visits combine a book reading, discussion, and reflection to create an experience that is both meaningful and memorable.
Visit Format
Author visits are designed for students in Pre-K through 6th grade and can be adapted for a variety of settings.Visit formats may include:
• Classroom read-alouds
• Grade-level assemblies
• School-wide assemblies
• Interactive discussions about appreciating differences
• Q&A sessions with students
Jessica’s presentations encourage students to think about what makes each person unique and why differences make communities stronger.
Why Jessica's Work Resonates
Jessica’s work is shaped by both research and lived experience.
As a child, she experienced instability and adversity that could easily have defined her academic future. Instead, one educator’s belief in her potential changed everything.
That experience continues to shape her work today.
Jessica helps educators recognize that data never tells the whole story of a student — and that the right support at the right moment can alter the trajectory of a life.
Her work focuses on helping schools build systems where data, relationships, and protective factors work together to support every student.
Get in Touch
For professional development or speaking sessions, reach out to Jessica DeLisa using the contact form below. Let's enhance your educational journey together.
Contact Jessica