The International Educational Leadership Conference

March 4-6, 2026, Hungary

Theme: "On Mission, On Guard"

Location: Mercure/Ibis Budapest Castle Hill, Budapest, Hungary

     41-43 Krisztina krt, 1013 BUDAPEST. Hungary

What is IELC?

The International Educational Leadership Conference brings together Christian school leaders for strategic collaboration and inspiration from across Europe and beyond. ACSI Europe has hosted the IELC since 2015 for participants from more than 40 countries and we are blessed to be able to partner with you for the promotion of quality Christ-centered education around the world.

Conference Goals:

• Inspire a shared vision for Christian education globally
• Encourage fellowship among Christian school leaders
• Encourage collaboration among Christian schools
• Inspire biblical leadership through interactive sessions

Donations and Conference Costs

• Your donations can enable a school leader to attend IELC! We will match your gift to a specific need at your request. Give online HERE.
• Conference fees can be paid online and receipted from ACSI HERE. 

Conference Venue: Mercure Hotel (Castle Hill), Budapest, Hungary

• The Mercure Hotel venue includes hotel options as well as meals for participants. Meals (other than breakfast) are included in the Conference Fee. 
• Please book your own lodging based on your preferences. Rooms will be available at special rates. 
  • IBIS rooms with breakfast included: Single room at 89 E/night, Double room at 103 E/night - Reserve HERE
  • Mercure rooms with breakfast included: Single room at 109 E/night, Double room at 125 E/night - Reserve HERE
• Room availability is guaranteed until 1 February, with a special rate available for participants. After this date, availability cannot be assured. You may also look for other local accommodations that might fit your needs.

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. David A. Wells leads the GLOBAL School Consulting Group, guiding a team of 27 consultants serving schools worldwide. Through his consulting, David has strengthened governance, directed strategic planning, and advanced mission fidelity for more than 130 schools in 40 countries over the last eight years.

David earned an M.A. in Christian School Administration and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Supervision. His thirty‑year career in school leadership included headships in Puerto Rico, New York, and Ecuador. He currently chairs governing boards of a school in Central America, a school system in Asia, and a ministry foundation in South America.

David was a co‑founder of On‑Mission Diagnostics, a research‑based enterprise assessing and facilitating the mission fidelity of schools. OMD is now a subsidiary service of the GLOBAL Group.

Dr. Marc de Vries is a recently retired professor of Reformational Philosophy at Delft University of Technology and one of Europe’s leading voices at the intersection of faith, learning, and technology. Trained in physics at the Free University of Amsterdam, he went on to complete his doctorate in technology education at the Eindhoven University of Technology. 

His early career included teaching physics and mathematics, preparing future teachers, and conducting influential research in physics, technology, and pedagogy. Marc later served as head of the Technology Education department at Eindhoven’s University of Pedagogical Technology and became an assistant professor in philosophy and methodology of technology. He has shaped academic discourse as editor-in-chief of The International Journal for Technology and Design Education and continued the legacy of Reformational philosophy by succeeding Prof. Egbert Schuurman. He now serves as a member of the Senate in the Netherlands.

With his rare blend of scientific training, philosophical insight, and deep engagement with Christian worldview, Marc brings a uniquely compelling voice to the challenges facing Christian educators. His keynote contributions will help school leaders think wisely about technology, culture, and mission as they seek to remain “On Mission, On Guard” in a rapidly changing world.

Dr. Gavin Brettenny was Head of a national K-12 Christian School in South Africa and Head of an international Christian school in Germany. He and his wife currently reside in Florida, USA, from where he serves as ACSI Chief Strategy Officer. One of his current foci is on implementing a growth mindset across ACSI’s eight divisions: Africa, Asia Pacific, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, South Asia, and International. 

Gavin has extensive organisational leadership experience with Christian schools and National Associations of Christian Schools. Gavin’s post-graduate credentials include an Honours degree in Education, a master’s in organisational leadership, and a PhD in the study of the influence of transformational leadership behaviours on school improvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Gavin is uniquely positioned to speak to emerging trends, strategic priorities, and the future of Christian schooling worldwide. His keynote session will focus on the transformative journey that sustains Christian school leaders in the long-term mission of service to Christ.

Program Details:

• The event begins with 17:30 dinner on Wednesday and ends with 12:30 lunch on Friday. See the DRAFT schedule.
• This conference will highlight keynote speakers who are leaders in Christian educational philosophy and practice and engage our hearts and our minds with God's Word.
• Workshops will be available, presented by highly experienced and qualified educators working in Christian school settings.
• Various learning tracks will be offered to participants wanting to focus their attention on themes related to the opportunities for Christian education to address real and pressing challenges in our communities.
• If you do not speak English, you will need to provide your own translator for networking. There are various apps such as GoogleTranslate that can be used for simultaneous written translation in selected languages when translation is unavailable.

Workshops

Would you be interested to present a workshop at IELC 2026? The conference organizing committee will select the workshops for the conference from the submitted proposals. Workshop Proposal Deadline will close on January 15, 2026.

Workshop Titles and Descriptions:

1. Complete the workshop proposal form HERE
2. All workshops must fit within the conference theme and be related to the opportunities for Christian education to address real and pressing challenges in our culture and educational context. 
3. Please make your titles and descriptions "attention getting" and informative.
4. Many of the conference participants will be non-native English speakers but workshops must be presented in English. Translation for some languages may be available in the Super Seminar.

The ACSI Europe Christian School Improvement Platform (CSIP)

ACSI is committed to supporting excellence in both academics and spiritual formation for Christian schools. ACSI Europe has developed a multi-lingual tool to build school communities through identifying strengths and weaknesses in a setting of strategic professional support between member schools and partner organizations. Your use of this platform as a member school will further enable you to build meaningful partnerships through your connections at IELC that best support the needs of your school community. You can read more about CSIP here.

Conference Booths and Partnership Development:

• Organizations can be assigned space to host conversations with other participants during the conference breaks.
• We encourage you to think about ways that you want to collaborate with schools from other countries for mutual benefit and support based in a biblical vision of education. The best encouragement for partnership is highlighting what you can offer to others in these partnership opportunities.
• Reserve your table by February 15, 2026. An sponsorship fee will be collected for any organizations promoting paid services or products.

Conference Costs: 

Note that conference prices do not include accommodation. We will provide a link to discounted prices at the conference hotel where you may reserve your preferred room type in your confirmation email. You may also select from other local accommodation options.

* This is a subsidized price for certain member schools, which helps subsidize their participation.

All registrations include 2 dinners, 2 lunches, 4 coffee breaks, access to main sessions, workshops, translation options, conference materials, the digital conference resources and networking.

A 5% discount is available for groups of 5 or more participants from the same school. 

Payment and Cancellation Policy:

• Conference fees must be paid by February 15, 2026.
• Payment can be made by credit card or bank transfer after completing the registration process.
• Cancellations between January 15 and February 15 receive a 50% refund.
• No refunds or cancellations after February 15.

Updated on Dec 3