Membership Benefits

 

Professional development

We are proud to be an Illinois State Board of Education approved provider for educator licensure professional development hours (PDHs). This allows us, with the help of our dedicated partners, to provide educators with a plethora of professional learning opportunities.  As an IDEA member, you will have access to all these opportunities, including member-only events. 

View PD Opportunities

MINI-GRANTS

The purpose of the Mini-Grant Program is to provide IDEA members throughout the state with funding for educational technology projects that showcase innovation and creativity and directly benefit students in PreK-12 classrooms. Apply for an IDEA mini-grant!

Learn More

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are available up to $1,000 for members to pursue an advanced degree, take additional for-credit college courses, or attend professional development workshops and conferences. Children of IDEA members may apply for a scholarship to pursue a degree in Education. Scholarship applications open in early April and are announced each year in mid-May.


REGIONAL CHAPTERS

There are 21 local chapters  of Illinois Digital Educators Alliance covering all counties in the state. The members of each chapter hold  meetings and events that provide an opportunity for networking and professional development on a local level.


Find Your Local Chapter

RECENT IDEA BLOGS

ParentSquare and Canva: Partnering to Empower Creative School Communications

By The ParentSquare Team • February 12, 2025
Between websites, social media, and feeds, there’s no shortage of places for districts to share information about events, school achievements, volunteer opportunities, and more. To support districts and educators in creating eye-catching visual content, ParentSquare has partnered with Canva for Education. Read on for some of the tips and ideas they shared for using Canva with ParentSquare and Smart Sites.

On the Road with CodeHS: Illinois Edition

By CodeHS • February 5, 2025
The first week of the CodeHS road trip started in the heart of the Midwest — Illinois! Each classroom visit was packed with hands-on learning, insightful questions from students, and fun coding challenges in Python. Here’s a look back on our first few stops in Illinois, the activities we hosted and incredible students and teachers we met along the way.

Learning Styles: Separating Fact from Fiction

By Phil Pulley • January 30, 2025
For years, the idea of “learning styles” has shaped how educators teach, parents guide, and students approach learning. From being labeled as a “visual learner” to claiming to thrive with “hands-on” activities, the concept seems both intuitive and practical. However, decades of cognitive science research have debunked this widespread myth. This article by IDEA Governing Board member, Phil Pulley, delves into the origins, misunderstandings, and evidence-based alternatives to this popular but misguided theory.
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