
CESBA Conference
2023
December 6-7
Toronto
Registration will open in late June!

Keynote speaker
Joze Piranian
Joze Piranian is a lifelong stutterer turned International Motivational Speaker helping people who hold back turn fear into action so that they overcome their “inner stutter” and unlock their true potential in life.
Joze is a five-time TEDx speaker, the winner of the Inspirational Speaker of the year award in 2017 and a Forbes featured stand-up comedian who has performed in North America, Europe and the Middle East in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Joze will be presenting “Face Fear. Become Resilient. Unlock Potential”.
Call for Presenters
CESBA invites you to share your expertise!
As a potential workshop presenter, you have an opportunity to lead a learning session with educators from across Ontario. Submit a proposal by June 16 to present a workshop at the conference.
To ensure a range of viewpoints and diverse experiences, presenters are encouraged to collaborate on their proposals.
About
Our conference theme is Embracing Transformation: It’s up to all of us!
The CESBA Conference 2023 offers two incredible days of learning, knowledge-sharing, networking, and fun! It is a unique opportunity to learn best and promising practices to support your work in adult and continuing education in Ontario.
Our conference begins on Wednesday, December 6 with Sector Day organized by leaders in their fields. Please note the change in order from last year! Dedicated workshops, presentations and discussions will be held for the following seven sectors:
- Summer School (NEW!)
- Francophone (Back by popular demand!)
- Credit/Guidance/Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
- Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS)
- Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs
- English as a Second Language (ESL)/French as a Second Language (FSL)/Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
- International & Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE)
Our second conference day on Thursday, December 7 is our Keynote and Workshop Day. After starting the day with an inspiring address by international keynote speaker, Joze Piranian, you will have an opportunity to select from more than 18 dynamic workshops that explore four sub-themes in adult and continuing education:
- Telling Our Stories
- Mental Health and Wellness
- Technology
- A&CE Essentials
Program
Time
Session
Room
7:00 am
Registration opens
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Exhibits, Breakfast buffet
8:00 am – 8:30 am
Opening & welcome
8:30 am – 10:30 am
Sector Programming:
- Summer School (NEW!)
- Francophone (Back by popular demand!)
- Credit/Guidance/Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
- Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS)
- Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs
- English as a Second Language (ESL)/French as a Second Language (FSL)/Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
- International & Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE)
10:30 am – 10:45 am
Break
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Sector sessions continue
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch (networking and exhibits)
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Sector sessions continue
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Break
2:45 pm – 3:30 pm
Sector sessions conclude
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Guided cross-sectoral networking
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Free time
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Mix & Mingle Reception – For all conference guests
Lifetime Achievement Award
Time
Session
Room
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Exhibits, Breakfast buffet
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Welcome and keynote by Joze Piranian: Face fear. Become Resilient. Unlock Potential.
9:30 am – 9:50 am
Break
9:50 am – 11:00 am
Workshop Block A
11:00 am – 11:20 am
Break
11:20 am – 12:30 pm
Workshop Block B
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm – 2:40 pm
Workshop Block C
2:40 pm – 3:00 pm
Final plenary and closing
3:00 pm
Adjourn
Registration FAQ
Registration will be launched at the end of June 2023.
CESBA members receive a special conference rate for a single day or the full conference. If you would like to inquire about your board becoming a member of CESBA, please contact our Executive Director, Paul Cox at pcox@cesba.com. We also offer discounted rate for student tickets with a valid student ID. Hotel accommodates and travel codes are also available at a significant discounted rate, please visit the Accommodations page for details.
This year, we are offered a special super saver rate for those who book before July 31, as well as a discounted rate for those who book before September 30. See rate details.
The registration fee allows access to all events and functions during the event and includes: conference materials, receptions, meals and breaks as specified in the program.
All travel costs including air and hotel accommodations are the responsibility of the attendee. We have an amazing hotel rate of $149/night at our conference venue, the Chelsea Hotel. Room availability is limited. Travel and accommodations details.
We will send an email to all registrants when the workshops are announced. You will need to return to the registration form to make your selection. We recommend buying your ticket early to reserve your spot.
Unless there is a change in government health guidelines at the time of the conference, we will no longer have formal COVID restrictions. However, any attendee who wishes to wear a mask should feel most welcome to do so.
Registration payment is by credit card.
After completing the registration form and processing payment, you will be routed to a confirmation page. In addition, you will receive a confirmation email with your registration information.
Yes, you can register a group of participants. Continue your registration form until the payment portal where you will see the option to add another registrant. You need to submit contact details for all attendees. When the workshops selections are available, the person who registered the group will need to return to the registration form to make the workshop selections.
Registration online will close by November 21. Due to the popularity of the event, we recommend that participants register early as the event is expected to sell out.
Unfortunately, due to capacity limits, we cannot accommodate in-person registrations. We encourage you to register early.
All registration fees are non-refundable. No credit will be issued for unused registrations. A registration may be transferred to another attendee. Requests for transfers of registration fees must be made in writing. Transfer requests can be registration@cesba.com and must be completed by November 17.
Please contact the CESBA 2023 Conference planning team at registration@cesba.com for assistance.
Full Conference Rates
Super Saver –
Before July 31
Full conference – Member* $625 |
Full conference – Non-member $725 |
Discount Saver Rate –
August 1 – September 30
Full conference – Member* $725 |
Full conference – Non-member $825 |
Regular Rate –
After October 1
Full conference – Member* $795 |
Full conference – Non-member $895 |
Daily Rates
For either Sector Day or Keynote/Workshop Day only.
Member* | $450 |
Non-member | $550 |
Student | $150 |
*Member Eligibility
If you are an employee of one of our 60+ member school boards, you qualify for a member rate! If you work for an Indigenous educational authority or institute, CAVLFO, or Correctional Service Canada, please also select this member rate option. If you are unsure, please email registration@cesba.com
Literacy and Basic Skills Sector
LBS Sector Day is fully subsidized for LBS staff. If you would like to attend the full conference, select that option and continue to answer the prompts. You will only be charged at the member rate for the Keynote/Workshop Day.
Travel & Accommodation
Chelsea Hotel, Toronto
33 Gerrard St. W, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z4
Chelsea Hotel Toronto is conveniently located in the downtown area and is easily accessible by car or transit. CESBA has negotiated a preferred rate at The Chelsea Hotel Toronto with single rooms starting at an incredible $149 per night, plus taxes and fees. The deadline for bookings is November 17, but room availability is limited so book earlier to avoid disappointment.
Reservations can also be made by phone at 1-800-243-5732 or 416-595-1975. You must mention that you are part of CESBA Fall Conference 2023 to take advantage of the discounted group rate.
Parking
Paid, underground self-parking is available at the hotel and can be accessed via the garage entrances on Gerrard Street, use the hotel address of 33 Gerrard Street West in your GPS as the location. Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please note that the underground parking garage has a max. height restriction of 5’6” in certain areas and cannot accommodate oversized passenger vehicles.
- Hourly Parking rate is $3/hour + HST
- Event Only Parking (6:00 am to 6:00 pm) rate is $15 + HST
- Discounted overnight Parking rate is $30/day + HST (added value of unlimited in and out privileges)
Travel Directions
For directions to the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, click here.
Explore Toronto
For the trailblazers who leave no destination unexplored; meeting in Toronto puts you at the economic, innovative and cultural heart of Canada. An exciting city that’s ever-evolving, our multicultural roots are expressed through thriving local artists and innovators. Explore vibrant neighbourhoods, each one representing different facets of Indigenous, European, African, Caribbean and other cultural influences that add to our city’s eclectic identity. Follow your curiosity through towering skyscrapers, down artistic alleyways, and into one of the world’s biggest film festivals. Navigate sprawling seasonal markets, barhop live-music venues and land at a championship sporting event. Even if you’ve been here before, there’s always new adventures to be had.
Sign up with Pass TO Savings for free and enjoy up to 20% off of some of Toronto’s best attractions and experiences!
Contact Us
If you have questions about attending, sponsoring or presenting at CESBA 2023 Embracing Transformation: It’s up to all of us!, email us at registration@cesba.com

Keynote speaker
Joze Piranian
Joze Piranian is a lifelong stutterer turned International Motivational Speaker helping people who hold back turn fear into action so that they overcome their “inner stutter” and unlock their true potential in life.
Joze is a five-time TEDx speaker, the winner of the Inspirational Speaker of the year award in 2017 and a Forbes featured stand-up comedian who has performed in North America, Europe and the Middle East in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Joze will be presenting "Face Fear. Become Resilient. Unlock Potential".
By empowering others to own their uniqueness and conquer their obstacles, Joze delivers transformational experiences allowing his audience members and coaching clients to access the hidden powers of fear and become champions of inclusion.
His talks about inclusion and resilience have gone viral online with more than three million views.
Joze has spoken at organizations such as the United Nations, Google, Tesla, TikTok, IBM, Dell, and BCG.
Joze holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Psychology from McGill University, a Master of International Business from Queen’s University and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
It must be said that these accomplishments did not come easily for Joze, who had to confront significant adversity. Joze will share his personal journey of transformation and his hard-earned insights about resilience, inclusion and the importance of being exposed to discomfort and fear as an impetus for action.