Hundreds of Prince George County Public Schools faculty and staff marched their way into Prince George High School on Thursday, August 7, 2025, for the division’s third annual IgnitePG professional development conference, an evolution to the division’s annual convocation experience that offers employees across various specialties the opportunity to learn from their colleagues through a diverse selection of panels and sessions. 

SEE MORE PHOTOS: PGCPS on Flickr

Started in 2023, IgnitePG was born out of a desire to give new and returning teachers valuable information and resources ahead of the upcoming school year focused on topics of interest to educators. Following positive feedback from the inaugural event, IgnitePG was expanded in 2024 to include the division’s support staff, such as bus drivers, food and nutrition services staff, and operational employees, providing panels and sessions that offer something of value for anyone attending the event.

Preparations for this year’s event began weeks earlier, with the largest component being the development and rollout of an in-depth two-day event schedule. This year’s event featured over 160 sessions, many of which were facilitated by PGCPS staff members, drawing on their professional knowledge and passion for teaching, further enhancing the homegrown, organic nature of the professional learning experience.

Following a morning social hour, the event began with thunderous applause from teachers assembled in the Prince George High School gymnasium, cheering as they gathered with their schools ahead of opening remarks, delivered by Superintendent Dr. Wayne Lyle, deputy superintendent Dr. Abbie Martin, school board chair Rob Eley, and the division’s 2025 Support Employee of the Year, Middle Road Elementary School paraprofessional Kristina Jones. 

"Just like for our students, the summer offers a great opportunity for us to offer deeper learning experiences for our teachers and staff, and IgnitePG serves as an engaging combination of professional development and relationship building to start the year off in a positive way," Division Superintendent Dr. Wayne Lyle said. "IgnitePG is unique because many of these sessions are led by our teachers and staff who are sharing their knowledge with their colleagues. Participating in my first IgnitePG this year has been enlightening as to how our staff can work collaboratively to host such an enriching event that brings together the best parts of a pre-opening convocation and the learning found in many education conferences."

Breakout sessions across Prince George High School offered a variety of in-depth conversations and panels for staff to sit in on and participate, including the importance of family engagement on attendance matters, the value of mentorship within the school community, and financial empowerment through budgeting and investing. Paired with sessions led by PGCPS facilitators, community partners hosted panels during the two-day event. Local prosecutors Susan Fierro (Prince George Commonwealth’s Attorney) and Erin Barr (Chesterfield Commonwealth’s Attorney) and Linda Hawkins of the Recover Hope Foundation led a session focused on the importance of identifying and preventing human trafficking within schools, while Prince George County Police Department Office Magen Moreno hosted a presentation on de-escalation strategies in school settings, drawing dozens of teachers and staff to the session.  

Throughout the day, popular sessions that drew a full room of attendees included a discussion on responsible uses of AI by teachers and students and creating inspiring, student-led science experiences.

"When I think about the work all of our staff does every day across our division, I reflect on the collective impact they have on the children in our community," Deputy Superintendent Dr. Abbie Martin said. "Through each of their individual actions, be it leading a classroom, providing student services, preparing hot meals, keeping our schools clean and safe, or driving them to and from school and activities, they're making a collective impact that allows our children to thrive every day. One of my favorite things about IgnitePG is the opportunity to attend sessions delivered by our excellent teachers and community partners. These sessions and interactive experiences serve as the spark to ignite excitement for the coming year, and that energy is carried forward into our orientations and opening week activities. Without our teachers and staff, IgnitePG would not be the success it has grown into today, from being just an idea to an incredible learning and teambuilding experience for all of PGCPS."

As the sun sets on another successful IgnitePG event, PGCPS’ teachers and staff now prepare to welcome students back to school this week with a host of school orientation and open house sessions. A full schedule of events is available on all PGCPS websites.

Thank you to our sponsors who helped make IgnitePG possible, including: Homebase Credit Union (Platinum), Anthony N. Sylvester, Attorney-at-Law, Hopewell, VA (Gold), John J. Siegner, Attorney, Petersburg Office of Allen & Allen (Gold) and Supporting Sponsors: Amazon, Andy Clark, Battlefield Park, Brew & Blossom, Cantena, Chipotle, Cinema Cafe, Costco, Felts Ham, Hayley Noel Photograph, Hoober Inc., Norfolk Tides, Q-Daddy, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Richmond Kickers, Richmond Raceway, Roseland Farms, Sheetz, Sugar Shack, Texas Roadhouse, The Huffmans, VCU Rams, Washington Nationals, Wawa

To see more photos from this year’s IgnitePG and previous events, visit the division’s official Flickr channel or Facebook page.