L+D Caravan Tour

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Student Life + Well-being

Best for: Deans, Assistant Principals, Counselors, Student Life Coordinators

Schools often respond to student behavior through systems designed for compliance, control, and efficiency. But what our discipline practices and support systems were designed to build capacity, agency, and learning?

Reimagine student life through a human-centered design lens. Explore how schools can create cultures of care, accountability, and growth that help students thrive while reducing the need for reactive intervention.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 

Leadership Presence + Feedback

Best for: Instructional Coaches, Department Chairs, Team Leads, Emerging and Mid-level Leaders

We want to change the way that people are talking to each other in schools. So often, in education, you are promoted into leadership because you are good at your current job. “You are a great teacher, why don’t you lead ________ ?” You begin to do this work, and you realize that leading adults is hard – it’s not the same thing you were doing before.

Grow your leadership presence and skillfully navigate the complexities of giving and receiving feedback. Learn to hold space, manage up and down, and transform tension into trust. 

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Resistance Paradox:

Navigating Pushback and Resistance

Best for: All School Leaders, Directors and Deans who feel resistance in their work

The core paradox: what we experience as resistance in others is often a reflection of our own fears, assumptions, and need for control. These sessions pushed into rich territory: what blocks us from seeing others as fully capable, how recognizing resistance changes the way we give feedback, and how we might gather resistance early as a gift for learning rather than an attack - how can we look at ideas, plans, the resistance itself shoulder to shoulder? Sitting with the paradox doesn't mean we need to compromise integrity. We can draw boundaries and articulate those boundaries.

Isaiah Noriega (he/him) is a partner at Leadership + Design. He is an experienced educator, counselor, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioner with a passion for student well-being and community building. Isaiah recently served as Dean of Community and Well-being, Chief Diversity Officer, and Founding Director of the Evergreen Institute at Indian Creek School, where he led initiatives that center student well-being, leadership development, and belonging. With a background in clinical-community psychology, Isaiah brings expertise in mental health and organizational psychology to his work. Before joining Leadership+Design full-time, he was a Fellow and a Leader in Residence.

At the heart of Isaiah’s work is a belief in the power of people—their stories, their leadership, and their potential to thrive when truly seen and supported. A certified life coach and trained restorative practitioner, Isaiah blends empathy with strategy to help communities move forward with clarity and purpose. Outside of work, Isaiah enjoys reading, sports, and spending time with his wife.