What We Learned at the 2026 Feuerstein Convention in Louisville, KY

A week of learning at the Feuerstein Convention has come to an end and, although I myself did not sit in on the classes as a participant, I learned far more than I expected to.

July 19 marked Day One of the Feuerstein Convention. The plenary was set to begin at 8:00 a.m. and by 3:00 that morning, Jeanne was already texting me. We had revisions to make to the opening PowerPoint, a task that, I guess, needed to be done before sunrise. Louisville was still asleep, still unaware of the transformative learning that was about to grip that quiet stretch of Aliant Ave.

A few sleepless hours later, I found myself in the “big room,” as we called it, already filled with over 100 diverse participants with still more gathered in the overflow rooms nearby. Rows of eager faces, coffee cups in hand and newly printed name tags proudly worn, all facing the front of the room. Jeanne Zehr offered the introduction first, then Shayke Pri-Chen welcomed the participants.

I spent much of that first day connecting HDMI cables to overworked laptops, adjusting microphone output levels, and sneaking into classrooms, photographing the participants (read: reluctant models) who so unluckily found themselves on the wrong side of my camera.

I walked out of Deena’s room only to be immediately pulled into Lorri Wilke’s classroom, where the energy seemed to pulse right out the door. I was greeted by a nickname that only Lorri could confidently use after having met me a mere two hours before. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised when I saw her students blindfolded. Lorri was teaching the Tactile for Attention course. Well, she certainly had my attention. A student sat in the middle of the classroom with her hands moving over the raised ink of a sheet of paper. Her sight uninvited to help her take in the information. Instead, she focused hard on deciphering the image on the page using only touch. By forgoing sight, the Tactile for Attention instruments forces learners to focus differently and to operate their other senses to take in new information.

Lori Horner and Greta Ehlers’s Cognitive Enrichment class, which sat just across the hall, seemed to attract new faces from every walk of life. There were teachers and school principals, university students, even social workers. This duo had a grip on their students with questions and stories and exercises that kept the room alive. Worksheets lay open on the tables, filled with shapes and lines and pictures, challenging to be analyzed. Cognitive Enrichment breaks instructions down to their most basic level. It provides a blank canvas for learners of any age to understand the fundamentals of instruction – not only how to follow instructions, but how to give them to others in an effective way. It teaches educators and parents that when they help their students or children learn how to instruct effectively, they in turn learn how to follow instructions better too.

As the week went on, I began to notice two kinds of participants in these classrooms. There were professionals already well trained in the Feuerstein Method, already implementing the instruments in their schools and practices. This group opened my eyes to the impact the Institute had made on their careers. And then there were those completely new to the world of Feuerstein, people who were there because a friend promised it would change their life, or because a director at their workplace had brought the whole team to the convention. Whatever brought them there, I met people who were genuinely stunned that a method like this exists.

What struck me deeply was one question I kept getting asked.

It was a reasonable enough question but after enough inquiries, I began scratching my head. Throughout the week, while chatting to new faces in between classes, I’d inevitably get asked “So tell me, how did you get involved with the Institute?” sometimes adding in “did you move to Israel for this job?”. I wasn’t confused by the question as much as why so many people seemed interested in my application process to a new job. My answer was simple, I applied. That’s how I landed the job. But the pattern emerged and I understood the interest – this wasn’t just a job to these people. The Institute is much larger than just a day job. 

I had unknowingly stepped into an organization that fundamentally changes lives, that shapes people in deeply personal ways and professional ones too. An organization with history and presence and a global reach far beyond what I had fathomed. 

Once I understood why the answer mattered to people, i began looing forward to getting asked that question. I felt immensely lucky and a deep sense of gratitude. And yes, a bit of humility too.

Eventually, the 2026 Feuerstein Convention in Louisville, KY came to an end leaving its mark on more than 120 participants from all over the world. Some people learned that their children, or the students in their classrooms, have far greater potential than they had ever imagined. Some learned that they  can in fact take control over their memory. Some learned that dyslexia and literacy difficulties are not a life sentence, but something that can be worked on. And some learned that the Feuerstein Institute is an organization of people committed to finding every possible opportunity to help others grow their brains, learn better, and take control.

I learned how incredibly lucky I am to be a part of this.

Oh, and I also learned that Jeanne Zehr truly does not sleep.

Join us for our NEXT Feuerstein Convention – in Cyprus!

If you’re interested in joining future Feuerstein Conventions, send us an email and we’ll send you updates about upcoming conventions! Email ruthc@icelp.org.il