Challenge
In 2025, English Language Programs (ELP) faced a rapidly shifting landscape in language education. Graduate enrollment in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate programs was declining, degree pathways were diversifying into areas—like Instructional Design, World Languages, Educational Leadership, and EdTech—and new federal priorities required renewed focus on cost-effectiveness and strategic relevance. ELP needed to ensure its outreach investments remained impactful, forward-looking, and aligned with both national policy and emerging trends in AI and educational technology.
Action
To address this, I conducted multi-year research to evaluate past conference participation and identify new opportunities. My analysis focused on two key areas:
- Recent performance analysis: I examined conferences attended in 2024–2025 and tracked ROI across the previous three years to understand the rationale behind participation choices and measure their effectiveness.
- Long-term TESOL review: I analyzed ROI data from TESOL conferences held between 2018–2025, identifying events not recently attended to assess which were worth re-engaging with. This helped balance continued presence in TESOL spaces with the need to expand focus toward emerging fields.
In parallel, I researched potential non-TESOL conferences—particularly in EdTech, World Languages, and International Education—and compiled a detailed spreadsheet to guide future outreach and investment priorities.
Impact
This research provided a data-driven foundation for ELP’s 2025–2026 outreach strategy, enabling evidence-based decisions about conference investment and positioning the program within both traditional TESOL and emerging spheres. The analysis strengthened accountability, informed budget planning, and broadened the recruitment pipeline for American educators across disciplines.
Challenge
In 2025, English Language Programs (ELP) faced a rapidly shifting landscape in language education. Graduate enrollment in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programs was declining, degree pathways were diversifying into areas—like Instructional Design, World Languages, Educational Leadership, and EdTech—and new federal priorities required renewed focus on cost-effectiveness and strategic relevance. ELP needed to ensure its outreach investments remained impactful, forward-looking, and aligned with both national policy and emerging trends in AI and educational technology.
Action
To address this, I conducted multi-year research to evaluate past conference participation and identify new opportunities. My analysis focused on two key areas:
- Recent performance analysis: I examined conferences attended in 2024–2025 and tracked ROI across the previous three years to understand the rationale behind participation choices and measure their effectiveness.
- Long-term TESOL review: I analyzed ROI data from TESOL conferences held between 2018–2025, identifying events not recently attended to assess which were worth re-engaging with. This helped balance continued presence in TESOL spaces with the need to expand focus toward emerging fields.
In parallel, I researched potential non-TESOL conferences—particularly in EdTech, World Languages, and International Education—and compiled a detailed spreadsheet to guide future outreach and investment priorities.
Impact
This research provided a data-driven foundation for ELP’s 2025–2026 outreach strategy, enabling evidence-based decisions about conference investment and positioning the program within both traditional TESOL and emerging spheres. The analysis strengthened accountability, informed budget planning, and broadened the recruitment pipeline for American educators across disciplines.
Supporting Materials
The accompanying presentation slides illustrate two distinct analyses. The first set visualizes the 2024–2025 performance review, assessing the effectiveness of recent conferences. The second set presents the long-term TESOL conference review from 2018–2025. Both highlight ROI trends, participation outcomes, attendance patterns, engagement levels, and conversion data to inform future participation decisions. Together, these materials demonstrate how data visualization strengthened strategic planning and evidence-based outreach.
Note: Select work samples shown here have been adapted or modified to respect organizational branding.
Supporting Materials
The accompanying presentation slides illustrate two distinct analyses. The first set visualizes the 2024–2025 performance review, assessing the effectiveness of recent conferences. The second set presents the long-term TESOL conference review from 2018–2025. Both highlight ROI trends, participation outcomes, attendance patterns, engagement levels, and conversion data to inform future participation decisions. Together, these materials demonstrate how data visualization strengthened strategic planning and evidence-based outreach.
Note: Select work samples shown here have been adapted or modified to respect organizational branding.