About ELEVATE™

Take Teaching To New Heights

The definition says it all….and at ELEVATE™, that’s what we are all about: Supporting and uplifting early childhood and elementary educators in their quest to improve instruction for the students they serve.

This conference was designed with the core objective of supporting educators who work selflessly in the classroom each day, giving their all. The ELEVATE™ team consists of highly experienced and award-winning educators who are currently teaching in the classroom or actively serving in schools.

ELEVATE™ is here to support educators. Our conferences will provide them with the absolute best professional development sessions offered for Pre-k to 2nd grade educators. Every ELEVATE™ conference will include multiple sessions on all core academic strands (including reading, writing, math, science, & social studies), as well as administrative, SEL, school culture, classroom management, and culturally responsive teaching workshops.

At ELEVATE™, we set the bar high! All of our presenters are required to support their presentation content with current research, model best-practice instructional methods, incorporate active-engagement strategies within their sessions, and provide complementary lesson plans/activities for attendees to take back and use immediately in their classrooms.

Team Members

Greg Smedley-Warren

Co-Founder

Howdy! I am Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard. My real name is Greg Smedley-Warren. I have been teaching for 16 years.

Crystal Oswald

Conference Director

Crystal Oswald is a district service coach that specializes in Social Emotional Learning. Prior to this position, she was an SEL Curriculum and Instruction specialist and a classroom teacher for 14 years.

Katie Wonderly

Designer

Katie is an elementary music teacher, making music with 600 of her favorite young musicians in Oklahoma City.

Jason Warren

Co-Founder

Hi, I am Jason, otherwise known as "The Mister." I handle all things behind the scenes at The Kindergarten Smorgasboard. I graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 2001 with a bachelors degree in Finance.

Holly Ehle

Academic Advisor

Holly is a full-time kindergarten teacher and literacy specialist who is passionate about student engagement, differentiated instruction, and early literacy.

Mel Novoa

Conference Coordinator

Mel Novoa is a 2nd grade teacher in Florida, who brings over 15 years of teaching experience.

Jose Cortez

Creative Director

Jose is the Creative/Marketing Director for The Kindergarten Smorgasboard! Jose has over 9 years of experience in the education field...

Katie Blue

Director of Program Development

Katie Mense is a children’s author, a nationally recognized speaker, and an energetic Kindergarten teacher in Southern Illinois with more than 15 years of classroom experience.