State Conference
November 13-14, 2025
Blair County Convention Center- Altoona, PA
Conference Justification Letter
Take advantage of our ready-to-use Conference Justification Letter to help communicate the professional value of attending the SHAPE PA State Conference. This customizable letter outlines the benefits of participation, including relevant professional development opportunities, networking with fellow educators, and access to the latest resources in health and physical education—making it easier to gain your administration’s approval and support.
Hotel Accommodations
Country Inn and Suites- $119/night
Attached to the convention center
Renovations are currently underway at the Country Inn & Suites, and we’re hopeful they will be completed in time for our event. To book a room, click here or call 814-312-1800.
Country Inn and Suites Reservation Deadline - Oct. 28th
Holiday Inn Express and Suites- $139/night
Located directly across the street
For added convenience, a complimentary shuttle will be available between the hotel and the convention center. To make a reservation, please call 814-693-1004.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Reservation Deadline - Oct. 13th
SHAPE PA Conference Lunch
We invite you to stay on-site and enjoy a convenient, delicious lunch during the conference! While lunch is not included in your registration, you can easily add it when registering—or purchase it separately using the link below.
This year’s lunch features a Build-Your-Own Soup, Salad, and Sandwich Buffet, complete with a chef-selected dessert and hot beverage service.
Staying for lunch helps us meet our food and beverage minimums and keeps everyone together for networking and connection.
Cost: $18 per day
How to Purchase: Add it to your conference registration or purchase separately here
Have dietary restrictions?
Please let us know when purchasing your lunch ticket—we’re happy to accommodate! The Blair County Convention Center takes pride in ensuring every guest is well cared for.
View the full menu below:
Thursday, November 13th:
Soup: Vegetarian Vegetable (subject to change)
Salad Station: Chopped greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives, mild pepper rings, chickpeas, artichokes, cheddar cheese, croutons, salad du jour and assorted dressings
Sandwich Station: Grilled Chicken & Chopped Sirloin with rolls, cheese, veggies & condiments
Plus: Chef-selected dessert & hot beverage service
Friday, November 14th:
Soup: Tomato Bisque (subject to change)
Salad Station: Chopped greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives, mild pepper rings, chickpeas, artichokes, cheddar cheese, croutons, salad du jour and assorted dressings
Sandwich Station: Pan-Seared Chicken & Braised Short Rib with rolls, cheese, veggies & condiments
Plus: Chef-selected dessert & hot beverage service
Take advantage of our special offers!
Tentative schedule at-a-glance
2025 Conference Shirts are now on sale!
Grab your official 2025 SHAPE PA Conference shirt—on sale now! Purchase here or add-on to your conference registration.
Shirts are just $10, with extended sizes priced as follows:
• 2XL – $12
• 3XL – $13
*Shirts are Gildan Softstyle Tees- Adult Unisex Sizes. Stone blue color is 100% cotton & Dark Heather Gray is 65/35 poly/cotton.
Orders must be placed by Monday, October 13, 2025 to guarantee your shirt and size. A limited number of shirts will be available for purchase at conference.
At checkout, please be sure to:
✔ Select your shirt size
✔ Select your shirt color (Stone Blue or Dark Heather Grey)
✔ Choose your delivery option
• Pick up at the conference (November 13–14, 2025) – Free
• Ship to your address – Add $8 for shipping
Note: Shipped orders may arrive after the conference dates.
Don’t miss out—order yours today!
Please note: Actual shirt colors & ink colors may appear slightly different in person due to lighting and screen display variations.
Check out Our Keynote Carousel on Thursday, November 13th!
Connection is the Content: A Map of Moments, Meaning, and Movement (Matty Bristol & Mark Housel)
What makes a great activity? What makes a great class? What makes a great connection? In this keynote, longtime friends Mark and Matt take you on a journey across the map of their shared experiences from gym floors to national conferences. Each stop a story, each story a spark of wisdom. With powerful takeaways rooted in play, presence, and purpose, they’ll explore how connection isn’t just a part of teaching Health and Physical Education, it is the teaching.
Through laughter, reflection, and a few unforgettable activities, you’ll learn how to:
Create space for students to connect deeply with themselves, each other, and the world
Infuse your teaching with humor, heart, and intention.
Design joyful, inclusive, and memorable experiences.
Reframe your practice around the simple truth: Connection is the content
Whether you're just starting out or decades in, come rediscover the why behind what we do — and how to do it well. Let’s make the map together.
Join us on a motivational journey about how fear and failure actually derail us from being the best people and teachers that we are meant to be. Only when we collaborate with fear and embrace failure, can we reach our fullest potential. Melanie will weave the lessons that she learned as a derby girl and share how those lessons translated into obtaining success both personally and professionally. She will highlight how we not only need to incorporate this message for ourselves, but also learn how to empower students to capitalize on fear and failure so that they may overcome any disadvantages that are present and reach their full potential.
Finding a Friend in Fear and Failure (Melanie Lynch)
Flipping pancakes is one of the most important things a person can do. It’s a noble calling not often appreciated, but always worth the pursuit. With all of the other ways you could have made a difference on this earth, why flip pancakes?
This session aims to be a safe and constructive space for you to explore these questions:
1. Why do you flip pancakes?
2. How do you build your skills, grow equity and get everyone involved, including yourself?
3. What is the intention of every flipping event you host, plan and participate in and how can this whole process make you and those you teach better learners and humans?
Join us as we live out the celebratory story of an epic pancake flipping contest where we aim to be transformed, and become more aware, learning together in movement, reflection and gratitude.
The Great Pancake Flip Off: and Why It Matters (Brandon Herwick)
Thursday Evening Events
Linda Woods Huber Appreciation awards & the 2025 SHAPE PA Awards Celebration
The evening begins with the Linda Woods Huber Appreciation Awards at 5:00 PM on Thursday, November 13th, followed by the 2025 SHAPE PA Awards Celebration from 5:30 to 6:15 PM. Join us as we honor inspiring individuals and celebrate excellence in our field.
The PSAHPERD Appreciation Awards, established in 1993, were created to give our members an opportunity to honor/acknowledge a family member, colleague, student or friend in a special way. The idea originated during the PSAHPERD Elmer B. Cottrell Awards Banquet, inspired by the desire to give everyone in the audience an opportunity to honor someone special. A nominal fee covers a framed certificate, a plant, and the presentation reception. Over the past 20 years, we have presented more than 500 awards, making them a yearly highlight for our members at the annual conference. In 2017, the awards were renamed the Linda Woods Huber (LWH) Appreciation Awards in honor of our longtime Executive Director and her lasting impact on the organization.
The 2025 LWH Appreciation Awards are FREE to attend and OPEN TO ALL—whether you're giving an award or simply joining us to celebrate others. All are welcome to attend this special moment of recognition and connection.
Join us for the 2025 SHAPE PA Awards Celebration!
Help us honor and celebrate the outstanding professionals who are making a difference in health and physical education across Pennsylvania. During this special event, we’ll recognize our SHAPE PA Award Winners and Teacher of the Year Honorees—individuals who exemplify excellence, dedication, and leadership in our field.
This inspiring celebration is FREE to attend and OPEN TO ALL, and we encourage every conference attendee to join us. It’s a chance to uplift and recognize the incredible work happening in schools and communities across the state and to be reminded of the power and impact of our profession.
All-Conference Dinner and Happy Hour
Join us after the SHAPE PA Awards Celebration for an evening of great food, connection, and fun!
🕕 Time: 6:15–7:15 PM 💵 Dinner Ticket: $25 per person
Please note: Happy Hour is free to attend—even if you choose not to purchase a dinner ticket.
Menu Highlights:
🍴 Build-Your-Own Taco Station
Seasoned ground beef and chicken with corn, flour tortillas with lettuce, tomato, onions, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, accompanied by southwest-style rice pilaf with grilled vegetables.
🍝 Build-Your-Own Pasta Station
Prepare your own personalized pasta dish—choose from penne or cheese tortellini, Alvera’s meatballs, marinara and vodka sauce with oregano, crushed red pepper, parmesan cheese, and house-prepared garlic bread.
🥪 Panini Station
All Paninis are served on two slices of genuine Italian bread brushed with rosemary and garlic olive oil:
Italian – Ham, salami, pepperoni with mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan cheese, plus balsamic and garlic-marinated tomatoes
Grilled Cheese – Marinated grilled 5-oz breast of chicken with slider rolls, Swiss, cheddar, and provolone cheeses, griddled tomato, and pesto aioli
Buffalo Chicken – House-prepared buffalo chicken salad with provolone cheese and blue cheese dressing
🍪 Assorted Cookies for Dessert
🍹 Cash Bar Available
🥗 Have dietary restrictions?
Please let us know when purchasing your dinner ticket—we’re happy to accommodate! The Blair County Convention Center takes pride in ensuring every guest is well cared for.
How to Purchase:
Add a dinner ticket when registering for the conference—or purchase one separately here.
We hope to see you there!
Don’t Miss Our All-Conference Social on thursday evening from 7:30-10:30pm!
Get ready for an unforgettable night at #SHAPEPA2025! Our All-Conference Social is bringing the heat with our hosts Brandon Herwick (DJ Brooklyn Dreamer) and Matty B (DJ Brizzy)— think music, dancing, games, and nonstop fun! A cash bar will be available to purchase drinks. Light refreshments will be provided at no cost.
This is your chance to unwind, connect, and make memories. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it!
This is a FREE, ticketed event! If you plan to attend, please register through your conference registration or sign-up here to help us get an accurate headcount. Thank you!
Pro tip: Be there BOTH days and stay overnight to get the full conference experience!
Future professional events
1st Annual Future Professionals College Bowl
In this high-energy Jeopardy-style competition, teams of future professionals will represent their colleges and test their knowledge in physical education, health, wellness, recreation, physical activity, fitness, and more. With questions submitted by university professors, the competition is sure to be both challenging and exciting.
Spectators encouraged! Grab your lunch and get ready for an epic battle of Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities! Future professionals, rally behind your school, and alumni, come cheer on your alma mater. More details about how to sign up your university team will be available in the Fall.
Future Professional Lunch Keynote with Jo Bailey!
As you embark on your teaching career, you don't know what you don't know! Learning from people who have had a few years experience can be invaluable. Hop into the time machine to learn how one person would have changed what they did in their early teaching years, the "happy accidents" they had along the way, and what advice they have to give you the best possible start to your teaching career.
Future professionals will come together for an inspiring and meaningful message from SHAPE PA Headline Presenter, Jo Bailey. Jo brings a world of experience—literally. Originally from the UK, she’s taught in the UK, Hong Kong, and now the U.S. She’s a National Board Certified Teacher, a Google Certified Innovator, and the 2013 SHAPE America Midwest High School PE Teacher of the Year. Jo also previously served on the SHAPE America Board of Directors and is widely recognized as one of the top presenters in the field. Her global perspective, tech-savvy approach, and passion for quality physical education make her a can't-miss presenter. We can’t wait for our future professionals to learn, grow, and be inspired by Jo!
*Must be an undergraduate university student to attend. Free pizza will be provided.
Sponsor a Student
Help Send Our College students to Conference!
We’d love for you to help spread the word about our upcoming conference! If you're planning to attend or present, we invite you to proudly share your involvement by posting one of our official conference badges—either “I’m Attending” or “I’m Presenting”—on your social media accounts. It's a great way to show your excitement, encourage others to join, and help us build momentum for an incredible event. Don't forget to tag SHAPE PA and use our official hashtag so we can celebrate with you! #SHAPEPA2025 #ShapingaBrighterFuture
Social Media badges
Exhibitor Information
We would like to invite you to showcase your product, organization or service. Each year, our Conference attendees are educators, college/university professors, university students and others in the health/physical education and physical activity field from Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
2025 SHAPE PA State Conference
📍 Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, PA
📅 November 13-14, 2025
We are now accepting registrations to exhibit at our conference and we look forward to having you join us! Booth package options/pricing and more information can be found here.
Are you interested in partnering with us? Click here to learn more or email partnerships@shape-pa.org with any questions or inquiries. Thank you!
