Welcome to EdTechRI: A New Era of Independent Innovation for Educators
Dear Members, Partners, and Friends,
For years, we have proudly served the educational community under the banner of RISTE. Together, we’ve built a robust network of educators, technology directors, and innovators dedicated to transforming learning. Today, we are thrilled to officially introduce the next evolution of our organization: Welcome to EdTechRI.
You might be wondering, why the change, and what does it mean for you?
The Catalyst for Change Our former parent organization, ISTE (along with ASCD), recently underwent significant organizational changes, a national rebranding, and a complete restructuring of their affiliate program. As part of that finalized transition, they moved to protect their intellectual property, requiring all organizations using the ISTE or ASCD names to rebrand.
We completely respected their need to protect their brand and chart a new national course. For us, however, their transition served as the perfect catalyst. Rather than waiting in uncertainty or letting external forces dictate our identity, your Board of Directors took proactive, immediate action. We recognized a golden opportunity to step fully into our own power, and we have officially made a clean break from the national network to become a 100% independent organization.
Business as Usual—But Better First and foremost, we want to reassure you that our foundation remains rock solid. While our public-facing identity is now EdTechRI (registered as a fictitious name or DBA), our official legal name filed with the Rhode Island Secretary of State remains exactly the same.
This means there is absolutely zero disruption to our operations. Our legislative purchasing authority, our Master Price Agreements (MPAs), and all of our existing vendor contracts remain completely intact. We are still the exact same trusted organization you rely on—just with a wider horizon and a broader reach.
The Power of True Independence Operating as a fully independent EdTechRI unlocks incredible opportunities that directly benefit you, our members and partners. Because we are no longer subject to externally mandated membership minimums or national geographic boundaries, we are officially opening our membership to all educational entities, expanding our collaborative network further than ever before.
This independence also brings tangible benefits:
100% Direct Investment: We no longer pass on affiliate fees to a national parent company. Every single dollar we generate stays right here within our organization to fund initiatives, grants, and events that directly benefit our members.
Freedom to Innovate: We are no longer bound by non-compete clauses regarding the Professional Development (PD) we produce. EdTechRI is completely free to create, host, and share whatever training programs best serve our expanding educational community.
Our Renewed Vision, Mission, and Pillars As we step into this new chapter, we have refined our guiding principles to reflect our true purpose.
Our Mission: EdTechRI accelerates educational excellence through technology innovation, collaborative networks, and dedicated advocacy.
Everything we do moving forward is grounded in our four core pillars:
Amplify: Elevating the voices, achievements, and needs of our educators and technologists.
Advocate: Championing policies, funding, and resources that support limitless learning.
Accelerate: Speeding up the adoption of impactful technologies and best practices to drive student success.
Anchor: Providing the reliable foundation our community needs through robust networking, targeted training, and powerful purchasing agreements.
All of the background work is officially complete, and EdTechRI is already moving forward at full speed. This isn't just a new name; it's a renewed commitment to our community, designed to welcome and support educational innovators everywhere.
Thank you for being the driving force behind everything we do. We can't wait to continue this journey with you.
Here's to the future,
Michael Sujka, President