Free Professional Development for Teachers in Illinois

Illinois teachers need to earn 120 professional development hours every five years to renew their Professional Educator License, and those hours can add up quickly if you pay for every course. The good news is that many hours can be earned for free. The Illinois State Board of Education, state-approved museums, and other organizations offer no-cost workshops, self-paced online courses, and webinars. Below, we cover where to find these free opportunities, how to make sure they count toward renewal, and what it takes to earn an Illinois teaching license in the first place.

Why Do Teachers Need Professional Development Hours?

To renew Illinois’ standard Professional Educator License (PEL), educators must complete a minimum of 120 professional development hours during each five-year renewal cycle. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) maintains a list of approved professional development providers, and these providers count one clock hour of attendance as one professional development hour. Approved providers include regional offices of education, museums, colleges and universities, public school districts, and state agencies. Only hours from ISBE-approved providers count toward renewal, so confirm that any free option below is approved before you sign up.

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Certification Requirements for an Illinois Professional Educator License

To qualify for the standard Professional Educator License, candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and complete a state-approved educator preparation program. They must also pass the Illinois content test for the grade level or subject they plan to teach before the license is issued. Illinois no longer requires a basic skills test, and the edTPA performance assessment is waived through August 31, 2029, while the state pilots its own teacher performance assessment. All candidates must also pass a background check. The license is valid for five years and can be renewed by completing the professional development requirements described above.

Free Professional Development for Teachers in Illinois

There are several opportunities available for teachers to gain the professional development their jobs require without spending a lot of money. We've featured some common options below.

Free Workshops

The Illinois State Board of Education sponsors free workshops, offered in partnership with WIDA, that educators can attend to earn professional development hours. These workshops run throughout the year, both in person and virtually, and cover topics such as lesson planning, supporting English learners, and helping multilingual students show what they know in math. Because they’re publicly funded, these sessions are open at no cost to current public school educators.

Another option is the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center’s workshops. The museum offers full-day, evening, and virtual training for K-12 and college educators on topics such as the Holocaust, genocide, civics, and social-emotional learning. Most workshops are free, though the museum’s Summer Institute charges a small registration fee. The museum is an ISBE-approved provider, and its workshops align with Common Core State Standards.

Organizations sometimes host one-time free workshops that teachers may find valuable. For example, CodeHS has offered free professional development workshops to help teachers prepare to lead computer science classes. Keep an eye on organizations in your subject area for similar events.

Free Online Courses

Online courses are ideal for educators who can’t attend workshops in person but still need to earn professional development hours. Through the Illinois State Board of Education’s online learning portal for educators of English learners, public school teachers can access free self-paced WIDA e-workshops on topics such as math and science instruction, newcomer support, and assessment strategies. Depending on the course, these workshops are worth anywhere from 1 to 20 professional development hours. Early childhood educators can also find free courses on supporting young multilingual learners through The Center: Early Childhood Professional Learning [link].

Free Webinars

Many organizations offer free webinars for educators on topics such as instructional coaching and social-emotional learning. Check that the host is an ISBE-approved provider before counting the hours toward renewal.

The Illinois State Board of Education also offers free live webinars for teachers of English learners through its WIDA partnership. Recent sessions have covered topics such as expanding reading instruction with multilingual learners and supporting students who are dually identified as English learners and students with disabilities. New webinars are added each school year, so check ISBE’s WIDA Workshops page [link] for the current schedule.

Finding and Tracking Free Professional Development with PD+

Illinois educators now have a single place to search for professional development: PD+, ISBE’s statewide professional development system. Teachers can log into PD+ through their Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) account to search for activities by topic and register for sessions from ISBE-approved providers. PD+ also tracks completed hours automatically, so there’s no need to enter them by hand. For example, ISBE’s free WIDA workshops are registered through PD+. Searching PD+ regularly is one of the easiest ways to spot free, state-approved opportunities and keep tabs on your progress toward 120 hours.

Find Free Professional Development for Teachers in Illinois

Meeting Illinois’ 120-hour renewal requirement doesn’t have to cost a lot. ISBE’s free WIDA workshops and e-courses, the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s mostly free workshops, and free webinars from approved providers can cover a meaningful share of your hours. Make PD+ your starting point. It lets you search for approved opportunities, register, and track your progress in one place, so you can renew your license on time without paying for every hour.