Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor

Speaker, Podcast Host, Education Consultant

Play isn’t the opposite of serious work—it’s how serious work gets done.
Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, educator, and podcast host who helps organizations unlock collaboration, creativity, and innovation by embracing learning and leading through play. Her work shows leaders how to design environments where curiosity fuels critical thinking, empathy strengthens problem-solving, and people feel empowered to imagine what’s possible.
 
With more than 30 years of experience across classrooms, museums, universities, and professional learning spaces, Dr. Diane brings a rare blend of research-grounded insight and real-world application. She holds a PhD in Elementary Education from the University of Virginia and a Master of Teaching with a concentration in children’s literature, emergent and early literacy, and language arts instruction. Her deep expertise in story and storytelling shapes her distinctive approach—using narrative as a catalyst for connection, inquiry, and systems thinking.
 
Dr. Diane founded Millbrook Community Preschool, a regionally recognized early childhood program built on hands-on learning, emergent literacy, and STEAM exploration, where she gained firsthand insight into how culture is shaped through intentional design. She later served as Director of Education and Associate Director at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, leading the development of innovative programs that expanded reach, revenue, and community engagement through curiosity-driven, intergenerational learning through play.
 
In addition to her leadership and consulting work, Dr. Diane is a longtime university professor, teaching children’s literature, language arts, and integrated literacy courses at both the University of Virginia and Shenandoah University. Her expertise in children’s literature informs much of her speaking, as she uses story and storytelling as tools to explore empathy, identity, perspective-taking, and systems thinking.
 
Dr. Diane is the creator and host of the Adventures in Learning podcast, a vibrant, story-driven show spotlighting scientists, educators, authors, illustrators, and creative leaders who are reshaping how we learn and work. Through rich conversations and practical insights, the podcast explores curiosity, creativity, and play as powerful forces for lifelong learning and innovative leadership.
 
A Certified Big Talk Academy® Speaker, Dr. Diane has presented at national and regional conferences including NAEYC, the National Play Coalition, the Association of Children’s Museums, Science in the Rockies, and CAST.
 
Through Dr. Diane’s Adventures in Learning, she delivers keynotes, workshops, and professional learning experiences for schools, libraries, museums, nonprofits, and organizations nationwide.
 
At a time when organizations are overwhelmed by complexity, burnout, and constant change, Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor offers a powerful reframe: the skills we need most—collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and empathy—grow best in environments designed for play. Her work challenges leaders to stop asking how to do more and start asking how to design better conditions for people to think, connect, and create together. Because when organizations commit to learning and leading through play, they don’t just improve outcomes—they build cultures where innovation feels possible, people feel seen, and meaningful change can take root.