Dear SEMIS Coalition Members,
In the fall of 2015, I traveled with a group of students from Detroit Public Schools Community District to Grand Rapids to my (and their) first National Place-Based Education Conference. Beyond the general excitement of our group to be in Grand Rapids – it was all of our first time in the city, which, in addition to great educational content, boasted a highly coveted comic shop – I remember feeling the weight of this experience across our group: We were about to meet with educators from all across our state and the country. We were going to get to share our story of how young people in our community were learning about and taking action on the water crisis and sustainable sanitation in our city. And we were going to bring back to our community the knowledge, resources, inspiration and pride that would help us continue and deepen our work.
And we were not disappointed. From a lively keynote story about one young person’s commitment to cleaning up the Mississippi River, to practical and generative sessions and networking with other educators, community members, and young people (and, indeed, a quick visit to the local comic shop) the experience still stands out to me as a moment of transformation – one where I first recognized the breadth and commitment of the place-based education community and the momentum, support, and love this network would bring to our work in Detroit.
This fall, from November 12-14, the National Place-Based Education Conference returns for its 9th year and I could not be more excited that the SEMIS Coalition will be co-hosting the conference right here at Eastern Michigan University. In line with the place-based education movement, the conference has grown significantly and will include presentations from over 200 presenters, representing 30 states and 3 countries. This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of the largest, most diverse, and arguably most necessary one yet, and I’m using our blog this month to tell this network – we think you should be there.
What is the National Place-Based Education Conference?
The mission of the National Place-Based Education Conference is to grow and support the place-based education community, to strengthen the field through shared experiences, insights and best practices, and to inspire the future of education to be deeply connected to place and local purpose. Since 2011, the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative – a statewide organization that supports place-based stewardship education in Michigan – has hosted this conference in communities across Michigan to provide an opportunity for educators, administrators, community members, and young people to connect and exchange resources, ideas, and best practices related to place-based learning and action.
What can you expect as an attendee?
The National Place-Based Education conference will take place over three days from November 12-14, 2025. The first day will feature a set of ‘Immersion Experiences’ that give participants a chance to practice the core of place-based learning as they explore Southeast Michigan’s unique history, landscape, culture, and community. As participants travel to sites across our region and hear directly from educators and community members here, the Immersion Experiences help ground the conference experience in local knowledge and issues and provide an opportunity to make deeper connections to learning and each other.
The second and third day of the conference will be held on Eastern Michigan University’s campus and will include a mix of workshops, presentations, ‘story spots’, outdoor experiences, and keynote presentations. Attendees can organize their experience based on a set of pathways that focus on key place-based learning themes or stakeholder groups (i.e., building and district administrators) or pick and choose the sessions that interest them most. On the evening of Thursday, November 13th, participants can also attend the Place-Based Education Celebration dinner, which will feature fellowship opportunities, an awards ceremony, and a keynote musical performance from singer-songwriter May Erlewine.
You can now see the full conference agenda and start planning out your own conference experience here! Stay tuned for more ways to connect and engage with session content and other attendees.
What resources are available to support participation?
Thanks to a generous community of sponsors and supporters, a number of scholarships are available to reduce the conference registration cost for educators, tribal and nonprofit organizations, retirees, students, and just about anyone that needs financial support to attend the conference. The brief scholarship form can be found here.
How can you register?
Registration for the conference sessions, immersion experiences, and Place-Based Celebration dinner is open now through October 22, 2025 or until capacity is reached. If you have any questions about the registration process or about the conference in general, reach out to the organizers at conference@greatlakesstewardship.org.
We are so excited to not only participate in but also host this year’s conference and hope you are able to join us to celebrate and deepen the impact of place-based learning in our region and beyond. We look forward to seeing you there!
Donate today to the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition and bring joy to teachers and students learning through place. Your contribution makes learning come alive!
