Educators Conference
Where Educators Become Students: An Experiential Learning Conference
Every summer, we turn our Island School campus into a learning laboratory for program leaders, outdoor educators, classroom teachers, and school administrators interested in probing best practices in experiential education. Our annual weeklong Educators Conference provides a unique opportunity for participants to challenge themselves to become students engaged in sustainable community living and place-based learning, while investigating experiential learning models.
This is not your typical conference. Over the course of the week, participants will learn about sustainability through a marine lens (by jumping into the ocean daily); gain a sense of place through rich discussions on community and culture (spend time in small groups in open-air spaces); build intentional community by living in Island School dormitories (share a bunk with a new extended colleague); and participate in daily chores (composting, sorting resources, and more). Join us for this energetic, dynamic, hands-on experience!
Please contact partnershipprograms@islandschool.org with questions.
Conference Objectives
While every conference is unique from the next, participants can expect to gain insights and experiences with the following:
- Gain exposure to models of place-based learning and experiential education
- Explore different measurement tools for assessing skills, knowledge, and growth within experiential education models
- Re-energize and connect to the sense of wonder that comes from hands-on learning; become a student again
- Develop a plan for transferring new methodologies to your learning environment
- Understand how a sense of place builds curriculum mastery, community, confidence, and capacity for change
- Become part of a network of like-minded individuals with resources for future education change
Explore with Us
Each activity is outdoors, active, and hands-on. Participants can expect to participate in activities about:
- The Island School history, vision, and academic pedagogy
- Sustainable systems as teaching opportunities
- Expeditions as tools for leadership, personal growth, and community building
- Service learning and community excursions as an opportunity to expand worldviews
- Scientific research as a way to emphasize rigor, challenge creativity, and welcome methodological thinking
Schedule
Participants should expect to be awake, active, and participating in all parts of programming from about 6 am to 9 pm each day; activities are scaffolded throughout the week, and building a sense of community within the conference cohort adds deep value to the experience. Plus, you won’t want to miss out on anything!
Given the structure of the schedule, we discourage participants from attending the conference with their families.
A typical day might include:
| 6:30 am | Morning Exercise |
| 8:15 – 9:15 am | Breakfast |
| 9:15 – 12:15 pm | Nature Journaling: Strategies to Support Reflection |
| 12:15 – 1:15 pm | Lunch |
| 1:15 – 4:15 pm | Field Research: Examine Teaching Models |
| 6:00 – 7:15 pm | Dinner Circle |
| 7:15 pm | Evening Debrief |
The Island School Stories
A program like this revitalizes and re-energizes teachers, making them excited to return to their schools with new ideas that will positively impact their community.
Conference Dates
The 2026 Educators Conference will take place from July 23 – July 29 (inclusive of travel dates). For more information, please submit an inquiry form by following the button below.
Registration for the 2026 Educators Conference opens February 1st. To receive information for the 2026 Educators Conference, please submit an Inquiry Form.
Tuition, Room & Board
Tuition for the 2026 Educators Conference is $1,925. Tuition does not include travel to and from Eleuthera as well as incidentals. We recommend that participants budget for an additional $1,000 in associated costs. Transportation will be provided from the Rock Sound Airport (RSD) on Eleuthera to The Island School campus on the designated arrival and departure dates (July 23rd & July 29th).
All conference participants will live together in Island School dormitories and eat meals at the dining hall. Learn more about our seaside, sustainable campus and residential facilities.
Participants are encouraged to explore professional development funds available to them from their employer. To inquire about financial assistance for this program, please contact Director of External Affairs Anna Becker (annabecker@islandschool.org).
Thank you for your interest in the Educator’s Conference. Registration opens on February 1st; to receive notifications about the 2026 Educators Conference, please complete the form by following the button below.
