Join the planning team to create year 15 of our annual UNconference celebrating learning across the Midwest region!

Our theme this year is going to be decided by you, planned by all of us and made amazing by so many others we bring into our space and on our team.

Join us!

What is Edcamp?

Edcamps are free public events that leverage the knowledge and experiences of attendees by allowing educators to collaboratively determine topics for discussion the day of the event.

Learn More from Digital Promise

Goals of Edcamp

• Empower Educators: To empower educators to share their knowledge, learn from peers, and network with like-minded professionals.

• Foster Innovation: To encourage innovation and creativity in education by providing a platform for educators to explore new ideas and approaches.

• Build Community: To create a supportive and collaborative community of educators who can learn and grow together.

• Address Specific Needs: To address the specific needs and challenges of educators in a particular field or region.

• Promote Professional Growth: To help educators develop their professional skills and advance their careers.

It’s hard to read the news without hearing something about artificial intelligence (AI). From the introduction of ChatGPT in the fall of 2022 to today, AI has influenced every part of the economy and our lives. With every new technology comes many questions, concerns, and opportunities, including the environmental impact of data centers required to house large computers, how human biases can manifest in AI algorithms, the opportunities and threats of using AI in government, and much more. During this special Civic Action Weeks edition of Civic Café, co-sponsored by Dialogue Across Difference, we will hear from experts to unpack these questions – and what the growth of AI means for the future. 

Please join us on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. to hear from experts in AI from different disciplines about how their work informs the discussion about AI. Following brief presentations from experts about different civic implications of AI, we will engage in a structured dialogue over a meal. Even if you don’t know a lot about AI, you are welcome to join – no prior knowledge is required. Engaging in dialogue about pertinent topics helps us deepen our understanding of the issue, hear multiple perspectives, and practice civic discourse. 

Hello Educators,

I wanted to share an early heads-up about a conference coming up right here in St. Louis, and make sure our local Missouri and Southern Illinois school districts hear about it first.

The A4LE Midwest Great Lakes Regional Conference will be in St. Louis June 1–3, 2026, and we’re hoping to see strong participation from districts across our region.

Save the Date

June 1–3, 2026
Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel – St. Louis

This note is going only to local districts as a first notice, before we open things up more broadly. Our goal is to get Missouri and Southern Illinois schools involved early and well represented.

Call for Speakers

We’re opening our Call for Speakers, and this is a great opportunity for districts to share what you’re working on.

If you or someone on your team has experience to share — whether it’s a project that went well, a lesson learned, or something you’d do differently next time — we’d love to hear from you.

• Speaker submissions are open through January 30

• Breakout sessions will focus on real work happening in schools and districts

• It’s a great way to highlight your district and connect with peers across the region

If presenting has ever crossed your mind, this is a good chance to raise your hand.

School Tours

We’re also beginning to look for schools to tour as part of the conference.

Tours can include:

• New school buildings

• Renovations or additions

• Projects currently under construction (including hard-hat tours)

If your district would be interested in hosting a tour, please note that tour sites will need to be within approximately a one-hour driving radius of the conference hotel.

These tours are always a highlight of the conference and a great way to showcase real work happening in local districts.

What’s next

We’ll be sending more details as the conference takes shape. For now, I just wanted to:

• Get this on your calendar early

• Invite local districts to be among the first involved

• Encourage you to consider submitting a speaker proposal or hosting a tour

Conference details and the Call for Speakers can be found here:
Conference Registration

More to come soon. Hope to see a lot of familiar Missouri and Southern Illinois faces in 2026.

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