GRAND RAPIDS – Building on the success of years prior, educators, community leaders and environmental stewards will come together in Grand Rapids from November 6-8 for the fourth annual Great Lakes Place-based Education Conference.

The conference, cosponsored by the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative and Grand Valley State University, will feature field trips, workshops and presentations on place-based education, which connects students to their environment and encourages learning through service projects and other community activities.

Since 2011, the conference has served as the definitive event for all things PBE, offering unparalleled networking opportunities, innovative learning experiences and cutting-edge ideas for educators and community members.

“Place-based education is all about connection,” said Mary Whitmore, program coordinator for the GLSI. “We’re connecting students to their communities, connecting ideas to resources and connecting professionals with each other. Opportunities like this make for better educators, better curricula and better stewards for the environment we all share.”

The conference begins at GVSU’s Eberhard Center on Thursday with a variety of field trips and workshops, such as an exclusive, all-access trip to the Grand Rapids Gypsum Mines for a hands-on geology lesson. It continues Friday and Saturday with more than 70 presentation sessions for attendees to choose from.

Keynote speakers for the conference include:

David T. Sobel, the director of the Center for Place-based Education at Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire. The author of numerous books, including Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education and Place-based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities, much of Sobel’s work focuses on the relationship between child development, authentic curriculum, and environmental education.

Teresa Weatherall Neal, the superintendent of the Grand Rapids School District. Bringing over 35 years of education experience to the conference, Weatherall Neal is particularly interested in improving the education outcomes of children in need. She is a graduate of the Michigan Leadership Institute’s Superintendent Leadership Academy.

For a full conference agenda, click on GLSI