The 10th Annual Place-Based Education Symposium was on April 25th, 2025. 

The theme, “Your Local Science & Global Impact,” invited us to explore how localized learning experiences can resonate on a global scale. 

Attendees were thrilled with the presentations, keynote speaker Dr. Bryan Shuman, and our local students who shared their projects during the Student Family Showcase. Here are some fan favorite projects:

• Nature Journaling in Place: Middle schoolers wrote from the same “sit spot” every week throughout the year. They asked questions that connected their own backyards to larger ecosystems in the world.

• H is for Hiss, P is for Purr: An 8-year-old’s passion for cats led her to self-publish a book with proceeds that benefit animal shelters.

• Self-directed Science Projects: Third graders explored weather patterns and events including avalanches, droughts, wildfires, and floods. Then they designed creative solutions to combat extreme weather events.

Many thanks to all our presenters and attendees! Seeing so many examples of meaningful and thought-provoking place-based projects was inspiring and invigorating. I look forward to this event every year, and am thrilled that it somehow keeps getting better. 

Take a peek at 2025’s program, and we hope to see you here next April!