2025 Northeast Regional Conference
The 2025 Northeast Regional Conference
Potash Hill, Marlboro, VT
Who attends? Over 175 Practitioners, Students, Facilitators, Program Directors, CEOs, Teachers, Professors, Therapists & more.
Schedule
Take a look at what's happening this conference weekend! Click here for the schedule. Check out the Workshops Information!
Keynote: Morgan Decker
Morgan Decker is a licensed clinical social worker whose passion for experiential learning and adventure began early as she fondly remembers teachers and camp counselors leading experiential group activities. She went on to have many more adventure opportunities and chose to embrace this path in her education and career by attending the University of New Hampshire in the Outdoor Education program. After her undergrad program she continued on by earning her MSW degree also at UNH, focusing on adventure therapy. Morgan has an extensive background in the experiential field working in non-profit organizations, wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding schools, various challenge courses, and public high school. She has been a member of AEE since 2007 where she has attended and presented at both regional and international conferences on trauma informed brain based facilitation, Social Emotional Learning, and variations on experiential activities. She is a member and recent Chair of the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group (TAPG) Leadership Council and is a Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist (CCAT). Currently, she provides adventure based experiences with a focus on social emotional learning to youth at a public high school in southern Maine and she hopes to bring the world of adventure therapy to more places and people.
Playnote: Devin Farkas
Devin has nearly 20 years of experience facilitating personal growth, social connection and environmental stewardship through outdoor experiential programming. His core purpose is to ensure that high quality transformational outdoor experiential education is accessible to anyone, because it should be.
Devin has a wide breadth of experience within the outdoor education industry. He has worked high and low ropes courses, led adventure & ecotourism trips, guided rock climbing programs, instructed white water kayak and canoeing fundamentals, run curricular and co-curricular leadership development programs and worked as an administrator for college outdoor programs.
Presently he is working on two projects, both showcased at this conference: In the OOPs Pre-conference Devin is presenting his work integrated mental health first aid into the University of Vermont's Outdoor Pre-Orientation program. In his Playnote he will be showcasing a pedagogy he’s designed to equip college students with the skills and language to guide their own development far beyond the end of the program.
He currently works at the University of Vermont and runs a private consulting practice that helps other programs maximize the accessibility, efficiency and efficacy of their outdoor and experiential programs. He lives in Burlington, VT with his partner Marielle, son Aster and dog Woody. In his spare time he loves gardening in his backyard, backcountry and nordic skiing in the wooded mountain sides of Vermont and paddling the many scenic waterways of the Northeast.
Thank you to our sponsor! Springfield College
Pre-Conference Events
Fostering Supportive Environments | Learn More & Register
Friday, April 25th 9:00am-12:00pm | High 5 Adventure Learning Center
Inspired Educator, Engaged and Connected Learners | Learn More & Register
Friday, April 25th 9:00am-3:00pm | Potash Hill, Marlboro, VT | Jen Stanchfield
Outdoor Orientation Program Symposium (OOPS) | Learn More & Register
Friday, April 25th, 9:00am to 5:00pm | Potash Hill, Marlboro, VT | University of New Hampshire
Registration Details
April 12 - Late Reg Starts
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Rate includes:
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Conference programming, keynotes, and socials
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Friday dinner, 3 meals Saturday, breakfast and lunch Sunday
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Rate includes:
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Conference programming, keynotes, and socials for the single day
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Meals for that day (based Friday dinner, Sat 3 meals, or Sun 2)
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Who
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Regular Bird
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Late Bird
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Student/Retired
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$185
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$215
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Member
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$250
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$280
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Non-Member
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$325
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$355
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One Day
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$100
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$100
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Lodging
Due to venue constraints, single and double room lodging options will close for booking on April 11. Camping will remain available through April 24th.
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Costs
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$30
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$135
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$80
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Linens (per person, for the weekend) - NO LONGER AVAILABLE. BRING YOUR OWN
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$15
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Decline, I will do my own lodging
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$0
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If you're adding lodging, and have a roommate request or accommodation needs, email us at AEENortheast@aee.org. If purchasing a double, a random roommate will be assigned unless a mutual roommate request is specified.
- Accessibility: New Dorm building has an elevator, Happy Valley has ADA bathroom
- You can request specific roommates or ask to be randomly assigned a roommate during registration.
Ways to save!
Apply for a scholarship to cover part of the cost of registration! Silent auction donations from last year's regional conference have given us funds to support reducing the cost of attendance for potential attendees. We're hoping to be able to use all of the funds we have available to support as many people as we can to meet various financial needs and requests. No ask for funds is too small.
Volunteer on Service Crew
We are looking for 10 people willing to volunteer at our 2025 Northeast AEE Regional Conference.
Service crew volunteer approximately 8 hours: 2 hours on Friday for setup/check-in; 4 hours on Saturday supporting workshops/activities; and 2 hours on Sunday for workshop support and/or cleanup. We try to schedule one crew member per workshop, and we take into account which workshops each crew member is most interested in attending while building the crew schedule. As we value play, connection, and choice, service crew will also have plenty of unscheduled time.
Be Seen! Exhibit or Sponsor
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Thank You To Our Conference Sponsors!
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Thank You To Our Exhibitors:
Contact Us
To contact us, email AEENortheast@aee.org or send us a Facebook message!
In 2001, the Northeast Regional Conference hosted Josh Miner as one of the keynote speakers. As a founding trustee of Outward Bound, Josh was instrumental in bringing the experiential philosophy of Kurt Hahn to the United States. Conference attendees were fortunate to hear Josh's vision and passion firsthand, as he shared stories, metaphors, and lessons of children, curiosity, and character. Josh passed away nine months later.
In an effort to capture the essence of the wisdom he shared, in 2003 the Northeast Region Advisory Council established the Josh Miner dialogue series. The series consists of a public undefined dialogue or conversation between the years' honoree and another professional in the field. The "interview" traditionally takes place during the Northeast Regional Conference. This format gives conference attendees a chance to get to know the honoree in an informal setting that often reveals best practice advice and nuggets of wisdom, as well as personal stories and mistakes to avoid.
The Northeast Region Advisory Council in conjunction with the Regional Conference Host Committee selects the Josh Miner Dialogue Series honoree.
2025 Josh Miner Dialogue Honoree: Jim Grout
Jim Grout is a co-founder and the former Executive Director of High 5 Adventure Learning Center based in Brattleboro, Vermont, which is celebrating 25 years in 2025. High 5 is a nonprofit educational organization, providing adventure education to schools, camps and community organizations throughout the northeast. His extensive knowledge and avid commitment to the power of adventure learning are evident throughout his career of 45+ years both as a trainer/facilitator and in developing programs that serve youth and their positive development. He has trained thousands of adventure practitioners in every facet of adventure education. In addition to imparting skills, his workshops are marked by genuine love of the “spirit and essence” of adventure education. He has regularly presented at conferences, regionally and nationally, has co-authored three books and is currently writing a fourth. He was honored to be the 2017 recipient of NEAEE’s Picoup Award.
2025 Interviewers: Lisa Hunt & Anne Louise Wagner
Anne Louise Wagner has been a part of High 5 Adventure’s Edge of Leadership team since 2015 and is now serving as a lead in long-term professional development initiatives within schools. They are dedicated to creating engaging, adventurous learning opportunities that foster connection, reflection, and growth.
Lisa Hunt is the Director of Team Development at High 5 Adventure and a 30 year veteran trainer/facilitator. Lisa has contributed to six publications and is a seasoned trainer and facilitator in all areas of adventure learning.
Future Honorees
Do you have a suggestion for a future honoree? The Northeast Region Advisory Council is interested in hearing from regional members about who they believe would be a good candidate for recognition as the Josh Miner dialogue series speaker. If you have a suggestion, please reach out to AEENortheast@aee.org
Past Recipients
2019 Jasper S. Hunt
2018 Mike Gass
2017 Laurie Gullion
2016 Dick Prouty
2015 Jed Williamson
2014 Nicki Hall
2013 Hendricks Davis
2012 Karen Warren
2011 Rob Rubendall
2010 Lance Lee
2009 Jim Schoel
2008 Pam McPhee
2007 Craig Dobkin
2006 Keith King
2005 Phil Costello
2004 Dan Garvey
2003 Karl Rohnke
PICOUP Award
Person In Charge Of Unlocking Potential
Michael Gessford will be remembered for his playful spirit, his dedication to the field of experiential education and his kindness and generosity. Mike possessed a unique way of empowering others to achieve their best. In a world of people so quick to offer answers; Mike asked questions. His confidence in others abilities and his endless pursuit of knowledge urged those around him to dig deeper within themselves. Mike was a perceptive educator who gave the world his all and asked for nothing in return. PICOUP is a phrase Mike himself came up with to describe his "job title": Person In Charge Of Unlocking Potential.
This award is dedicated to the memory of Mike Gessford (1962-2011), the original PICOUP. Mike would have liked to remind everyone, "follow your bliss."
The PICOUP Award will be given each year to someone in the Northeast AEE community who selflessly gives of themselves for the betterment of others. This award is to honor an individual who has the ability to empower others to achieve their best regardless of personal gain.
Past Honorees
2017 - Jim Grout
2016 - Kamora Herrington
2015 - Keith King
2014 - Brent Bell
2013 - Hutch Hutchinson
2012 - Beth Sayers
2011 - Mike Gessford
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Thank You To Our Conference Sponsors!Thank You To Our Exhibitors:
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