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2026 Northeast Regional Conference

Friday, April 10, 2026
to Sunday, April 12, 2026
Register Now
Category: Regional Conferences & Events

2026 Northeast Regional Conference

April 10-12, 2026
Potash Hill | Marlboro, VT
We believe learning through experience positively transforms people and our world. We value global community, adventure and challenge, reflective leadership, social justice, the natural world and creative play. We can't wait to come together in April to celebrate experiential education and the awesome people doing this work in the Northeast Region!
northeast attendees
Who attends? Over 175 Practitioners, Students, Facilitators, Program Directors, CEOs, Teachers, Professors, Therapists & more. 

Important Dates:

Feb 11th - Scholarship Applications Due

February 12th - PICOUP Award Nominations Close

February 18th - All presenters will be notified of workshop proposal status via main presenter's email

Feb 25th - Early Bird Last Day

Feb 26th - Regular Rates Begin

March 26th - Regular Reg Closes

March 27th - Late Registration Starts

OOPS: The Outdoor Orientation Program Symposium

Brent Bell
Pricing: Professionals: $100  |  Students/Presenters: $60
Timing: 9:00-5:00 w/ lunch break 
Location: Whittemore theater and dance classroom
Lunch: Included
Description: 
OOPS brings together outdoor orientation directors and student leaders to exchange ideas and best practices in a collaborative "neighborhood" atmosphere. We focus on sharing insights from student transitions and benchmarking results (TOOBS) to help everyone build high-impact, transformative experiences. Come prepared to engage, ask thoughtful questions, and contribute your own perspective to our community,
Recommended Attendees: 
Outdoor orientation program directors, professional staff, and student leaders.

Outdoor Classroom Building with Hand Tools and Natural Materials

Ezra Fradkin
Location: OFFSITE Kroka Expeditions basecamp in Marlow, NH 
Pricing: $100
Timing: 9:00-4:00 w/ lunch break 
Lunch: Included plus snacks
Description: 
For the past 30 years Kroka Expeditions staff have perfected the art of outdoor classroom building. Working together using hand tools we will fell trees, peel poles, and erect an A-frame style shelter complete with benches, a rock fireplace and “spunhungen” cooking system. You will learn knots and lashing techniques for pole construction, work with axes and drawknives, and take home the skills and knowledge to create your own outdoor classroom at your school or organization.

Make It Visible: Art, Metaphor & Experiential Learning

Mellisa Cain
Pricing: Professional: $120 / Student: $60
Timing: 9:00-3:00
Lunch: Included
Description: 
This hands-on workshop explores the intersection of art and experiential education as tools
for reflection and deeper understanding. Participants use accessible, zero-pressure visual
practices—sketchnoting, visual mapping, metaphor-based prompts, HoneyBee Cards, and
the Iceberg Model—to make learning more engaging, accessible, and memorable. Grounded
in experiential education, the session emphasizes facilitation over artistic perfection,
helping groups slow down, notice patterns, deepen dialogue, and turn experience into
insight across classrooms, programs, and team-based settings.
Recommended Attendees: 
educators from traditional K-12 to college to ropes courses to students.
Deadlines: Due February 11th, Notified February 15th

Rates Descriptions:

Early Bird

  • Rate includes:

    • Conference programming, keynotes, and socials

    • Friday dinner, 3 meals Saturday, breakfast and lunch Sunday

Regular

  • Rate includes:

    • Conference programming, keynotes, and socials

    • Friday dinner, 3 meals Saturday, breakfast and lunch Sunday

One Day (Saturday or Sunday)

  • Rate includes:

    • Conference programming, keynotes, and socials for the single day

    • Meals for that day (based Friday dinner, Sat 3 meals, or Sun 2)

REGISTER NOW

Rates Table:

Who

Early Bird

Regular 

Late 

Student/Retired

$140

$190

$220

Member

$205

$255

$285

Non-Member

$280

$330

$360

One Day

$100

$100

$100

Lodging

Costs

Camping (per person)

$30

Single (per person)

$150

Double (per room)*

$220

Decline, I will do my own lodging

$0
*A double room includes both beds, if you would like to share your room with a roommate, indicate who on the registration form (there is a field to input roommate information). There is no option to request a random roommate this year. Your roommate should NOT book a room, and list you as their roommate when they register.
              

PICOUP Award

Person In Charge Of Unlocking Potential

Deadline: February 12
About the PICOUP Award

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.

Mike Gessford headshot

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

2024 - Andrew Jillings
2023 - N/A
2022 - N/A
2021 - Alison Jackson Frasier
2020 - Scott Catucci
2019 - Kirstin Lund
2018 - Anna Kay Vorsteg
2017 - Jim Grout
2016 - Kamora Herrington
2015 - Keith King
2014 - Brent Bell
2013 - Hutch Hutchinson
2012 - Beth Sayers 
2011 - Mike Gessford
Please fill this form out if you are interested in being a part of the Service Crew Team for 2026 NE Regional AEE Conference. Besides a rewarding experience, you will also receive a code for your registration discounting $50.00 off your weekend registration fee.   Please do not register for the conference until you have received your registration code.
Volunteer on Service Crew
We are looking for 10 people willing to volunteer at our 2026 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!!
Service crew receive a $50 discount on a 3-day registration. While this is a great opportunity for students and those who need a discount to attend, we also encourage first-time attendees, those wanting to give back, and seasoned professionals to be part of our crew!  Applications accepted on a rolling basis.  

Please email AEENortheast@aee.org for any questions about Service Crew. 

Contact Us

To contact us, email AEENortheast@aee.org or send us a Facebook message!

group smiling togetherThe Northeast Region covers the following states and provinces:

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Quebec, Atlantic Provinces

The Northeast Regional Volunteers Seek To:

  • Represent AEE's values in the Northeast, and support its growth and impact as an organization.
  • Recognize and address current needs for attention and change within the Northeast by:
    • Initiating strategies and actions to affect change in these areas
    • Advising and supporting the Host Committee in reaching these objectives at Annual NE Regional Conference.
  • Fuel the expansion and diversification of groups and perspectives within AEE.
  • Foster connections within our region.
  • Create opportunities for members to develop within this field.

Roles and participation in the council rotate to support allow for the capacity and perspectives needed to responsibly serve AEE in this way. 

Register Now