When: March 6, 2026 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CT
Where: Education Building, WI Idea Room 159, 1000 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706
Program Fee: Free; pre-registration required
Call for Proposals: The 2026 EPS Conference Call for Proposals is now closed.
Deadline for Submissions: Friday, February 6, 2026
Proposal Abstract: Maximum 200 words
*PLACE is committed to creating inclusive and accessible events. If you need accommodations, please make sure to include this information when you register for this event. If accommodation needs arise after registration, please contact us at place@education.wisc.edu at least two weeks before the event. While we will do our best to fulfill late requests, we may not always be able to guarantee them.
Conference Description
Throughout history, times of difficulty have created opportunities for reflection and growth. The dynamism of education offers us a vital space to engage in these reflections — to consider the movements, responsibilities, and contributions that each of us brings to society in communal ways. For communities whose shared identity has been under threat, the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu has offered a form of education that teaches the power of drawing strength from one another. Grounded in the belief that “I am because you are,” the philosophy reminds us of the essence of collective resilience when navigating challenging times. It is our shared identity that allows us to examine our sense of unity, solidarity, and commitment as scholars, educators, and advocates as we learn to ebb and flow together.
The 2026 EPS Conference encourages us to dream of what is and has been possible, and to ebb and flow together by grounding ourselves in who we are and the importance of being in community. It encourages us to create and strengthen networks that help us move fluidly through uncertain moments, as we ask:
- How do our social identities as teachers and learners shape our capacity to resist?
- What kinds of solidarities, partnerships, and communities are needed in the current moment to remain afloat? Where can we support, and where can we be supported?
- How can we rise in action towards justice? What does it take to engage with and contribute to our communities?
A confluence of past experiences and future aspirations, the 2026 EPS Conference invites us into a space of reflection and learning together through our interconnected identities. Together, we will explore possibilities for resistance and discover new ways to galvanize our efforts as we ebb and flow together.
Conference Highlights
The conference will feature Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being, EPS faculty, alumni, and student keynote speakers.
Schedule
8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration & Networking, 159 Wisconsin Idea Room
Light breakfast (light refreshments, tea, and coffee provided)
9:00-9:15 a.m. Conference Welcome, Opening Remarks, 159 Wisconsin Idea Room
Dean Marcelle Haddix, School of Education
9:15-10:45 a.m. Workshop: “Co‑Creating Community Care Through Herbal Tea Blending” by Erin LaFaive, 159 Wisconsin Idea Room.
The workshop offers a hands-on way to experience herbalism as community practice where knowledge is passed through doing, connection is built through collective creation, and soothing herbs become a medium for exploring how we care for ourselves and one another.
Erin LaFaive serves as the Natural Resources Faculty Director at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, where she is helping to establish a new natural resources program and revitalize the Bachelor of Science in Biology degree. Her work supports culturally grounded science education and advances opportunities for students to engage in environmental stewardship and community-based resource management. She holds an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, where her studies focused on ethnobotanical skills and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Erin is also a trained herbalist, having completed Master Herbalism certifications through the Green Wisdom School for Natural and Botanical Medicine as well as Rosemary Gladstar’s Science and Art of Herbalism program. Her herbal work blends scientific understanding with traditional plant knowledge, emphasizing holistic wellness, ecological respect, and reciprocal relationships with the natural world.
10:45-11:00 a.m. BREAK, Transition to Keynote Presentation
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Keynote presentation: “Soothing Herbs for Mind, Body, and Earth” by Erin LaFaive, 159 Wisconsin Idea Room.
In this presentation, we’ll explore a selection of herbs traditionally used to soothe the mind and body. You’ll learn about each plant’s key actions, herbal uses, and growing tips. These are the same herbs that will be used in the hands-on workshop.
12:05-1:05 p.m. Lunch
1:05-1:15 a.m. Transition to Student Sessions
1:15-3:15 p.m. Breakout Session: Student Presentations
Paper Session 1 – Technology and Education (Room: L150)
WenyingHe, Icy Zhang (she/her), Kyoungjin Jang-Tucci, Aaron Aguilar
Paper Session 2 – Race and Higher Education (Room: L138)
Adalberto Castrejón (he/him), Olivia Kusuma (she/her), Jinke He（she/her)
Paper Session 3 – Youth-Focused Research (Room: 198)
Arpith Isaac (he/him), Mya Halvorson, Yunxuan Sun (she/her)
Paper Session 4 – Pedagogy – Teaching/Learning (Room: 245)
Taiwo Felicia Taiwo, Yifan Mo (he/him), Brittany Johnson (she/her), Teodora Medeleanu
Paper Session 5 – “Unsettling Colonialism” (Room: 298)
Thao Pham, Lilian Abunga (she/her), Will French (he/they), Isaac Phiri
Paper Session 6 – Policy-Focused Research (Room: 299)
Ingvil Bjordal (she/her), Pushpamitra Das, Tony DelaRosa (he/siya)
Paper Session 7 – tbc (Room: L185)
3:15-3:40 p.m. BREAK
3:40-4:40 p.m. Keynote EPS panel: Ripples through education scholarship, 159 Wisconsin Idea Room
Panelists: Drs. Ran Liu, Taylor Odle, Simone Schweber
Moderator: Alexandra Pasqualone
4:45-4:50 p.m. Closing Remarks, 159 Wisconsin Idea Room
Department Chair Nancy Kendall, Educational Policy Studies – School of Education
2026 EPS Conference Committee
Max Yakubovskiy, Mya Halvorson, Otavio Soares Barros, Diana Frantz Anderson, riya dominic, Claire Victoria Willett, Stella Brenda Makhuva, with special support from Makamae Sniffen
2026 EPS Sponsors
The Educational Policy Studies Conference is hosted by the UW–Madison School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies and the Office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE). This partnership was made possible by the generosity of the School of Education Dean’s Office.