ECPBL Conference 2027:
February 11 and 12
Cincinnati, Ohio
Indian Hill Primary School
Registration opens 9/13
About the Conference
The ECPBL Conference is a gathering for teachers, coaches, school leaders, and anyone committed to honoring young children’s thinking, nurturing inquiry, and building meaningful learning experiences in community.
Over the past several years, the ECPBL Conference has brought together a diverse community of educators from across the United States and beyond — all connected by a shared belief in the capabilities of young children.
Whether you are new to Project Based Learning or continuing to deepen your practice, the conference is designed to support educators at different stages of their learning journey.
Day One: Learn, Develop, and Explore
Day One combines professional learning with the opportunity to see Project Based Learning in action at Indian Hill Primary School, a public school serving young learners in the Cincinnati area.
Participants will choose between two learning pathways:
Foundational Pathway
Designed for educators newer to Project Based Learning with young children. Participants will explore foundational elements of high-quality PBL, experience ECPBL’s unique project planning process, and begin thinking about how to design meaningful, authentic project work with young learners.
Collaborative Workshop Pathway
Designed for returning conference participants and educators with prior ECPBL training experience. Participants will bring a project idea or work in progress and spend dedicated time developing and strengthening their project, with opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and coaching from experienced ECPBL practitioners.
New this year, Day One will include classroom visits at Indian Hill Primary School while children are present. Participants will have the opportunity to step into classrooms during the school day and see young children and teachers engaged in learning together — offering a window into how PBL lives within the daily life of the school.
Following the pathway sessions and classroom visits, the full conference community will come back together to share learning, reflect on what we’ve experienced, and hear from a community panel featuring teachers, school leaders, children, and families.
Day Two: Connect, Deepen, and Apply
Day Two offers a full day of breakout sessions led by educators and practitioners sharing their experiences, strategies, and learning from real classrooms and schools.
Participants will choose from a variety of 90-minute sessions, with opportunities to explore new ideas, engage in hands-on learning, collaborate with other educators, and consider how this work might translate to their own contexts.
Past breakout sessions and workshops have included topics such as:
Project documentation
Integrating early literacy into PBL
Arts integration, STEM, and design
Embedding social and emotional learning into projects
Playful learning and PBL
Project planning and lesson design
Research and fieldwork
Weaving Anti-Bias Education goals into projects
Reflection, feedback, and revision practices with young learners
Across the two days, the conference experience will include:
Classroom visits and observations
Hands-on workshops and collaborative project planning
Breakout sessions grounded in real classroom practice
A community panel featuring teachers, school leaders, children, and families
Opportunities to connect with a diverse community of educators
Space to reflect, ask questions, and imagine new possibilities for teaching and learning
Together, we explore how to create and sustain the conditions for meaningful, authentic project work with young children.
We believe that Project Based Learning doesn’t need to be simplified or adapted for young children — instead, it must be intentionally designed with young children at the center.
Visit our Conference FAQ page for more details about registration, the conference experience, and planning your visit.
“All of the sessions were engaging and meaningful to my work with young learners. I have so many takeaways and new strategies that have sparked my goals as I move forward.”
(ECPBL24, Las Vegas, Nevada)
“We are so thankful we came to this conference. It was inspiring, informative, and motivating for all three of us. We are so excited to take what we’ve learned back to our building and begin more PBL work in our classrooms. One part we weren’t expecting was connecting with other educators. We met so many amazing teachers who were so willing to share their work or ideas with us. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.”
“All of the presenters were so welcoming and inviting and willing to share the ups and downs of project work to help me feel more comfortable and connected.”
(ECPBL26 Boston, Massachusetts)
Early Bird Registration Opens September 13!
Rates start at $199
Present at ECPBL 2027
We're excited to invite proposals for the Fourth Annual Early Childhood Project Based Learning Conference.
Now accepting session proposals!
Learn more about presenting, review the proposal guidelines, and prepare your submission here.
Join Us!
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Breakout Sessions
These 90-minute sessions bring participants together to explore new concepts, reflect on current practices, and gain strategies for creating authentic, enriching learning experiences. While all sessions are still being finalized, they will most likely include topics inspired by last year’s participant feedback, such as inquiry and documentation, arts integration and STEM, emergent literacy, and Social and Emotional Learning. Options will engage both new and experienced PBL practitioners and spark fresh ideas for your classroom.
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Common Threads
Relaxed, conversation-based sessions where participants come together to explore shared questions, themes, and insights that have emerged throughout the conference.
Past topics have included:
Building a Classroom Culture for PBL: Supporting Independence and Collaboration
Creating inclusive PBL Classroom Environments
Integrating curriculum and standards into projects
Reflection, Feedback and Revision practices with young children
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Exploring Learning Environments
Conference attendees will have the unique opportunity to visit classrooms, rotating through distinct early childhood learning spaces. Each space will highlight a different aspect of creating thoughtful, engaging environments that foster deep learning and exploration in early childhood PBL.
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Inspiration Circles
These small-group sessions bring participants together in circles of 5–7 to share high-level project ideas to give and receive feedback. The goal is to spark creativity, inspire reflection, and leave with new project ideas or practices to carry back to your own planning.
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Collaborative Project Studio (for returning conference participants or those familiar with the ECPBL approach)
In this two-part session, you’ll bring a project idea, question, or spark and deepen your thinking in a studio-style space designed for educators who are already familiar with the Early Childhood PBL approach. Through shared inquiry, collaborative planning, and thoughtful provocations, you’ll try out strategies for building out projects and brainstorm ways of extending children’s learning to refine your project work and stretch your practice. You’ll leave with fresh insight, next steps, and new perspectives to carry back to your classroom.
What people are saying about past conferences…
“It was great to finally look at PBL through the lens of early learners. I also appreciate getting to experience this with practiced PBL teachers who can answer many of our basic logistic questions.”
“I hope this event continues to evolve and grow! I would attend again and again.”
“The presenters were amazing, the school was incredible, hearing from teachers was amazing during the tour, the educational leaders were inspiring and very knowledgeable, and the food was amazing. Overall, it was a great conference! I loved the break-out sessions and having the opportunity to share with other educators.
“This was my favorite training yet. My team and I felt like we learned so much and the rest of our team wants to attend next years already.”
CONNECT with like-minded educators in breakout sessions about how to expand possibilities for young children when implementing PBL with children ages 3-8.
ENGAGE in rich discussions that highlight diverse perspectives of PBL and the impact of PBL in a variety of early childhood settings.
IGNITE new ideas that you can take back to your school communities through engaging workshops, classroom tours and discussions.
