Build your PLN at an Edcamp: how the unconference model works and how to run one
Edcamp is a free, teacher-led unconference. Who runs it now that Digital Promise has stepped back, what the research says, and how to host one.
Updated with current data and sources. Originally published December 3, 2015.
An Edcamp is a free unconference where educators set the agenda on the day and learn from each other. It is still running, but no central organization runs it now: local teams do, and any school can host one by following five tenets.
On Saturday, November 7, 2015, I had the pleasure of attending an Edcamp on Cal State Fullerton's campus. The event drew mostly educators from North Orange County, though anyone willing to travel was welcome, and my time was my only investment. With school budgets tight, that kind of training is as appealing as ever. If you want to build a personal learning network, an Edcamp is still one of the best places to begin.
What is an Edcamp and how does it work?
Edcamp began with an event in Philadelphia in 2010, created for teachers to get together and share ideas. No two Edcamps are alike, because the participants change. Sessions emerge from a board where teachers post what they want to share, discuss, or learn. When commonalities arise, a network forms.
Those people go to a room and talk for about 50 minutes. That was the Fullerton format, and the organizer handbook still suggests 45 minutes to an hour. The day runs four to five sessions like this, and participants exchange contact details so the conversation continues past the event.
| Edcamp tenet | What it means on the day |
|---|---|
| Free and open to all educators | No fee, and open to all levels, subjects, and schools |
| Participant-driven | Attendees set the topics, usually on a session board built that day |
| Experience, not experts | Conversations, not planned presentations |
| Rule of two feet | If a session is not meeting your needs, move to another one |
| Vendor free | Nobody sells goods or services, and vendors are not invited |
Who runs Edcamp now?
Local organizers do. The Edcamp Foundation merged into Digital Promise in 2020, and the Edcamp Community became a project there. Digital Promise's Edcamp page, as archived in October 2026, says it is no longer managing the intake and central support of new Edcamps or providing gift cards and stipends. The same page answers the obvious question plainly: the model is not ending, and anyone can still organize an Edcamp independently by following its core tenets.
So think of Edcamp as a model now, not a membership. The 2026 calendar shows who has picked it up.
- A university and a district. edCamp336 was set for February 28, 2026, from Wake Forest University's education department, its Center for Literacy Education, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
- A Catholic school community. IHM EdCamp 2026 was listed for February 28 at Villa Maria Academy Lower School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, free to attend with sponsors covering costs.
- A campus group. PAECT SRU listed Edcamp SRU at Slippery Rock University for April 18, 2026.
- A long-running local event. The 13th annual EdCamp MT West in Montana was listed for August 19, 2026.
Is an Edcamp worth a teacher's Saturday?
The research is friendly but self-reported. In a 2018 study of 105 participants, Jeffrey Carpenter and Jayme Linton found educators overwhelmingly reported that Edcamp changed their practices and student learning. They described those effects mainly as student engagement, experiences, and dispositions, not test scores.
97%
Close to this share of Edcampers say they developed beneficial contacts at Edcamp.
Digital Promise community surveys
80%+
Over 80% of administrators exposed to the model approved it for teacher training credit and as an approved district offering.
Digital Promise community surveys
252
educators required by their districts to attend were studied, and the majority rated their Edcamp positively.
Carpenter and MacFarlane, 2018
43
countries where educators organized and attended Edcamps by 2020.
Modica, OECD series, 2020
The case also rests on what an Edcamp removes. In the OECD's TALIS 2024 survey, U.S. lower secondary teachers with up to five years of experience named time, schedule, and cost as their top barriers to professional learning. An Edcamp answers cost outright. A Saturday answers the schedule conflict, though it still asks for a teacher's own time.
What keeps novice U.S. teachers out of professional learning
These events are not a case of "you get what you pay for." For the cost of a Saturday, you are connected with experts and professionals who are also trying to grow their networks.
The best professional development I can recommend for the price is a room of teachers with a blank board and a good question.Ernie Delgado, BeyondK12
How do you run an Edcamp at your school?
You do not need permission from a central office. The Digital Promise Organizer Handbook is the best guide available, and it is still online. These steps come from it, with the parts that no longer apply taken out.
- Attend one, then build a team. The handbook says to attend an Edcamp before organizing one if you can. Recruit co-organizers from a variety of schools and districts, which makes it easy to invite a larger community.
- Pick a date and your own building. Schools are often the easiest venue, with a cafeteria for the session board and classrooms for breakouts. Plan on about 15 to 20 people in each space, and decide on a half day or a full day.
- Set a size you can manage. The handbook suggests 100 to 125 teachers for a first Edcamp if you have the space, or 30 to 50 to start smaller. Expect about 25% to 50% of registrants not to show up.
- Fund it locally. Food and door prizes are optional. Ask local businesses to sponsor, expecting nothing in return. A sponsor gives. A vendor sells, and vendors are not allowed.
- Build the board together. Open with a wall of sticky notes or a shared document, and create a blank notes link for each session. Remind everyone of the rule of two feet.
- Plan what happens on Monday. Carpenter, Linton, and Weber suggest giving educators time to share what they learned. Post the session notes where everyone can find them.
Can a school run an Edcamp for its own staff?
Yes, with one honest label. The first tenet says an Edcamp is open to educators of all levels, subjects, and schools, so a staff-only day is Edcamp-style. Carpenter, Linton, and Weber still recommend the idea: bring the model to staff meetings and host school or district-led versions focused on current initiatives, so educators choose topics and own their learning.
Required attendance changes the feel of the day. Carpenter and Miles MacFarlane studied 252 educators at Edcamps run by their districts, where attendance was required. The majority rated the experience positively, and many compared the content and format favorably to the professional development available to them. They also offered feedback on how the day could have been better. That is a good result for a mandatory day, and a reason to keep topic choice with the staff.
Where to start this week
Search your state or county name with "Edcamp" and send one teacher to the next event. Then give that teacher time at a staff meeting to report back. One day will not change a school, and the people in the room still have to keep talking afterward.
An Edcamp is vendor free, which means companies like ours stay out, and that is how it should be. For the structured work an open board does not cover, there is teacher professional development. If AI is on your session board, the free AI Readiness Assessment takes five minutes and scores your school across Policy, People, Curriculum, Guardrails, and Funding.
Related reading: Personal vs professional learning networks: PLNs, PLCs, and where teachers connect now and Professional development for educators in the era of human and AI collaboration: what works in 2025-2026.
Questions school leaders ask
Is Edcamp still running?
Yes. Local teams put Edcamps on the 2026 calendar, including edCamp336 at Wake Forest University, Edcamp SRU at Slippery Rock University, and the 13th annual EdCamp MT West. Digital Promise says the model continues, but it no longer manages intake and central support of new events.
Who runs Edcamp now?
No single organization. The Edcamp Foundation merged into Digital Promise in 2020. Digital Promise now says it no longer manages new Edcamps or provides gift cards and stipends, and that anyone can organize one independently by following the model's tenets. In practice, teachers, universities, and districts run them.
How much does an Edcamp cost?
Attendance is free under the model's tenets. Hosting can carry costs for food and supplies. Digital Promise stipends have ended, so organizers look for local sponsors, who may give but may not sell or promote at the event.
Can we run an Edcamp for our own staff?
Yes, as an Edcamp-style day. The tenets say an Edcamp is open to educators of all levels, subjects, and schools, so a staff-only day does not fully match them. Carpenter, Linton, and Weber suggest school or district-led versions focused on current initiatives, and keeping topic choice with staff is what matters most.
Do teachers get credit for attending an Edcamp?
Often, but it depends on the state and district. Digital Promise says over 80% of administrators exposed to the model approved it for teacher training credit. Some 2026 events offered certificates or Act 48 credit, so check with the organizer and your district first.
Sources
- Digital Promise, Edcamp Community page and FAQ (archived October 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Digital Promise, Edcamp finds a new home at Digital Promise (July 2020) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Digital Promise, Edcamp Organizer Handbook (April 2023) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Modica, United States and Ukraine: Virtual Edcamps, Education continuity stories series, OECD Publishing (2020) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Elon University, summary of Carpenter and Linton, Educators' perspectives on the impact of Edcamp unconference professional learning, Teaching and Teacher Education (2018) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Elon University, summary of Carpenter and MacFarlane, Educator perceptions of district-mandated Edcamp unconferences, Teaching and Teacher Education (2018) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Carpenter, Linton, and Weber, Edcamps are for principals, too, Phi Delta Kappan (October 2017) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- OECD, Results from TALIS 2024 country note: United States (October 2025) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Wake Forest University, edCamp336 (February 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- Remake Learning Days, Edcamp SRU (April 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- HappeningNext, IHM EdCamp 2026 (February 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- 13th Annual EdCamp MT West (August 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
- BeyondK12, Professional development strategies: build your PLN by attending an EdCamp (original post with the 2015 Edcamp.org figures) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
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