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Edcamp Community by Digital Promise

Participant-driven professional development for teachers by teachers.

Edcamps are free and open to anyone, organized by volunteers, usually full-time teachers. The sessions are decided on the day by those who are participating, making each one an expression of the needs and passions of those attending. The magic of Edcamp comes from the power of teachers collaborating and learning together through conversations, rather than standard “sit and get” presentations.

HundrED 2021
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Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED 2021

HundrED 2020

HundrED 2019

Web presence

2010

Established

-

Children

39

Countries
Target group
Teachers
Updated
September 2023
Edcamps are changing the experience that teachers around the world are having of professional development, empowering them and respecting the expertise that they have.

About the innovation

Participant-Driven Professional Development for Teachers by Teachers

Developing strong, energized teachers and keeping them in schools is critical to ensuring great learning experiences for students. We believe that teacher-to-teacher learning is not only an effective way to improve practice in the classroom, but is a crucial strategy to develop teacher leaders, increase teacher satisfaction, and build teachers’ professional learning communities. Our participant-driven, collaborative model is an important supplement to traditional professional development offerings. The Edcamp movement has spread to 46 countries around the world with over 3,000 Edcamps having been held since 2010. 

All Edcamps follow several key tenets:

  • Participant-driven: Edcamps allow educators to collaboratively determine session topics, giving educators "voice and choice" in their professional learning.
  • Free to all attendees: Edcamps never charge a fee, and are open to the public for educators of all levels, subjects and districts to attend. 
  • Experience, not Experts: Edcamps encourage educators to facilitate sessions by sharing experiences; it's about conversations, not planned presentations. 
  • Reliant on the Rule of Two Feet/Clicks:  Edcamps suggest educators find sessions that meet their needs to maximize learning. 

The end result of an Edcamp event is engaged, empowered, and prepared teachers who adopt effective methods in their classrooms and become leaders and change agents in their schools.

Impact & scalability

Impact & Scalability

Edcamp is innovative in that it provides a safe space for educators to explore and discuss their fears and concerns free of judgment. Its movement has spread to 39 countries around the world with thousands of Edcamps having been held since 2010. 

HundrED Academy Reviews
Scalability is not an issue at all because of their flexible structure could be conducted anywhere around the world. It surely has a huge impact on educators around the globe.
I consider Edcamp as a strong initiative from teachers to teachers. This is an excellent co-creational model. The beauty and the magic of co-creation is to feel that there are others on the same boat, feeling ideas and challenges that are similar no matter the geography.
- Academy member
Academy review results
High Impact
Low Scalability
High Impact
High Scalability
Low Impact
Low Scalability
Low Impact
High Scalability
Read more about our selection process

Implementation steps

Host an Edcamp
Find a location. A school is the easiest and has the right kind of spaces: a large room for opening and closing remarks and building the session board; and classrooms for breakout sessions. 
Build an organizing team
It is always better to do the work of organizing with a group of people. It can be 1-2 others or more. 
Order the Coffee!
It is always great to have coffee and refreshments for the teachers who come on their own time to learn and share together.
Build the Session Board
When people begin to arrive on the morning of the Edcamp, make sure to solicit their ideas for the upcoming sessions. You can have them write their ideas on index cards or post-it notes. Build the sessions around the topics that the teachers who are there want to discuss with each other. This is the most important part of holding an Edcamp. It is always about the needs and passions of the teachers who are there.
Celebrate the Learning
At the end of the Edcamp, take time to share what new ideas were learned and what the next steps will be. This solidifies the community that has begun at the Edcamp. Have people share contact information with each other, if they haven't so far. 

Spread of the innovation

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