Organizing an EdCamp: A First-time Experience in the Works

I have attended conferences before--traditional conferences held by school districts with a heavy vendor presence as well as the unconference style held by individuals. I have seen the different impacts that an EdCamp can make on the attendees. From this, I decided to try organizing my own.

I knew what I wanted: an EdCamp that preservice teachers would feel comfortable and welcome to because it was organized by a preservice educator. That did not mean it would be exclusively catered towards this audience, but that it would be additionally open to all ages of educators, even before their first classroom. I also knew an organizer personally--this was critical in me gaining the confidence to begin this venture. Having seen the intricate details played out from the inside was helpful in me realizing that an individual or individuals can accomplish this.

It was liberating and exhilarating for me to make the decision, although a bit scary. My first steps were to visit the EdCamp site and inquire about organizing. Then, I asked my mentor for the checklist she had used to organize her EdCamps in the past. These were my starting points and they remain to have been an incredibly helpful place to begin. Even if you do not know someone who organized in the past personally, the EdCamp site has sample checklists and other materials available to you. Also, you should never feel afraid to tweet out to a past organizer--all EdCamp organizers are excited to help you be successful!

Knowing I had a community of passionate educators out there made the start-up feel less challenging. Beyond that, it is very interesting to explore the different technological tools available at your disposable for building a website, promoting, etc. It has been a learning experience from the beginning and has made it all the more worthwhile.

There are still a number of tasks I need to accomplish before my EdCamp begins and finishes successfully in September. I am excited to see how my event unfolds as it gets closer to the event date. I look forward to knowing that other educators will benefit from an experience I helped coordinate.

Hopefully EdCamps are more intriguing to you as an attendee now, or maybe I have even piqued your interest in organizing! Either way, explore both my website kicsakhl.wix.com/edcampsyr and edcamp.org to learn more about these types of experiences and feel free and empowered

to share them with other educators!