Our Annual Conference
Pre-register now!
Pre-registration is now open for the
14th Annual Rowland Conference
October 30, 2025 at UVM
How to Citizen with keynote speaker Baratunde Thurston
Baratunde Thurston’s How to Citizen framework invites us to rethink what citizenship should be in our day and age. A prolific writer and comedian, Baratunde is the author of the New York Times bestseller How to Be Black and co-creator and host of the podcast Life with Machines, focused on the social impacts of AI. He previously wrote for The Daily Show and The Onion and hosted the PBS series America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston.
Receive a discount of $350 off each team of eight when you pre-register!
Schools do not pay or name team members until registration opens in September.
Early bird rate available until May 30, 2025.

Vermont’s Largest Education Conference
“Giving student voice a chance has never failed to reap benefits in one form or another.”
The Rowland Foundation hosts the largest one-day educational conference in Vermont each fall at the University of Vermont. The Annual Rowland Conference is intended for educators, students, and community members interested in improving the culture and climate of schools.
The Annual Rowland Conference keynote speakers are nationally recognized thought leaders whose remarks establish the conference theme for the day. The Rowland Conference workshop sessions are led by practitioners who build on the conference theme and offer concrete strategies for educators, students, and community members who want to make a difference in their schools.
The Annual Rowland Conference offers a discount for early-bird registration in the spring. Schools are encouraged to attend as eight-member school teams, which typically include the principal/head of school, teachers, curriculum leaders, counselors, school board members, and/or support staff. Once they have registered one or more teams of eight, schools are able to add up to three students (per team) for a nominal fee. The Superintendent can be added to any registered school team of eight free of charge.




Conference Pricing
The conference fee includes the keynote address, all workshops, lunch, and refreshments throughout the day. UVM processing and parking fees are additional charges not included here. Prior to the conference, UVM Event Services will contact attendees about parking availability and issue permits.
School or District Team of 8: $1,850
With a Team of 8 registered, you may add:
Students (max 3): $50 each
Superintendent: Free
Individual Attendee: $275
Individual Attendee – Keynote Only: $75
Conference Video Archive

2024 Rowland Conference Keynote
Jill Lepore

2024 Rowland Conference Land Acknowledgment
Bryan Dickinson

2023 Rowland Conference Welcome
Michael Martin

2023 Rowland Conference Keynote
Ross Gay

2023 Rowland Conference Land Acknowledgment
Becky Ebel

2021 Rowland Conference Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
Michael Martin, Jeanie Phillips
Keynote Speakers Archive

Jill Lepore
Professor of American History at Harvard University

Ross Gay
Poet, Essayist, and Educator

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
Author, Speaker, and Educator

Dr. Carla Shalaby
Author, Speaker, and Educator

Robin DiAngelo, PHD
Author, Lecturer, and Affiliate Professor of Education

Ruha Benjamin
Author, Lecturer, and Professor

Jonathan Kozol
Author

Dr. Yong Zhao
Author, Speaker, and Educator

Angela Duckworth
Associate Professor of Psychology

Denis Littky
Director, Author, and Educator

Sir Ken Robinson
Author, Lecturer, and Educator

Tony Wagner
Professor, and Educator
Our Past Conferences
2024 | Democracy & School Cultivating the Habits of a Democratic Culture |
2023 | Growing Community Making Space for Joy & Creativity in School |
2022 | All Students Thriving Rethinking School & Community |
2021 | Teaching Love & Learning Freedom Practicing Community in the Classroom |
2019 | Seeing the Racial Water Combating Institutional Racism in Schools |
2018 | Beyond Buzzwords How Do We Transform Equity Ideas into Effective Action |
2017 | Schools as Laboratories for Social Change Regenerating Empathy at the Heart of Education |
2016 | Equity and Excellence Closing the Achievement Gap in Vermont Schools |
2014 | Developing Character Student Achievement and Socio-Emotional Learning |
2013 | Real Learning Rigor, Relevance, Relationships |
2012 | School Transformation |
2011 | High School Transformation |