* Priority Deadline to Submit Proposals: June 30, 2026 *

* Registration opens in Summer 2026 *


16th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
EDUCATION AND JUSTICE

4-5 September 2026
Honolulu, Hawai‘i

Co-Organizer:
Hawai‘i Scholars for Education, Social Justice and Diversity (HSESJD)

Hosts:
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, College of Education
University Laboratory School

Partner:
Professing Education (journal of the Society of Professors of Education)

Scroll down to see:

  • Conference Theme

  • Conference Overview and Invitation

  • Gathering in Hawai‘i

  • Schedule at a Glance (forthcoming)

  • Information for Presenters and Moderators (forthcoming)

  • Publishing Opportunity for Presenters (forthcoming)

  • Proposal Guidelines and Submission Form

  • Location, Transportation, Lodging, Meals

  • Registration Information and Form (registration opens in Summer 2026)

  • Volunteer Opportunities

CONFERENCE THEME:

This year’s conference theme is “Collectives and the Commons.”

In today’s troubling times, we frequently find ourselves in conversations with educational scholars, educators, and university students about feeling overwhelmed with the attacks on and challenges facing education, and unsure of how to act in this moment. What does it mean to leverage scholarship for public impact? What impact on public debate, awareness, or policy can collective action as large groups of scholars and leaders make that more traditional scholarship cannot or simply does not aspire to make? That is, when scholars and leaders speak in a collective and public-facing way, what interventions can we make in movement building for public education and for the public commons more broadly?

To learn more about the conference theme, check out the forthcoming (April 2026) book, Collectives and the Commons: The Role of Educational Scholars in Movement Building for Justice.

To learn more about the attacks on education, check out my interactive report and podcast interviews.

To learn more about scholar collectives, listen to the recording of my 6/22/22 webinar on “Collective Scholarship for Public Pedagogy” here (passcode fpj$P6g6), and read this co-authored article on Scholar Collectives Advocating for Social Justice in Education, in Kalfou 9(1).

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW AND INVITATION:

The 16th International Conference on Education and Justice highlights the role of educational scholars in anti-oppressive movement building, particularly when we produce scholarship collectively and leverage it for public pedagogy. Recent and helpful examples of such collective projects are listed on my homepage — all are strategically presenting research through background briefs or media articles, testimonies or interviews, grassroots organizing, and so on with the aim of changing policy, practice, curriculum, and consciousness.

Sessions will feature projects and works-in-progress that aim to raise public awareness or influence educational policy and practice, as well as strategies to build our capacity for such interventions. Educators, scholars, students, leaders, advocates, and educational organizations and institutions from across the United States and around the world will convene to share collective scholarship for public pedagogy, as well as to support one another in such work through critical self-reflection and constructive criticism.

The 16th Conference returns to Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and in collaboration with our partners, we call particularly for proposals that highlight anti-oppressive education that addresses the current dismantling of public schooling, democratic institutions, and human rights as they intersect with local social movements.

GATHERING IN HAWAI‘I

As in previous years, this conference provides vital and timely opportunities to support the engagement and education of many scholars, educators, students, and advocates in Hawai'i alongside many from outside, as well as to act immersively and in solidarity with anti-oppressive and indigenous-led movements for justice. I join with many people who have long argued that no one at any time should be coming to anywhere in Hawai'i via the industries (tourist, military, capitalist) that fuel colonialism, profiteering, and the destruction or oppression of lands and livelihoods, particularly of Native Hawaiians.  Rather, we should show up with all that global social movements have to offer to work with local anti-oppressive educators and activists who request our solidarity—in Hawai'i, as anywhere.  With our local partners, this conference strives to co-organize a gathering that impact us and the world anti-oppressively by advancing movement building.  Thus, as a central part of coming to this conference, let us double-down on our commitment to doing our homework to understand intersectional injustices in Hawai'i while acting in solidarity to be a part of the solution before, during, and after the conference.  To learn more, check out the publications of the Hawai‘i Scholars for Education, Social Justice and Diversity (HSESJD), as well as this recent episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, focusing on Hawai‘i.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE:

Friday, September 4

Refreshments (provided) and Morning Sessions
Lunch (provided) and Afternoon Sessions
Reception (provided) and Plenary Session

Saturday, September 5

Refreshments (provided) and Morning Sessions
Lunch (provided) and Afternoon Sessions
Refreshments (provided) and Posters Session

INFORMATION FOR PRESENTERS AND MODERATORS:

(forthcoming)

PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESENTERS:

We are pleased that the Conference will once again partner with Professing Education, a journal of the Society of Professors of Education, on a special issue that features papers based on several conference presentations. If you are a presenter and are interested in publishing your work, please stay tuned for more information. For some inspiration, download your free copy of recent special issues that were based on past conferences, including:

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES AND SUBMISSION FORM:

  • Two Important Deadlines for Presenters: Proposal and Registration

    • Proposal Deadline: In order to guarantee consideration, proposals must be received via the online submission form by the Priority Deadline of June 30. Incomplete or incorrect submissions might not be reviewed. Late submissions might be considered if space in the program is available. Notification of acceptance or rejection of proposals will be sent via e-mail on a rolling basis as proposals are received and no later than early July.

    • Presenter Registration Deadline: Presenters will need to register by the Presenter Registration Deadline of July 31 in order to remain on the conference program. The full conference program will be posted in August.

  • Four Types of Proposals: Poster, Roundtable (work-in-progress), Standard, Extended

    • Poster: This is a 30-minute poster presentation. The poster will be displayed in a large room with other posters, and the presenter(s) are expected to be at your poster throughout that session to speak with attendees, who will likely be spread out and rotating from poster to poster. You will have the option of leaving your poster on display throughout the day prior to your session. The physical “poster” can be in any number of forms, including a standard printed poster to hang (in the size and materials of your choosing), or collage, or interactive game, or three-dimensional or multi-media display, or feel free to be creative! You will have the option to hang from the wall (please bring needed supplies) or bring your own display stand, or to display atop a desk/table (such as by laying on a desk, or using a self-standing cardboard frame, etc.).

    • Roundtable: This is a 10-minute presentation about a work-in-progress with the goal of gathering feedback from the other presenters and audience. The proposal should include a tentative list of the questions that the presenter(s) will be asking for feedback (based on what is presented; no need to read one another’s papers ahead of time). Your presentation will be grouped with other presentations into a Roundtable session, with a moderator who will facilitate the Q&A, and with all presenters encouraged to give feedback to one another. There is a limited number of these sessions, and therefore, presentations with multiple co-authors are preferred.

    • Standard Timeslot: This is a standard 10-minute presentation. The presentation will be grouped with other presentations into a 75-minute panel session. There is a limited number of these sessions, and therefore, presentations with multiple co-authors are preferred.

    • Extended Timeslot: This is an extended 20-minute presentation, and is available to any presentation that has four or more co-authors. Your presentation will be grouped with other presentations into a 75-minute panel session.

  • Format and Audience of the Sessions

    • A Fully In-Person Conference with No A/V Support: At this time, we are not planning to offer hybrid sessions. All roundtables and panels (standard and extended timeslots) are expected to be in smart classrooms (i.e., with WiFi and A/V equipment). However, the Conference will not provide tech support for every session, so any use of technologies will be the responsibility of the presenters. Furthermore, because using such equipment or WiFi connection can cause delays and other problems, the Conference encourages presenters not to rely on A/V (for showing slides/videos, joining virtually, etc.).

    • A Tree-friendly Conference: Please plan to share materials electronically rather than as paper handouts.

    • Audience: The anticipated audience will include a diverse mix of educators, scholars, and advocates, in early childhood education, K-12, and higher education settings, from various disciplines and subject areas, and from across the United States and abroad, so please ensure that your presentations are accessible, inclusive, respectful, and engaging.

    • Audience Engagement: All sessions should allow for brief small-group discussion (such as in pairs after each presentation or at each poster) and large-group discussion (such as Q&A with speakers in the final minutes of panel sessions). In other words, please be sure to designate time for audience members to engage, not merely to listen.

  • Guidelines for Presenters

    • Presenters may not appear on the conference program more than once, and therefore, you should not appear in more than one proposal.

    • Presenters will need to register by the Presenter Registration Deadline of July 31 in order to remain on the conference program. The full conference program will be posted in August.

  • The Proposal

    • Proposals consist of the following items:

      • Proposal Type: Choose one of four options: Poster, Roundtable (work-in-progress), Standard Timeslot, Extended Timeslot

      • Title of Presentation: The conference program schedule might not include abstracts of presentations, so please create a descriptive title that conveys what your presentation will be about.

      • Abstract of Presentation: Please provide a 2-3 paragraph abstract of your presentation. Be sure that your proposal addresses the conference theme.

      • Citations/Bibliography: Please provide a sampling of the books, articles, etc. that your presentation will cite.

      • Information about Presenters: For every presenter on your team, please provide (a) Full name, (b) Institutional affiliation, (c) Job title, (d) Email address, and (e) Second email address (please doublecheck for typos).

      • Affirmation of Conference Guidelines

    • The Priority Deadline to submit proposals is June 30, 2026; late proposals may be reviewed on a rolling basis, space permitting

    • The Proposal Submission Form is available here

LOCATION, TRANSPORTATION, LODGING, MEALS:

Conference participants are responsible for their own transportation and lodging.

LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY: The conference will be held in Honolulu on the adjoining campuses of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, College of Education and the University Laboratory School.  All conference spaces are wheelchair-accessible; if additional accessibility accommodations are required, please contact the Conference Organizer in advance. More information on the location of the Registration Table will be posted in the Detailed Schedule.

AIR AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION: Everyone who flies to Honolulu will arrive into the Honolulu International Airport (HNL), which is 8 miles from the Conference venue. All Conference attendees are encouraged to use environmentally-friendly modes of ground transportation to and from the Conference venue, including walking, biking (you can park your bike for free all over campus), public bus (one stop is just across the street), and carpooling. Hourly parking will be limited immediately next to the Conference venue (in a paid lot and on the street), with additional paid lots throughout the campus. You can find campus maps, as well as parking, driving, biking, and public-bus information here: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/about/visit/#transportation.

LODGING: There will not be a conference hotel. However, we are pleased to describe several nearby, convenient, and affordable options:

  • East West Center: Anyone with an educational affiliation/sponsorship is eligible to stay in the housing of the East West Center, located on-campus and a half-mile walk from the conference venue. These rooms are like apartments with private bathrooms and, in some rooms, kitchenettes, currently priced from $113-161/night. Please note that none of the rooms have air-conditioning. https://www.eastwestcenter.org/about-ewc/housing/visitor-housing 

  • Discounted Rates at Outrigger Hotels: Conference attendees can use the University’s corporate code at Outrigger properties that will give you discounted rates and other benefits, including: waived daily resort charges; no deposit is required at the time of booking; flexible cancellation policy (typically 1-day notice); and 50% off daily parking fees at their hotels. Here's how to find a property and use the corporate code:

    • 1. Go to outrigger.com/business-connection

    • 2. Click/Tap Book Now

    • 3. Under Come Be Here... Select Oʻahu

    • 4. Select a property

    • 5. Select Rooms & Rates

    • 6. In the Apply Special Rate dropdown, select Corporate Code

    • 7. Enter promo code: GL1943  

    • 8. Click/Tap Apply

    • 9. Change # of adults and children and dates  

    • 10. Book to see room types and pricing

  • Other Nearby Hotels: Several other hotels are within a 1.5-mile radius (walking distance) from the Conference venue, including the Ala Moana Hotel, which is attached to the large Ala Moana Shopping Center, and which is accessible by the A express bus that drops you off right across the street from the Conference venue: https://www.alamoanahotelhonolulu.com/. In addition, the University is only 2.5 miles from the heart of Waikiki with dozens of hotels ranging from budget to luxury hotels, and because the conference occurs off-season, low rates can currently be found on travel websites. Most are easily accessible by bus and/or taxi.

  • Hotels at Risk of Labor Disputes: You may remember that the 2018 conference was held in a hotel where workers began a long strike the day after we departed. We can see which hotels are unionized and stay informed of hotels in Honolulu that are at risk of labor actions at https://www.fairhotel.org/

MEALS: All meals and snacks will have vegan and gluten-free options. If you have other dietary restrictions, please indicate those on the Registration Form (in the Additional Information box), and we will do our best to accommodate.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: (Registration opens in Summer 2026)

All educators, researchers and scholars, and educational leaders and advocates throughout the United States and the world and from all levels and disciplines are invited to attend and participate in this conference. Registration includes access to all sessions and meals. The Conference Organizer believes strongly that the registration fees should not serve as a financial barrier to access and participation, and therefore, the registration fees are on a sliding scale (choose the rate that reflects how much you can afford and how much you feel this event is worth) that ranges from $0 to $249 per person. In other words, anyone with limited financial resources may select any of the lower rates and still be able to access the full schedule. Registration fees are nonrefundable.

$249 Regular Rate (per person)

$149 Moderately Discounted Rate (per person)

$49 Significantly Discounted Rate (per person)

$0 Waived Rate (per person)

Note: If you are registering a group, you may do so in one form by listing the following items in the “Additional Information” box of the Registration Form for each registrant: (a) Full name, (b) Job title, (c) Institutional affiliation, and (d) Email address (please doublecheck for typos).

If you have dietary restrictions, please indicate those on the Registration Form (in the Additional Information box), and we will do our best to accommodate.

Registration opens in Summer 2026.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

We are looking for volunteers to assist with a 2-3 hour shift during the conference (helping with registration, set-up and clean-up, troubleshooting, etc.). To sign up for a shift, please contact Kevin.

LEGAL AGREEMENTS:

By registering for or participating in this event, you are agreeing to hold Kevin Kumashiro Consulting harmless regarding liability, and also to affirm the indemnity of Kevin Kumashiro Consulting regarding intellectual property.