HAZARD — EdcampEKY, an education conference like no other, will be held at Hazard Community and Technical College on Nov. 4. The structure of the conference is very informal, with attendees identifying session topics first thing in the morning, before participating as co-learners and facilitators with others in the sessions.

Educators can sign up to attend the edcamp for free through Eventbrite.com by searching for “EdcampEKY” on the website. The event has been approved by the Kentucky Department of Education for 6 EILA hours.

“We are thrilled to offer this professional learning opportunity to teachers in our region and we encourage and invite all teacher-leaders from eastern Kentucky to attend,” co-organizer Sabrina Tackett said.

The conference will be free from corporate vendors and booths, with the focus being solely on conversations about education. Attendees will come from all over eastern Kentucky and will range from classroom teachers to administrators to coaches. There will be time for attendees to gather informally to share ideas as well as a variety of sessions for them to attend.

This event is based on the edcamp model, also known as an unconference. Edcamps are participant-driven, and topics for sessions are determined by participants at the event, where conversation and collaboration are paramount. Sessions are facilitated by anyone. Participants with experience are encouraged to speak up, and open dialogue and a willingness to share, not planned presentations, drive the learning at Edcamps.

As with all edcamps, EdcampEKY is completely free, with lunch, prizes, and all other amenities provided. With the possibility of up to 200 attendees, the organizers are looking for local businesses who may be interested in being featured in the conference literature. Those interested in being a sponsor can make donations and/or contact the organizers through the Eventbrite page.

Edcamps have been held all over the United States and around the world. After the inaugural event in May 2010, the edcamp movement spread, and hundreds of edcamps have been held since then.