Last time we convened in Columbus, we explored ‘The Space Between’—the often-overlooked space where tension, ambiguity, and relationships live. We named it as the place where progressive education has always done its deepest work, even as traditional systems rushed toward efficiency and standardization.

Now our attention turns to Beyond the Edges. If The Space Between asked us to notice and inhabit what lies within existing systems, Beyond the Edges invites us to ask: What happens when the old edges themselves no longer hold? What comes after the versions of “traditional” and “progressive” education we’ve inherited?

At PEN 2026, an “edge” is:

• A boundary – the place where one thing ends and another begins: the edge of a system, a role, a belief, a practice.

• A threshold – a crossing point into what’s not yet known: where we step from the familiar into the experimental.

• A marker – a line that shows us what we’ve inherited: the limits of traditional and even “classic” progressive education.

• A tool – something we can use to define and redefine what can be in order to create new possibilities for learners.

• An invitation – a place that calls us closer: come look here, come listen here, come step over this line.

Edges are the places where our current systems, stories, and practices end—and the next possibilities begin.

We gather to challenge the limits of both traditional and progressive frameworks and to co-create boundaryless, ethical ecosystems. This is an opportunity to embrace presence in a world competing for attention, to honor the realities of our classrooms today, and to prototype possibilities that can thrive beyond the edges—where humanity, equity, sustainability, and flourishing guide our work.

Together, we will explore, reinforce, and create ways we can:

Stay present and attend to nuance and complexity; ensuring learning is active, relational, and grounded in real humanity.

Engage learners in deep, authentic, purpose-driven experiences that connect to their lives, communities, and identities.

Commit to pushing, redrawing, and dissolving edges that no longer serve our students or our world, through experimentation, reflection, and collaboration as essential practices for future-ready learning.

Prototype intentionally imperfect ideas to move beyond the isolation and spark imaginative, collective action.

Transform education into a vibrant, living practice where learners are empowered to adapt, create, and drive positive change within their communities.