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EVENTS
BIG BANG 2025 -JULY 21 - 24
Big Picture Learning presents
AGENDA
BPL conference agendas are famously iterative and - as such - are always a work in progress. The below is intended to give you some sense of the flow of Big Bang Homecoming to help you plan accordingly; however - as we usually do - we'll likely be switching things around even as we take the main stage! Be sure to revisit this page for regular updates.
MONDAY - JULY 21
PRECONFERENCES
You are invited to arrive early to take advantage of special Anniversary pre-conference opportunities available. Please add these as part of your registration process. Note that additional charges may apply.
Deep Roots, Bold Future: Learning from Big Picture Learning's Founders: - How did The Met and Big Picture Learning get started? Hear the real stories, the trials and tribulations that led to 30 successful years. You'll go deep and get personal with our co-founders - Elliot Washor and Dennis Littky - and have a chance to interact with first year students and staff. We'll visit some important sites around Providence to see how our history provides a deeper understanding of the practices and philosophies that define Big Picture.
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM // Lunch provided
($250 p/person) ​​​
Rookie Advisor Deep Dive - MET Style: - The MET staff have long held a summer institute specifically for new Advisors joining the school team - so that they start the school year with a deep understanding of BPL's distinguishers. Now you have a chance to go through the same practice, delivered by team from the mothership itself. Held on The MET campus, you'll get to experience a snapshot of an onboarding that typically lasts for several days. We'll partner with students to dig into their interests and processes for developing academically rich PBL opportunities.
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM // Lunch provided
($300 p/person)
Internship Coordinator Pre-Con: - Before Big Bang 2025 officially kicks off, join us for a dedicated pre-conference session designed for Internship Coordinators, Opportunity Wranglers, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, and others invested in expanding real-world learning opportunities. This full-day convening will provide space to connect, share best practices, and explore innovative approaches to building work-based learning programs. Through interactive discussions, a job description remix session, and insights from ImBlaze/B-Unbound data, participants will leave with actionable strategies to enhance their roles. Space is limited—register early!
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM // Lunch provided
($300 p/person)
MONDAY - JULY 21
DAY ONE
CELEBRATING OUR ORIGIN STORY
3 PM // Registration Opens // OMNI Hotel
4:30 PM // Y'All Should Connect - Connect over like interests // OMNI Hotel
5:00 - 8:00 PM // Transportation to and from The MET
5:30 - 7:30 PM // Opening Reception // The MET
Have you been waiting for your opportunity to visit BPL's first and flagship school - The MET? Now's your chance. After all, this Big Bang celebrates not only Big Picture Learning's 30th Anniversary, but the Met's as well! We'll take to The Met's iconic front lawn for music, merriment and inspirational remarks from our founders, as well as other Rhode Island luminaries. It'll be a night designed to carry us through our next 30 years!
Featuring // The MET Marketplace
TUESDAY - JULY 22
DAY TWO
OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR STRENGTH
Entrepreneurs abound in Big Picture schools, especially at The Met - where students from its E-Center regularly win the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE!) regional and national championships. Come meet some of these student-run small businesses, and the local mentors who inspire them, in our MET Marketplace.
7:30- 8:30 AM // Breakfast // Rhode Island Convention Center
8:30- 9:30 AM // Plenary // Rhode Island Convention Center
10:00: AM - 12:00 PM // Advisory // By Strand (See Below)
12:00 - 1:00 PM // Lunch // Rhode Island Convention Center
1:00 - 4:00 PM // Leaving to Learn
4:30 - 5:30 PM // Fireside chat: Eunice Mitchell in Conversation with with Blair Underwood
In this intimate and wide-ranging conversation, acclaimed actor, director, and Big Picture Learning board member Blair Underwood sits down with Eunice Mitchell to explore the intersections of storytelling, identity, mentorship, and purpose. Drawing from his celebrated career and his commitment to equity in education, Blair shares personal insights on what drew him to Big Picture Learning, what leadership looks like in today’s world, and why student-centered learning is essential for shaping a more just and creative future. This fireside chat promises to be both inspiring and deeply relevant to educators, students, and advocates alike.
9:00 - 11:00 PM // Shameka & Elliot After Dark
STRAND OVERVIEW
Instead of selecting from an overwhelming array of workshops, your learning will be guided by a strand—a curated pathway centered on key questions and learning goals. Each strand will shape your advisories and Leaving to Learns (L2Ls), ensuring a deeper, more connected exploration of your chosen focus. While strands provide structure, you’ll still have plenty of chances to connect across the conference through whole-group offerings like “Y’all Should Connect,” evening activities, affinity groups, and Homecoming. Scroll through below for our Strand offerings, from which your select as part of your registration process.
STRAND A:
BPL 101
big bang homecoming strands 1 / 4
BPL 101
Embark on a journey into the heart of Big Picture Learning. This immersive experience is crafted for those new to BPL, offering a deep dive into our foundational principles and practices. Through hands-on simulations and engaging discussions, you'll uncover the philosophy that empowers students to take ownership of their learning. Explore how we connect academic learning with real-world experiences, providing the tools to inspire and empower learners to live lives of their own design.
Is this for me?
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Are you a new advisor to BPL and trying to figure out where to start?
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Are you an educator or leader who’s curious about the core principles of Big Picture Learning?
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Do you want to understand how to bring student-driven learning to life in your classroom or school?
WEDNESDAY - JULY 23
DAY THREE
THE PAST IS OUR PRESENT
7:30- 8:30 AM // Breakfast // Rhode Island Convention Center
8:30- 9:30 AM // Affinity Groups // Rhode Island Convention Center
9:40- 10:40 AM // Plenary // Rhode Island Convention Center
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM // Advisory by Strand // Lunch Inclusive
7:30 PM - 10:30 PM // Homecoming Gala // Rhode Island Convention Center
For one night only, step into something a little more festive than your usual conference wear and join us for Homecoming - a gala evening unlike any other in Big Picture history. Part reunion, part reflection and part rallying cry for the future, this celebration brings together the heart and soul of our network in a night of connection and joy.
This gala celebration will also mark a powerful milestone: Big Picture Learning's 30th Leadership Journeys - a storytelling tribute to love, care and vulnerability. Featuring deeply personal reflections from thought leaders Christopher Emdin, Bettina Love and BPL Co-Founder Elliot Washor, this special program will ground us in the emotional core of our work and remind us what it means to lead with heart.
Set against a backdrop of live music, laughter and a touch of revelry, this isn't just a party. It's a tribute to 30 years of passion, purpose and that education should be personal and powerful. It's a chance to come together - not only to honor where we've been, but to imagine what's next.
Come dressed to impress, ready to connect and prepared to make history - again.
THURSDAY - JULY 24
DAY FOUR
SETTING FORTH INTO BIG PICTURE'S FUTURE
7:30- 8:30 AM // Breakfast // Rhode Island Convention Center
9:00 AM // Keynote Engagement - The Next 30 Years with
Carlos Moreno and Andrew Frishman
As Co-Executive Directors of Big Picture Learning, Carlos Moreno and Andrew Frishman have spent the last decade stewarding the growth and evolution of a movement that has always prioritized student-centered, real-world learning. With roots that stretch back to the early days of BPL, both bring a deep understanding of where we've been - and a bold vision for where we're headed.
In this special closing keynote, Carlos and Andrew will reflect on the lessons and milestones that have shaped Big Picture over the past 30 years and look ahead to the possibilities that lie before us. With honesty, urgency and their signature mix of head and heart, they'll explore what it means to lead a network that continues to disrupt traditional education and center the needs, voices and brilliance of young people.
This won't be a conclusion - it will be a launchpad. A call to imagine, to recommit and to act. Join us a we step forward - together - into The Next 30 Years.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM // Big Bang Kick Me Out // Rhode Island Convention Center
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