Up Next: Big Bang 2024 - Memphis (July 22-25, 2024)
And then: BPL Leadership Summit - Colorado (December 2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Should Attend Big Bang?​
Everyone! Especially folks who share our passion for creating student-centered learning environments and schools. Many of the attendees at Big Bang - whether they be students, educators or leaders - come from the Big Picture Learning network itself, so Big Bang is a great opportunity to either share best practices with peers or learn new approaches from folks who have been doing it a while. The only prerequisite for attending Big Bang is a love for helping young people lead lives of their own design.
What does the conference programming focus on?​
We're glad you asked! At Big Bang, we aim to embed key elements of our distinguishers and school design approaches into the conference experience itself. This means you can expect to be in close community with a small cohort of attendees through an Advisory, get out into the community for hands on experiential based learning based on your interests through Leaving to Learns, engage in authentic learning experiences through a variety of workshops and celebrate and connect through Pick Me Ups and other community-wide events. To see the full agenda, click here.
How do I choose my Leaving to Learn session?​
Upon registering for Big Bang, you will receive a link to your "Attendee Profile". If BPL has completed its process for identifying partner community organizations for that year's Big Bang, you'll be able to indicate your top three choices for the Leaving to Learn experiences you'd like to make part of your conference experience. We will do our best to pair you with your top choices. In cases where you've registered for Big Bang before these choices are available, we'll send out an email letting previously registered attendees know that selection is now available.
Where is Big Bang being held?​
Check out the location page of our event website to learn more about our venue: The Peabody Memphis. While much of our programming takes place at the Peabody, we also live our value our learning from and with the community. We'll spend the majority of our second day (Tuesday, July 23) outside of the hotel as part of our Leaving to Learn experiences, and we're excited to partner with the National Civil Rights Museum for our Keynote Engagement.
Is there a room block for the hotel?​
Yes! Please click this link to book your hotel room at the Peabody to take advantage of the special BPL discounted rate (starting at $190 per night plus fees and taxes).
How do I register if I have Big Bang in my BPL coaching contract?​
Big Picture Learning reaches out directly to all schools who have already built Big Bang into their contracts to assist them with registration. If you feel as though you haven't heard from BPL yet, please reach out to events@bigpicturelearning.org directly and we'll be happy to assist!
Is there a registration discount for in-network schools?​
Yes! Please reach out to events@bigpicturelearning.org to get your in-network discount code.
How can I get updates about the conference?​
The best way to get the latest and greatest information about the conference is to download the BPL Events app (Apple, Android). On the app you can start to tag workshops you're interested in, engage with other attendees and see your Advisory and Leaving to Learn groups once those are solidified. We will also push out important notifications and announcements via the app during the conference itself.
Do you all have a cancellation policy?​
Putting on a conference can be a considerable expenditure. BPL bases much of its planning and relationships with local partners upon live registration numbers. As such, we kindly require that conference fees be paid in advance and are nonrefundable should you have to cancel your registration.
What should I wear?​
We want you to be comfortable, so wear what makes you most comfortable! You'll often find our conference attendees in casual attire: jeans, t-shirts, or even BPL swag they attained at previous conferences! Don't forget to pack for the heat and the occasional summer downpour!
