17th Annual ISEEN Winter Institute 2022
Schedule at a Glance
Schedule at a Glance | Registration | COVID-19 Protocols | Travel Logistics | Speakers &  Facilitators | Pre & Post Institute Workshops | Proposals | Educational Service Providers 
Sponsor | Experiential Education in Action Workshops

2022 Winter Institute:
Belonging to Our Place: Stewardship, Well-Being, and Heritage
January 18-22, 2022 | Hosted by Verde Valley School in Sedona, AZ 

Verde Valley School Experiential Education WI 2022 from ISEEN on Vimeo.

About the Institute

What does it mean to live principally and reflectively in place? How does belonging to a place facilitate community and well-being? How do we account for the ancient history of the land we now inhabit and consider our own? Can a meaningful connection to an independent school campus and its surrounding terrain shape students in becoming life-long ethical stewards?

The 17th Annual ISEEN Winter Institute in Sedona, Arizona will explore questions about the impact, value, and ethics of place-based education. Verde Valley School lives out these questions daily as a small school purposefully founded in a spectacularly beautiful and rugged valley of red rocks within close reach of both the Mexican border and dozens of Native Nations.

Since its inception, Verde Valley School has been an international school, designed to unite students from around the world in critical thinking and principled inquiry while raising a shovel as much as a pencil. In doing so, students become humble, responsible, and compassionate community members. With a stunning asphalt-free campus surrounded by National Forest, a working farm, horse barn, and unparalleled access to the rugged outdoors, Verde Valley School offers a unique coursework infused with experiential learning. They call it, “IB+Dirt," a marriage of the International Baccalaureate program with a hands-on method coated in literal and figurative Sedona red dirt. The school has been deeply loyal to its five guiding principles since its founding in 1948: Environmental Stewardship, Value of Physical Labor, Global Citizenship, Service to Others, and Academic Excellence.

This year’s theme, "Belonging to Our Place: Stewardship, Well-Being, and Heritage" will invite participants to consider the places from which they come, their history, and how deeply tied students feel to the land they inhabit. We will challenge ourselves to consider questions about responsibility, ownership, privilege, and sustainability. Participants will explore how a more nuanced, intimate understanding of our locale can allow us to be more curious, compassionate, and ethical travelers when we invite students to be guests in others’ places. 

Through this Institute, you’ll witness the splendor of the Sedona landscape and the surprising capacity of a tiny school. Beyond the crystals, vortexes and millions of Grand Canyon-bound tourists, Sedona is a place with deep ancestral history, a unique climate for year-round farming and outdoor exploration, and a community of global thinkers working to shape a small town into a principled and sustainable place to live.

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors!

 

COVID-19

ISEEN is actively monitoring the incidence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States and Arizona, specifically. ISEEN is following guidance from our host school and Arizona local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding face masks, social distancing, large gatherings, and school/education events including CDC recommendations on preventing the spread of COVID-19. 

Please note that, out of an abundance of caution, we will ask participants to provide a copy of their COVID-19 Vaccination Card. A negative PCR test, completed within 72 hours of arrival, must be shared at the registration desk during check-in. Participants will also be asked to self-administer Rapid tests on Day 1 and Day 3 of the Institute. We are announcing additional enhanced safety measures such as providing free PCR testing to US-based attendees (more on this soon), upgrading masks to KN95/N95 (or double surgical) and encouraging booster shots. These protocols are aligned with current guidance, including vaccine and testing requirements. We will have a VERY limited number of Binax rapid tests available on site for purchase should you be unable to find one in your area prior to travel. If the situation changes and requires us to reassess, we will contact you as soon as possible with any changes.

At this time, our upcoming Winter Institute will take place as planned. However, if you are sick or feeling you are getting sick, we ask that you please stay home. Currently, older adults and persons with underlying health conditions are considered to be at increased risk of severe illness and complications from COVID-19. Examples of underlying health conditions include heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, people with weakened immune systems, and people who are pregnant. The CDC recommends that people in high-risk groups consult with their healthcare provider about attending any large gathering. If you do choose to attend Winter Institute, please keep in mind the CDC recommendations on how to keep yourself and others healthy:

• Wear a mask in all indoor spaces and outdoors in crowds or when social distancing (6 feet) is not possible.
• Practice social or physical distancing, staying at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Vaccine booster shots for eligible people are recommended and encouraged.

We are constantly monitoring the CDC, local governments, partners, and schools for the most current guidance regarding gatherings. At this time we are hopeful that we can meet safely in-person in Sedona, following the most up-to-date safety protocols. See below for registration fee and refund policies. Please review complete information on COVID and event policies here.

Who Should Attend

The Winter Institute is geared towards administrators, staff, and classroom teachers who work in various strands of experiential education programming. ISEEN embraces many forms of experiential learning such as outdoor/adventure education, global education, service-learning/community engagement, student leadership, and diversity/equity/inclusion. Educators from independent and international schools who wish to transform their teaching and connect with like-minded colleagues will gain valuable tools and global networks. 

What You’ll Take Away from the Institute

• Deeper understanding of what it means to live principally and reflectively in place
• Refined skills to facilitate community-building and well-being
• Exploration of the ancient history of the land we now inhabit
• Examination of how our campuses can shape students in becoming life-long ethical stewards
• A professional network of innovative experiential educators

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About the Theme Facilitator

Lauren Kelley

Lauren Kelley is the Winter Institute host school convenor and will be guiding us through the theme of Belonging to Our Place: Stewardship, Well-Being, and Heritage. Lauren is Verde Valley School's (VVS) Director of Experiential Education and coordinates a group of programs offering cultural exchange, work projects, travel, project-based learning, service, and outdoor education. Students at VVS are encouraged to traverse their inner landscape as much as outer, uncover the incompleteness of their understanding, roll up their sleeves, and push themselves to personal frontiers. Lauren is proud of the grit, resilience, and wisdom these experiences facilitate. In addition to her administrative work, Lauren chairs the English Department and teaches in the IB Literature Program. Beyond her work at VVS, Lauren has directed a Global Scholars Program and taught religion, philosophy, and globalization courses at White Mountain School and Fountain Valley School. Outside the classroom, Lauren has worked as a mountain guide, whitewater river guide, educational facilitator in maximum security prisons, and farmer on an educational organic dairy. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Goucher College and a BA in Religion from Vassar College. She lives on Verde Valley School's campus with her husband, John and twins, Neve and Elias.

Schedule at a Glance

This is the basic outline of the Winter Institute schedule. We have reflected on your feedback and modified the schedule to make more time to connect with your colleagues and have built in some free time to explore and enjoy the area. 

Note: This schedule is subject to change. All attendees will receive access to our Whova Conference App in the winter where they will be able to view the entire comprehensive schedule.

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Registration

Registration fee is inclusive of all workshops, snacks, (two) lunches, (two) dinners, and (one) breakfast throughout the duration of the formal institute and airport shuttles to/from the hotel on January 18th and 21st/22nd.

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Additional costs include accommodation at The Hilton Sedona at Bell Rock, optional pre & post institute workshops and activities (information below), some breakfasts, and Thursday dinner.

Registration is now closed.

*Registration Notes:
All schools may register up to 3 participants from their school up until November 12, 2021. This is to allow more schools to attend the Institute. Should spaces still be available after November 13, 2021, schools will be able to register unlimited additional attendees. Registration closes on December 15, 2021.

If you are not currently a member yet, join now to receive priority registration and member pricing!

Refund and Cancellation Policy: 

Should you need to cancel your registration you will have two options. A colleague may be substituted at no fee or, if you cancel without substituting your place, the refund policy below will go into effect.

• Cancellation greater than 61 days prior to the Institute: 90% refund
• Cancellation 60-30 days prior to the conference: 50% refund
• Cancellation under 30 days prior to the conference: 0% refund

COVID-19 Refunds: We understand that we are living in a world where large in-person events are being guided by local health authorities. In the event public health dictates that we are not able to gather in January and ISEEN cancels, we will refund registration fees minus a $75 administrative fee.

Scholarships

ISEEN is excited to offer free attendance to up to two participants through the Jessie Barrie Scholarship Fund for Experiential Educators. View more information and details about the scholarship. Applications are due Monday, September 13, 2021 Monday, September 27. Applicants will be notified of decisions by October 8, 2021.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship has now passed. 

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Educational Service Providers

We hold limited spaces for Educational Service Providers (ESP) members. The registration for ESPs is separate from our school attendees, so please read through the following information carefully.

• The reserved spaces for ESPs are available until November 12, 2021. There are ten available spots and they tend to fill quickly when registration opens in August.
• All ESP Attendees must be ISEEN Members prior to registering (become a member today!).
• While ESPs gain significant value by attending the Winter Institute and the intimate networking opportunities available to them to build relationships with member schools, their primary role as an ISEEN member attendee will be that of a fellow educator. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities for greater visibility, please contact ISEEN Executive Director, Shoshanna Sumka ([email protected]). 

Call for Proposals

We have two excellent opportunities for attendees to put their skills in action and to showcase their work. We invite all Institute attendees to submit an application for the Homeroom Facilitator role and/or a proposal for our Model Programs & Practices session by Friday, November 19, 2021.

Homeroom Facilitators

We invite ISEEN Winter Institute 2022 attendees with strong facilitation skills to apply for a volunteer homeroom facilitator role for the Institute! This is an amazing volunteer opportunity for you to tap into your skills in the wonderful, collaborative space that is the ISEEN Winter Institute. We welcome any ISEEN Winter Institute 2022 attendees to apply. Even if this is your first time at the Institute, it doesn't mean you can't serve as a facilitator. We especially encourage those with experience in social justice education to apply.

Homeroom facilitators are key to building community and reflecting on the Winter Institute theme of, "Belonging to Our Place: Stewardship, Well-Being, and Heritage". Homerooms are groups of 10 people from all over North America and beyond, from different schools and organizations, and typically with different discipline backgrounds that come together as a touchpoint throughout the week. Homeroom groups reflect together daily on the experience and dive deeper into the work.

Apply by November 19, 2021.

The deadline has now passed. Thank you to all who applied!

Model Programs and Practices (MPP) Proposals

Each year we host a Model Programs & Practices session at the Institute for attendees to showcase the work your schools and organizations are doing. These are 20-minute sessions in 4 rounds where you'll provide a short presentation about a specific innovative experiential program or practice. Typically all presenters are given the option to take a round off to visit another session.

Submit by November 19, 2021.

The deadline has now passed. Thank you to all who applied!

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Pre and Post Institute Workshops & Activities

To enhance your Institute experience, we’re offering some exceptional, hands-on workshops to gain skills that you can take back to your school or organization. Additionally, we’re offering pre- and post-Institute social/outdoor activities to engage even more deeply with Sedona and the region. Below are brief descriptions (titles, facilitators, cost and timeframes) of the various offerings. More detailed information about pre- and post Institute offerings can be found here: 

Pre and post Institute details here

Hotel 

Events and lodging will be at the beautiful Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock located centrally in the Village of Oak Creek. Rooms have views of the red rocks and are a mere few minutes drive from Verde Valley School (we provide transportation).

 The Winter Institute Discounted Room Block is Sold Out. 
Rooms outside of the discounted block are still available at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bello Rock.

We’ve secured a discounted price of $150/night for a standard single/double occupancy room (plus taxes and service charges) from January 17-21. There are a very limited number of rooms available for the night of Friday 1/21 at the rate of $199 (plus resort fee) - otherwise the standard weekend rate of $450 will apply (we are working on getting more rooms released at the lower rate).The majority of the rooms are expansive suites with incredible views. Triple or Quad occupancy is an additional $20pp on top of the base price above. Rates also include access to all of the resort's amenities including the spa and gym (which includes morning yoga!). This discounted rate is available through December 27, 2021 so book early!

BOOK YOUR ROOM NOW

If for some reason you’re unable to make the booking online or have questions, you can contact the hotel directly at 1-877-273-3762 and mention “ISEEN”.

Alternative Lodging Options

2. Ridge on Sedona Golf Resort (Timeshare) | .5 miles away
• Preference: Easiest walk
• Phone (928) 284-1200

3. Element Sedona by Marriott | .4 miles away
• Preference: 2nd choice, 20-minute walk
• Phone (928) 862-3000 

4. Desert Quail Inn | .2 miles away
• A good option
• Phone (928) 284-1433

5. Muyawki Inn | .5 miles away
• Phone (928) 225-3297

6. Bell Rock Inn | .5 miles away
• Might be too expensive
• Phone (928) 520-0391

7. Holiday Inn Express | .5 miles away
• Phone (928) 284- 0711

8. Poco Diablo | 3 miles away
• Would need own transportation
• Phone (928) 282-7333

Travel

As many ISEEN long-timers know, ISEEN isn’t like other conferences. It’s a fully immersive (and intense!) few days together. Because of that, we value your participation immensely and we ask that when you make your arrangements, you’re able to participate in the full Institute—beginning to end! We believe that participating in all of the Institute activities enhances the quality of your experience and that of your peers. If you know that you cannot manage the full schedule, perhaps consider joining a future Institute. Local Sedona attendees should also consider that you will have very full days and will want to plan accordingly.

Because of Sedona’s location, please be extra conscious of the travel time (2-hours drive from Phoenix Airport and ~1 hour from Flagstaff). We will be providing free transportation included in the registration fee from the Phoenix Skyharbor airport on Tuesday, January 18th and from the hotel to the airport on Friday, January 21st and Saturday, January 22nd, so please note shuttle arrivals and departures when making those plans. Flagstaff airport is a smaller airport (thus, fewer flight options, and rarely any direct flights), but it’s only an hour from Sedona. We will not be providing transportation to/from Flagstaff.

• Tuesday, January 18th: Your flights should arrive no later than 1:00 PM to arrive in time for the kickoff (there will be shuttles at 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM that attendees can sign up for)
• Friday, January 21st: Your flights should depart no earlier than 4:00 PM to account for travel time from Sedona (a shuttle will be departing from the Hilton to PHX at 1:30 PM). The closing ceremony ends at 12:30 PM on Thursday.
• Saturday, January 22nd: There will be a 7:30 AM shuttle on Saturday, January 22nd for those departing the day after the Institute.
• Pre-Institute Attendees or departures after 7:00 AM on Saturday, January 22nd: We will not be providing shuttles, but there are plenty of shuttle options (see below for details).

If you are securing your own transportation to/from the airport, please make sure to be at the Hilton Sedona Resort by 4:00 PM on January 18th and you depart the hotel no earlier than 12:30 PM on January 21st.

Planes:

Most of you will be flying into Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport. The airport is located two hours from Sedona. Transportation from the airport is included for those arriving on Tuesday, January 18th and departing January 21st or the morning of January 22nd. You may sign up for a spot on the shuttle in the enrollment form which will be sent out in September.

Getting To/From The Airport:

• Institute Shuttles: The following shuttle options are included as a part of the Institute fee. In order to take advantage of this option, you must sign up for a spot in a form that will be emailed 4-6 weeks prior to the Institute :
• Tuesday, January 18th PHX to Hilton Sedona Shuttles: 1:00 PM (1 shuttle), 1:30 PM (1 shuttles), 2:00 PM (1 shuttle)
• Friday, January 21st Hilton Sedona to PHX Shuttles: 1:30 PM (2 shuttles)
• Saturday, January 22nd Hilton Sedona to PHX Shuttle: 7:00 AM (1 shuttle)
• Shuttle Companies (Outside of Institute Shuttle Time): You will need to make your own arrangements with these options
• Ace Xpress: Provides door-to-door shuttle service at ~$75 one-way/$125 round trip. Can reserve at their link or call 928.649.2720.
• Groome Transportation (formerly Sedona Shuttle): Can reserve and book on their site.
• Rental Car: This is an option for those who want to stay longer or are coming earlier. Parking is included in your stay at the Hilton. See directions below.

Automobiles:

For driving directions, The Hilton Sedona at Bell Rock is located at 90 Ridge Trail Drive, Sedona, Arizona 86351 (phone: 928-284-4040). It’s located less than 5 miles from Verde Valley School. We will be providing shuttles to/from the school every day as well as all transportation for ExEd in Action experiences.

Note that Institute activities are primarily in the Village of Oak Creek which is approximately 8 miles from the center of Sedona proper. You will find that Oak Creek is an incredible place to take in the rock scenery and outdoor activities as Sedona can get quite busy and trafficky. However, When you’re on your own and if you want to explore, the typical rideshare/taxi services (Uber/Lyft) are readily available around the area.

Parking
Parking is included in your stay at the Hilton and we will be providing transportation for all Institute activities!

Sponsorship

Sponsorship opportunities are now available!

The Winter Institute is ISEEN's flagship event. Established in 2005, the Winter Institute hosts over 100 experiential educators from around the globe at a host school every January. Check out our sponsorship packages to see how you can get involved in furthering ISEEN's goal of enhancing and integrating experiential education into our school's cultures, curricula, and communities. Opportunities are limited - don't miss your chance to support this important event! 

View Sponsorship Opportunities

Thank You to Our Sponsors!
	WorldStrides - Global Competence Innovation Sponsor Our portfolio of Immersion and Applied Learning programs draws on our network for university study abroad, providing the most discerning high schools in the country with the opportunity to experience highly immersive programs that WorldStrides has been offering to colleges and universities in North America for three decades. Our staff and offices on the ground in these locations are dedicated to developing strong community connections with language schools, home-stay families, and local institutions and non-profit organizations which provide the platform for our customized portfolio of language learning, service-learning, leadership and academic study programs across the curriculum.
	Carney Sandoe & Associates Mindfulness Sponsor With four decades of experience, Carney Sandoe’s mission is to connect great educators and leaders with great schools. We are a faculty and staff recruitment, leadership search, and strategic consulting firm that works with independent schools and job seekers worldwide.
	Verde Valley School Host School Verde Valley School is a co-educational boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12.  Founded in 1947 by Hamilton and Barbara Warren the school brings together students from all over the world to live, work and study together on our campus in Sedona, Arizona. To this day at Verde Valley School we continue to value the original principles upon which Hamilton and Barbara Warren founded the school. We do this by challenging our students to fulfill their own potential in every area: academics, service, sports, physical work, the arts and by stressing competition with oneself rather than with others. Located under the rim of the Colorado Plateau at an elevation of 4,500 feet, Sedona is blessed with four mild seasons, plenty of sunshine and clean air. Our red rock valley campus is surrounded on three sides by national forest land and offers beautiful surroundings for year-round outdoor activities, including horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, soccer, golf, basketball, and trail and cross-country running.  Why VVS? Because we are the exception. The exception to the traditional model of education. The exception to high-pressured, high-stakes academic stress. The exception to a world of distraction and the barrage of technology. The exception to the norm, where being the same is celebrated. Why VVS? Because within this community you become the exception.

Questions

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions about the event. Email us at [email protected] or call us at 206-209-5288.

We are excited to see old friends and meet new ones!

2022 ISEEN Winter Institute Planning Committee: Shoshanna Sumka (ISEEN Executive Director), Lauren Kelley, (Host School Convener and Director of Experiential Education, Verde Valley School), Taras Ferencevych (ISEEN Events Manager - not pictured)

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