Hosted by Glen Helen Nature Preserve and supported by the Miami County Park District, we will be celebrating 17 years of Educators’ Week in 2026. This year the conference will be held at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center located in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Glen Helen is contiguous with John Bryan State Park and Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve. This oasis of the Eastern Forest in the Northern Till Plains provides many opportunities for nature study. Along with the Raptor Center and Trailside Museum, the preserve has 15 miles of hiking trails over its 1,125 acres, make it a perfect outdoor learning lab. It also protects almost two miles of the Little Miami River, a state designated Scenic River.

Educators’ Week will take place at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center which is located approx. 10 miles east of Dayton at: 1075 OH-343, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387

Driving Directions from various locations can be viewed here.

Lodging and meals are included with the cost of registration for the conference. We will use Cedar Center, Hickory, and Sycamore dormitories for sleeping. All dorms have a small common area and two residential wings, each wing consists of 8-9 metal frame bunks with mattresses, two stall showers, two stall toilets, and two sinks. Each participant will have an entire bunk, part of which can be used for sleeping and the other part for storing personal belongings. Participants may also decide to bring their own equipment to primitive tent camp on the dormitory lawn with access to the dorm bathrooms. Any participant choosing to tent camp will also have access to a bunk to utilize in the case of inclement weather.

All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, will be prepared and served in the dining hall. Snacks will be available in the morning and afternoon. Participants lodging in the Hickory and Sycamore dormitories will have access to a mini fridge, and one full sized fridge will be available in a common space to store Relax and Enjoy items from all conference staff and participants if needed.  We request that all food not stored within the fridges is stored in rodent proof containers.

Relax and Enjoy

Our conference includes an evening event called Relax and Enjoy. This tradition began when participants started to bring in their home canned goods to share with one another. As the years continued, more and more participants began to bring in unique finger foods that they would like to share and it eventually turned into a full-blown, carry-in, pot luck meal at Shawnee. Here at the Glen, since there will be no cooking facilities available, we will offer a light dinner, followed by our Relax and Enjoy event to sample what participants choose to share. There is no requirement to bring food in order to participate in this event.

Title photo by: Ed. Week Staff