Administrators, teachers, pre-service teachers, education assistants, parents and others passionate about education will discuss a variety of self-established topics at the first-ever southern Alberta edcamp to be held at the University of Lethbridge Saturday, January 25.

Dubbed Lethcamp, the event will follow an “unconference” model where discussion topics are not predetermined. It will allow participants to set the agenda and is designed to encourage spontaneous collaboration among educators.

Lethcamp is a day of learning and networking, including learning sessions that are not intended to be led by anyone, says U of L Faculty of Education instructor Kurtis Hewson, one of the volunteers helping to coordinate the event.

The organizing group for the day includes passionate educators from various school districts in southern Alberta and at the University of Lethbridge, including teachers and pre-service teachers.

“Educators with interest in similar areas establish sessions where anyone interested in that particular topic comes together to share practices, ask questions of each other and network,” says Hewson. “Simply, Lethcamp is professional development determined by and driven by participants.”

Participants will identify education topics they wish to discuss by writing them on a sticky and affixing it to a white board. Organizers will then sort the various topics into themes, which will dictate the various sessions of the event.

In addition to the on-site sessions, learning will be shared throughout the day via the Twitter hashtag #lethcamp and through live blogging that will be continually posted on the event’s website (http://lethcamp.ca) and also available through the event’s mobile device app. The intent is for learning to take place for those at the event as well as the greater educational community, throughout the day and beyond.

Lethcamp has been enthusiastically received so far, says Hewson, with over 100 participants registered to date.

Coffee and muffins are offered at 7:45 a.m., with the event beginning at 9 a.m. Two sessions will take place in the morning, with an additional two occurring in the afternoon.

There is no cost to register or participate in the event.

For more information, or to register for Lethcamp, visit http://lethcamp.ca, follow the official Lethcamp Twitter account at @lethcamp and join the conversation using the Twitter hashtag #lethcamp.