In this issue (click to view):

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There's a lot of noise out there and we all need a little more silence and more time to reflect and consider the issues we're struggling with. We don't want to be part of the problem because we honestly believe we can be part of the solution.

On that note, this will be the last monthly newsletter we send. Instead, we will send out a quarterly newsletter: December, April, July (the next one!), and October.

It is our hope that this will allow us to speak more genuinely to the issues that students and educators are confronting as they do the hard work necessary for success throughout the school year.

We will be on social media (not the 'worst places'), so look for us there. And we're always here: www.pcrest.com Let us know if there's anything we can do for you.

Attend online or in-person!

The 2026 Research Summit brings together educators and researchers to move beyond theory into the active design of self-growth systems. Across seven sessions, participants engage in inquiry, model development, and applied design—advancing both the science and practice of helping individuals become self-growers.

LOCATION

The Summit sessions will use the plenary session area at West Coast University for in-person attendees. (This is the same room used for the pre-conference workshops and all the plenary sessions.)

Those planning to attend online will be provided with the Zoom links to the sessions. (Those same links will also be available from the PE Conference Support Site.)

REGISTRATION

There is no fee for those already registered for the Conference but WE DO NEED TO KNOW how many will be attending (for food and for breakout rooms). Please email Dan Apple [email protected] if you plan to attend any or all Summit session.

Read more to learn about the CATERED DINNERS and PLANNED SESSIONS...

Dr. Cy Leise has been a member of the Process Education community for over thirty years since meeting Dan at a one-day session at Bellevue University. He authored and co-authored modules for the 2007 Faculty Guidebook and articles in the International Journal of Process Education. Cy has enjoyed these collaborative efforts, nothing that they...

"have stimulated my thinking and strengthened relationships as we have worked to create valuable Process Education knowledge that can be applied in many ways to support learning and growth."

This keynote address is focused on exploring how Process Education as a movement can lead us to pursue the growth needed to thrive in today’s world.

Be sure to register for this year's PE Conference so you can attend this exciting keynote address!

Click to listen on...

This episode is specifically tailored for educators who might doubt whether the frustrations of requiring students to work in cooperative teams are truly worth the effort.

Acknowledging the initial challenges, such as the upfront planning required and the difficult shift for instructors from being the "provider of knowledge" to a "facilitator", this episode will reassure and persuade hesitant teachers. You'll learn how the temporary hurdles of group work yield profound dividends, not only by increasing academic achievement, critical thinking, and retention, but also by equipping students with essential, lifelong interpersonal skills. By fostering positive interdependence and shared accountability, you'll find out how cooperative learning prepares students for collaborative environments in the real world, ultimately proving that the long-term benefits to both student development and academic success far outweigh the temporary classroom growing pains...

The program for the 2026 PE Conference is now available!

This year's program features 2 plenary keynotes, 2 plenary sessions, and a grand total of 12 breakout sessions! This is in addition to the 2 pre-conference workshops AND the Process Education Research Summit (taking place each evening).

There's a lot going on an you're invited to all of it. Get your suitcases ready (real or virtual) and make plans to attend!

The Introduction to Engineering course launching in Fall 2026 at Eastern Michigan University is taking a new approach to engineering. Rather than serving as a survey of the field, this course is designed as the first step in developing an engineer of the future. We’re developing a book for the course and are pleased to share the book’s Forward to The Student:

Most students begin engineering by asking, “How do I solve this problem?” Fewer ask, “How do I become someone who can solve problems well, consistently, and with purpose?”

This book, Designing Engineers of the Future, is built around the second question.

Engineering is about realization — moving from ideas to outcomes, from uncertainty to decisions, and from initial attempts to improved performance. It is also about becoming someone who can do this work effectively, responsibly, and with increasing independence....

The Academy is forming Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in the areas of lifelong learning, self-growth, and AI in the classroom.

These SIGS will bring together members with shared passions in Process Education. These groups are envisioned as vibrant spaces where “birds of a feather” gather to explore cutting-edge questions, develop tools, incubate innovations, and generate collaborative scholarship that advances our field.  A SIG provides opportunities for: Distributed leadership across interest areas, Focused inquiry aligned with practitioner needs Mentorship pathways for members new to PE scholarship, and Greater visibility for emerging projects and scholarship-in-progress...

By Dan Apple

I no longer believe life is meant to be understood backward and executed forward. That framing is too clean, too mechanical for something as alive as becoming human. Life is lived forward through attention, choice, and meaning, not certainty. We do not discover wisdom by waiting for life to settle; we discover it by learning how to move while it is still unfinished. 

Living forward begins with a shift in posture. Instead of asking, “Did this work?” or “Was this right?” the wiser question becomes, “What is this teaching me about how to live next?” This question does not deny pain, failure, or confusion. It dignifies them. It treats experience not as verdict, but as raw material...