2026 NRMERA Conference
“Centering Community”
October 7-9, 2026
Seattle, Washington
President: Amanda Obery
Conference Program Chair: Suzanne Beasterfield
Keynote Speaker Highlight:
Dr. Sweeney Windchief
Sweeney Windchief (Nakóna) is a member of the Fort Peck Tribes in northern Montana and serves as a professor in Adult and Higher Education at Montana State University. His research interests fall under the umbrella of Indigenous intellectualism to include Indigenous methodologies in research and Indigenous student persistence in higher education. His teaching privileges include critical race theory, Indigenous methodologies in research, and college student development. As a Co-PI of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, his service is toward the overall goal of strengthened and expanded university initiatives to recruit, retain, and graduate American Indian and Alaska Native students in STEM. He and his wife Sara have two sons who help keep things in perspective.
Abstract: The intention of this keynote is to advance a framework for reimagining research, mentoring, and education as relational, reciprocal, and accountable practices. Centering community requires a fundamental shift in purpose—from prioritizing individual academic achievement to advancing collective well-being and shared benefit. Within this framework, community is not an afterthought but the primary stakeholder, shaping both the creation and application of knowledge. We will explore how knowledge originates within communities and must be engaged with care, consent, and cultural responsibility. This perspective challenges dominant academic norms, calling for institutions to adapt to community values, protocols, and ways of knowing rather than expecting communities to conform to academic systems. Emphasized will be the importance of relationships, networks, and collective learning as core to meaningful educational practice. By moving away from hierarchical and individual models, we re-envision a new paradigm as a communal, interdependent process rooted in shared responsibility and mutual support. Ultimately, this keynote invites participants to critically reconsider their roles as educators, researchers, and leaders, offering pathways to authentically center community in ways that are ethical, sustainable, and transformative.
Registration
Registration for the Conference includes:
- Access to all Conference events
- Conference-provided meals
- 1-year membership to NRMERA
- Early access to the NRMERA Journal: Educational Research: Theory and Practice
- Access to applications for NRMERA awards/scholarships
- Addition to the NRMERA mailing list. By registering for the conference, you consent to having your name added to the contact/mailing list. You may opt-out/unsubscribe at any time.
| Price Categories | Early Bird Rates | Regular Rates (after Aug. 3) |
| Professional | $325 | $400 (After Oct. 2, late registration for professionals will be $450) |
| Student | $200 | $250 |
| Past President | $250 | $350 |
| One Day Only | $200 | $250 |
Early-bird registration prices are valid through August 3, 2026.
Media Notice: By registering for and attending the NRMERA Annual Conference, you acknowledge and agree that your image, likeness, or voice may be captured in photographs, videos, or audio recordings, and you grant NRMERA the irrevocable right to use these media for promotional, marketing, and informational purposes across digital and print platforms without compensation. Attendees who prefer not to be photographed are responsible for proactively removing themselves from the camera’s field of view; however, because the conference takes place in public, communal spaces, NRMERA cannot guarantee the exclusion of individuals from incidental background or group shots, and by entering the venue, you release NRMERA from any liability or claims resulting from such capture.
Travel Information
Conference Hotel:
Hotel Interurban
Group Rate: $159/night
Valid through Sunday, Sept. 6
Donate to the Schraw Fellowship
The Dr. Gregory Schraw Student Fellowship Award successfully supports students through voluntary donations. Please consider giving to the Schraw Fellowship. Learn more by visiting the Schraw Student Fellowship page. Click the link or scan the QR code to donate.
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2026 NRMERA
Conference Sponsors
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