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MEA conference

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Education Minnesota’s 2022 MEA conference will be held Thursday, Oct. 20.

Missed the 2021 conference? New relicensure courses are also available on MEA Online for members to complete at their own pace. Education Minnesota launched its online learning platform in spring 2020. Members can access our full catalog of professional development to improve their professional practice, earn CEU credits for relicensure and build union understanding and power.

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Courses at MEA and MEA Online are always free to active Education Minnesota members.

Here are the dates for our MEA conference for the next 10 years:

Exhibitor information

Applications open by the end of June each year for those interested in exhibiting.

PLEASE NOTE: Education Minnesota reserves the right to decline an exhibitor application and will not be liable for any expenses incurred by any party in anticipation of entering into a contract that is not executed per the terms indicated.

Questions? Contact Christine Thornborrow.

Other info

Interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing
Sign language interpreters will be provided for the general session on Thursday. Several seats in the front row will be reserved for those needing interpreters. For other needs (including interpreters for workshop sessions), contact conference coordinator Megan Boldt, 800-652-9073 or 651-227-9541, as soon as possible.

RiverCentre access
RiverCentre is handicap-accessible, but wheelchairs are not available; attendees should bring their own.

Medical issues
A first aid station staffed by licensed professionals is available Thursday on the lower level of Saint Paul RiverCentre. Education Minnesota staff can direct you. In case of an emergency, notify any Education Minnesota staff member.

In the interest of keeping attendees and trainers safe, and in recognition of increasing COVID-19 case numbers in our community, all trainings sponsored or supported by Education Minnesota will require all attendees to wear face coverings and have at least three feet of physical distance between each attendee. This is true regardless of the location of the event, and regardless of whether attendees are vaccinated. 

Additionally, proof of vaccination for COVID-19 is required to present at or attend this event in person. Attendees and trainers will be required to upload their vaccination card via our Cvent registration process.

Finally, if you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms shortly after the conference, please let us know so that we can notify attendees, trainers, and other guests. In order to facilitate contact tracing in the event of a positive COVID-19 case by an attendee, we ask that you please stay in the sessions for which you registered. We will also be verifying that attendees to each session have registered to that session.

We appreciate your support and cooperation in observing these COVID-19 safety protocols.

Do I need to be an Education Minnesota member to attend the conference?
Yes, the conference is open to members only. College students studying to be educators may also attend.

Do I need to register? 
Yes. Same-day registration is possible if space is available. 

Is there an admission fee?
No, the conference is free to active members.

Can teachers earn continuing education credit at the conference?
You might be able to earn clock hours and fulfill some relicensure requirements. You’ll receive a certificate of attendance at the end of each workshop session you attend. Your local continuing education committee determines whether to approve the credit.

Why is the conference held in October? Why not in the summer when school isn’t in session?
It is held during the school year for several reasons. Most important, the focus of the conference is on techniques and ideas that teachers can take back to the classroom and use right away with their students. This schedule provides the greatest benefit to student learning. In addition, in the summer many teachers wouldn’t be able to attend because they are taking continuing education courses to stay current in their field and fulfill licensing requirements; teaching summer school; or working summer jobs to supplement their salaries. We want to make this opportunity available to as many educators as possible.

It’s a local school district decision whether to make the conference days non-school days. Most do, but some do not. Others require teachers to attend local training on our conference days.

When will the conference be held next year?
The conference always takes place the third Thursday of October, so in 2022, that will be Oct. 20. For other years, check our list of dates for the next 10 years.

You may be able to earn general continuing education credit for attending the MEA conference. An attendance certificate will be emailed to you after you complete the live workshop or MEA Online session. In addition, some sessions might help you fulfill state relicensure requirements in reading instruction, identifying early-onset mental illness in students, cultural competency, positive behavioral interventions, English language learners and suicide prevention. Check with your district’s continuing education committee on whether you will receive credit.

Related Pages

Annual events

The MEA conference. Summer Seminar. Learn more about the events Education Minnesota holds each year.

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MEA Online

Get the professional development you need from the comfort of your home or classroom through trainings on our online learning platform MEA Online.

Read More

Licensure and credentials

Information about tiered licensure, other sources of CEUs for relicensure and the state's paraprofessional credential.

Read More