NZAEE Conference 2026
We are so excited to be hosting our national conference in person this year, for the first time in eight years! Although our online conferences have been popular due to their accessibility, we have heard clearly that educators are ready to spend time together kanohi ki te kanohi this year.
Join us in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland during the October holidays from Monday 5th - Wednesday 7th.
Our conference venue is Motu Moana camp in Blockhouse Bay, which is very central and only 20 minutes from the airport or central train station. We have chosen a location that reflects our focus on te taiao and we can't wait to spend time connecting in this beautiful part of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Would you like to contribute to our confernece? Call for Contributions is open now and closes on May 8th, with more details and a form to complete in the section further down this page. Please share this with anyone who may be interested in contributing.
Tātaiao is a kupu with many layers—multifaceted and grounded in action. Formed by bringing together tātai (ancestral connections, genealogies) and taiao (the natural world), tātaiao expresses the inseparable relationship between people and te Taiao.
This kupu acknowledges the interwoven worldviews of tangata while honouring the knowledge of our tūpuna. Tātaiao reflects the understanding that when we recognise, uphold, and restore these relationships with the natural world, both people and ecosystems can flourish.
Whāia te mātauranga, hei oranga mō koutou
Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing
Our conference will also be guided by this whakataukī, reflecting our focus on providing an event that nurtures learning, connection and wellbeing.
These themes will be explored through a diverse range of perspectives across our conference programme, including keynote speakers, practical workshops and inspiring sessions from Aotearoa educators, researchers, rangatahi and community organisations.
We are currently working on the conference programme and registration process and will publish these here soon. We're aiming to open registrations by the end of April. To help with early planning for transport to the conference we can confirm the timing for each day:
Monday 5th October: Conference check in from 12:30 - 1:30pm, with the afternoon running through until 5pm
Tuesday 6th October: Conference programme will run from 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 7th October: Conference finishes no later than midday
We will host a conference dinner at the venue on either Monday or Tuesday evening (TBC), which will be optional when you register.
Another reason we chose Motu Moana camp as our conference venue is it allows us the opportunity to stay on site and extend our time for in person connection. There will be the option to stay in either bunkroom style accommodation or to camp in your own tent. This will also provide an affordable option, with breakfast and optional dinner included in the accommodation registration price. If you would rather organise your own accommodation, there are many options near the venue and we will share some ideas here soon.
Do you have an idea for a workshop, case study, resource or interactive discussion that you would love to share with others? We are currently seeking expressions of interest for contributions to the conference programme, with a range of options available.
Let's celebrate and share the mahi happening in our sector, with a focus on practice and research that supports learners and educators with positive action, collaboration, interconnection, wellbeing, agency, creativity and joy.
Please click on the link below to complete the form and submit your idea. Our conference committee will review all submissions and get back to you in May to confirm or discuss your idea further.
Call for Contributions Form open until May 8th
Below are some ideas to help guide your submission or encourage you to contribute!
Possible formats include:
Possible contexts and themes include:
