This session introduces Neighborhood Walks as a powerful entry point into a community-connected, place-based learning experience. Drawing on WPS Institute partnerships with urban schools in Massachusetts, we’ll engage with student voices that illuminate the dimensions of learning, connection, and engagement that can happen when young people step outside the classroom. Participants will then experience a Neighborhood Walk near the conference site, guided by simple lenses such as Making a Living or Being in Community. Along the way, you’ll practice skills that scaffold student confidence for learning in the wider world.
Together, we’ll identify the skills and mindsets students develop through these immersions, and leave with practical tools to create neighborhood walks for your own schools and communities.
Note: This DL session also invites attendees from the National Summit on Improvement in Education to participate. Summit is a gathering and rallying point for a vibrant and diverse community of improvers who are working to create educational systems where all young people learn and thrive. In 2026, we're bringing together the powerful Deeper Learning and Improvement communities through select crossover sessions, culminating in a joint closing keynote. You are invited to dive deeper and make new connections at DL26. Check out our Summit and DL26 comparison to learn more.
