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EVENTS
BIG BANG 2025 -JULY 21 - 24
Big Picture Learning presents
AGENDA
BPL conference agendas are famously iterative and - as such - are always a work in progress. The below is intended to give you some sense of the flow of Big Bang Homecoming to help you plan accordingly; however - as we usually do - we'll likely be switching things around even as we take the main stage! Be sure to revisit this page for regular updates.
MONDAY - JULY 21
PRECONFERENCES
You are invited to arrive early to take advantage of special Anniversary pre-conference opportunities available. Please add these as part of your registration process. Note that additional charges may apply.
Deep Roots, Bold Future: Learning from Big Picture Learning's Founders: - How did The Met and Big Picture Learning get started? Hear the real stories, the trials and tribulations that led to 30 successful years. You'll go deep and get personal with our co-founders - Elliot Washor and Dennis Littky - and have a chance to interact with first year students and staff. We'll visit some important sites around Providence to see how our history provides a deeper understanding of the practices and philosophies that define Big Picture.
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM // Lunch provided
($250 p/person) ​​​
Rookie Advisor Bootcamp - MET Style: - The MET staff have long held a summer institute specifically for new Advisors joining the school team - so that they start the school year with a deep understanding of BPL's distinguishers. Now you have a chance to go through the same practice, delivered by team from the mothership itself. Held on The MET campus, you'll get to experience a snapshot of an onboarding that typically lasts for several days. We'll partner with students to dig into their interests and processes for developing academically rich PBL opportunities.
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM // Lunch provided
($300 p/person)
Internship Coordinator Pre-Con: - Before Big Bang 2025 officially kicks off, join us for a dedicated pre-conference session designed for Internship Coordinators, Opportunity Wranglers, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, and others invested in expanding real-world learning opportunities. This full-day convening will provide space to connect, share best practices, and explore innovative approaches to building work-based learning programs. Through interactive discussions, a job description remix session, and insights from ImBlaze/B-Unbound data, participants will leave with actionable strategies to enhance their roles. Space is limited—register early!
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM // Lunch provided
($300 p/person)
MONDAY - JULY 21
DAY ONE
CELEBRATING OUR ORIGIN STORY
3 PM // Registration Opens // OMNI Hotel
4:30 PM // Y'All Should Connect - Connect over like interests // OMNI Hotel
5:00 - 8:00 PM // Transportation to and from The MET
5:30 - 7:30 PM // Opening Reception // The MET
Have you been waiting for your opportunity to visit BPL's first and flagship school - The MET? Now's your chance. After all, this Big Bang celebrates not only Big Picture Learning's 30th Anniversary, but the Met's as well! We'll take to The Met's iconic front lawn for music, merriment and inspirational remarks from our founders, as well as other Rhode Island luminaries. It'll be a night designed to carry us through our next 30 years!
TUESDAY - JULY 22
DAY TWO
OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR STRENGTH
7:30- 8:30 AM // Breakfast // Rhode Island Convention Center
8:30- 9:30 AM // Plenary // Rhode Island Convention Center
10:00: AM - 12:00 PM // Advisory // By Strand (See Below)
12:00 - 1:00 PM // Lunch // Rhode Island Convention Center
1:00 - 4:00 PM // Leaving to Learn
4:30 - 6:30 PM // MET Marketplace. // Rhode Island Convention Center
Entrepreneurs abound in Big Picture schools, especially at The Met - where students from its E-Center regularly win the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE!) regional and national championships. Come meet some of these student-run small businesses, and the local mentors who inspire them, in our MET Marketplace.
9:00 - 11:00 PM // Shameka & Elliot After Dark
STRAND OVERVIEW
Instead of selecting from an overwhelming array of workshops, your learning will be guided by a strand—a curated pathway centered on key questions and learning goals. Each strand will shape your advisories and Leaving to Learns (L2Ls), ensuring a deeper, more connected exploration of your chosen focus. While strands provide structure, you’ll still have plenty of chances to connect across the conference through whole-group offerings like “Y’all Should Connect,” evening activities, affinity groups, and Homecoming. Scroll through below for our Strand offerings, from which your select as part of your registration process.
STRAND A:
BPL 101
big bang homecoming strands 1 / 4
BPL 101
Embark on a journey into the heart of Big Picture Learning. This immersive experience is crafted for those new to BPL, offering a deep dive into our foundational principles and practices. Through hands-on simulations and engaging discussions, you'll uncover the philosophy that empowers students to take ownership of their learning. Explore how we connect academic learning with real-world experiences, providing the tools to inspire and empower learners to live lives of their own design.
Is this for me?
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Are you a new advisor to BPL and trying to figure out where to start?
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Are you an educator or leader who’s curious about the core principles of Big Picture Learning?
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Do you want to understand how to bring student-driven learning to life in your classroom or school?
WEDNESDAY - JULY 23
DAY THREE
THE PAST IS OUR PRESENT
7:30- 8:30 AM // Breakfast // Rhode Island Convention Center
8:30- 9:30 AM // Affinity Groups // Rhode Island Convention Center
9:40- 10:40 AM // Plenary // Rhode Island Convention Center
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM // Advisory by Strand // Lunch Inclusive
7:30 PM - 10:30 PM // Homecoming // Rhode Island Convention Center
For one night only, we invite you to step into something a little more festive than your usual conference wear and join us for Homecoming—a gala evening unlike any other in Big Picture history. Think of it as a reunion, a reflection, and a rallying call for the future, all wrapped into one.
Set against a backdrop of live music, laughter, and a touch of revelry, Homecoming will feature lively performances to set the mood and get us moving, awards recognizing the visionaries, changemakers, and unsung heroes of our network, and moments of reflection and surprise—because what’s a celebration without a few twists?
This is more than a party. It's a tribute to the work, passion and unwavering belief that education should be personal, purposeful and powerful. It's a chance to come together - not just to celebrate the past 30 year, but to imagine what's next.
Come dressed to impress, ready to connect, and prepared to make history - again...
THURSDAY - JULY 24
DAY FOUR
SETTING FORTH INTO BIG PICTURE'S FUTURE
7:30- 8:30 AM // Breakfast // Rhode Island Convention Center
9:00 AM // Keynote Engagement - Carlos Moreno
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM // Big Bang Kick Me Out // Rhode Island Convention Center
For the past two years, Big Picture Learning’s Co-Executive Director Carlos Moreno has been delivering a powerful message on stages across the country—one that champions Leadership Soul, calling on leaders to embrace love, care, and vulnerability as essential forces for change. His words have resonated deeply, reminding us that leadership isn’t just about strategy and systems, but about heart, humanity, and the courage to show up fully for the communities we serve.
So it only makes sense that as we gather to celebrate 30 years of Big Picture Learning, Carlos will take the stage at our conference to deliver an inspiring message for the future. This won’t just be a reflection on how far we’ve come—it will be a call to action, challenging us to move forward with the same boldness, purpose, and deep sense of care that have brought us here.
As we honor our past, Carlos will push us to ask: What’s next? How do we carry this movement forward with renewed energy, vision, and soul? Expect to leave not just inspired, but ready to act.
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