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The John Dewey Society at 90–Borders and Bridges
A Conference of the John Dewey Society, Co-sponsored by The Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University and the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain and held in collaboration with the International Network of Philosophers of Education at Université du Québec à Montréal
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Montréal, Canada
August 10-12, 2026
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The John Dewey Society aims to foster intelligent inquiry into the pressing social problems of our time, especially pertaining to the place and function of education in resolving such problems, as well as to share, discuss, and disseminate the results of such inquiries.
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Deadline: March 1, 2026
The John Dewey Society invites submissions for the 2026 annual meeting, to be held at Concordia University, and at Université du Québec à Montréal, in Montréal, Canada, from August 10th - 12th.
2026 marks our 90th anniversary. In celebration of this important milestone, we are delighted to be cooperating with the International Network of Philosophers of Education (INPE) and the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB). Join us for what promises to be a unique opportunity to meet with others from around the world, engage in dialogue, and form new connections!
We issue a broad call, acknowledging the impact of Dewey’s work across philosophical scholarship, education and community organizing. We invite proposals for paper or alternative sessions that take up the ideas and spirit of Dewey to analyse pressing social issues of our time, especially as these relate to education. We also encourage contributions on our conference theme:
The John Dewey Society at 90 — Borders and Bridges
We see the 90th anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on Dewey’s writings around the period of 1936. There he expresses his deepened concern for waning democracy, retrogression in society with respect to justice, and the devaluing of quality education for all. Although much has changed in societies since that time, these issues still face us today. We find it important to ask, what might a return to Dewey’s critical analysis of social change offer us today for understanding the real possibility of democratic, inclusive and just futures?
In the years surrounding the 1936 inaugural meeting, Dewey noted that the loss of democratic ways of life is co-constitutive with the rise of authoritarian forms of society. Dewey identified patterns in society that serve to divide individuals and groups—including ideas and practices that incite closure of minds, prejudice towards others based on race, gender or other classifications, and suspicion or fear of difference. This is what we’re seeing in the US and around the world today.
The hopeful way forward for Dewey was relational—building bridges among individuals and across communities. The notions of communication, voluntary association, mutual understanding, exchanges, free interactions of free minds, cooperation, and the like, take center stage in Dewey’s thinking around 1936.
The teacher’s role in society was the theme of the inaugural meeting. For Dewey and the Society founders, the teacher’s role in fostering rich forms of association and relation was critical yet complex. This was especially so when societies were undergoing rapid change towards undemocratic and anti-democratic social forms. In the Society’s first Yearbook (1937), in a piece subtitled “A free teacher in a free society”, Dewey and Goodwin Watson pointed out that teachers will endure “the most bitter struggle” when trying to counter a society aimed at division of people and ideas, given that the educative growth of the child demands rich and multi-faceted associations.
Dewey and Watson remind us that, “in all existing human relations there is already present inevitable educative power,” but it is “frequently distorted and oppressed” by social conditions not conducive to building relations between persons and ideas.
Our conference theme, Borders and Bridges, is designed to acknowledge the ways borders are and are not being crossed, and bridges are and are not being built in today’s educational, social and political worlds. We invite proposals that consider how Dewey’s thinking may help us locate those ideas and practices in our own time that create borders in our minds—divisiveness, distortion of truth and understanding, and suppression of free interchange of ideas—and those that might bridge communities, possibly releasing the “educative power” present in all human relations. Proposals might address, but are not limited to:
- Democracy, education and justice: What can we learn by connecting past and present philosophical analysis of the relation between democracy, education and justice? (How) can we link Deweyan philosophy to contemporary Indigenous and decolonial theories to confront injustices and move towards equity and social justice?
- The teacher and society: What is the teacher’s role in questions of equity, inclusion, and fostering democratic ways of life, given current societal challenges? What barriers to free association might we identify today within and between classrooms, schools and communities, and how might these be addressed? (How) might Deweyan thinking on teaching connect to contemporary dialogic, relational, Indigenous and/or decolonial pedagogies?
- The arts, education and social change: What is the role of the arts in revitalising democracy as a way of life? Might Deweyan thinking inspire new creative, experimental approaches to education today (like Black Mountain College in the 30’s), that could help us confront current challenges in Higher Education? How can the arts, in all forms, intentionally incorporate what is cognitive, affective, and practice-based, opening new vistas for both democracy and education that go beyond the academic/intellectual?
About the event:
We are delighted to announce that our Keynote speaker for the John Dewey Memorial Lecture will be Prof. Gregory Pappas, Professor of Philosophy at Texas A&M University and author of John Dewey’s Ethics: Democracy as Experience and Pragmatism in the Americas. His current project is developing “An Inter-American approach to the Problems of Injustice,” which brings together ideas from American pragmatism, Latinx and Latin American philosophers, as well as community-based participatory research. Prof. Pappas’ extensive body of work exemplifies how bridging ideas, cultures and traditions enriches our understanding, enabling us to foster more just societies.
Our meeting in Canada is significant for several reasons. For one, Dewey frequently visited Canada, often residing in his cottage in the Hubbards, Nova Scotia, where he developed many significant ideas.
Today, Canada is an important place of scholarship, education and community action. that is advancing ideas of reciprocity and relational justice that center Indigenous agency and voice in the process of Canadian reconciliation. This work sheds light on colonial violence in education and society, recovering lost histories, surfacing resistance, and setting the path towards addressing past injustices.
Beyond this, meeting in Montréal offers the opportunity to enhance our growing international ties and partnerships, in the spirit of bridging communities. On day 1 (August 10), we will be hosted by The Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University, and on days 2-3 (August 11-12), we will meet in tandem with INPE at Université du Québec à Montréal. The JDS Presidential Panel will feature invited speakers on our conference theme, and will be followed by a 90th anniversary reception, co-sponsored by the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB), and INPE.
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Land acknowledgement: We would like to acknowledge that the conference will be located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we will gather. Tiohtià:ke/Montréal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.[1]
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How to Submit
Deadline for all submissions: March 1, 2026 (midnight EST).
We will employ EasyChair for proposal review (EasyChair.org). All proposal must be submitted on EasyChair by the deadline. Please create an account in EasyChair and then link your account to the John Dewey Society 2026 using the link provided: https://easychair.org/my2/conference?conf=jds2026
The system is now open for proposals. Questions about submissions may be directed to Jessica Heybach, JDS Program Chair (jessica.heybach@wmich.edu). Notification of acceptance by April 15, 2026. Full papers should be completed by June 1, 2026, and sent to the programme chair, so that discussants can prepare remarks.
Awards and publication: Presented papers will be eligible for consideration for the JDS/Educational Theory Outstanding Paper Award. That award carries with it a $500 prize, with publication (after peer review) of the paper in Educational Theory. Graduate students are eligible for the Graduate Student Outstanding Paper Award. We also encourage accepted submissions to submit their completed paper to one of the Society’s journals: Education & Culture, the Journal of School & Society, and Dewey Studies. For further details see: JDS website.
Proposal Types and Submission Guidelines:
- Proposals for papers (to be provided in EasyChair):
- The title of your paper
- Your name, email, country/region, and institutional affiliation (if any)
- A short abstract of the paper, up to 100 words
- The status of your JDS membership (current member, interested in joining, needs more information, etc.)
- Are you a graduate student who is interested in being considered for the John Dewey Society Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award?
- Upload a longer, 1000-word summary of your paper as an anonymized document in Word or PDF. That document should have all identifying information removed for anonymous review. In that Word (or PDF) document, please provide the following, using headers A and B:
- Title of the Paper
- Descriptive summary: provide a detailed summary of the paper (maximum length 1000 words), explaining your paper and its significance. List key references to place your contribution in the broader scholarly conversation.
- Proposals for alternate sessions of all kinds (to be provided in EasyChair):
- The title of your session
- Organizer’s name, email, country. region, and institutional affiliation (if any)
- A short abstract of the session, up to 100 words
- Names and affiliations of all other participants, including the status of their JDS membership (current member, interested in joining, needs more information, etc.
- Upload a longer descriptive summary of your session as an anonymized document in Word or PDF. That document should have all identifying information removed for anonymous review. In that Word (or PFD) document, please provide the following, using headers for A and B:
- Title of the session
- Descriptive summary: provide a summary of the session (maximum length 1500 words), explaining the type of session, the paper topics and/or activities involved, and the role each participant plays in the session. List key references to place your contribution in the broader scholarly and practice-based conversation.
Additional Details:
Travel Bursaries: We are pleased to announce that this year alongside JDS PhD student bursaries, there will be additional travel bursaries for PhD students and Early Career researchers offered with the generous support of PESGB. More information and how to apply will be posted on the JDS website in February 2026.
Accessibility: The John Dewey Society strives to make our conferences inclusive and accessible. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about accessibility features of the facility, please contact Jessica Heybach, Program Chair/ President-Elect, at jessica.heybach@wmich.edu in advance of your participation. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least one month in advance.
Membership: JDS requires you to be a member of the Society to present at the conference. Become a member here: JDS membership
Thank you for your interest in progressive education, social amelioration, and the pragmatist philosophy of John Dewey!
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