Black Educator Network Gathering
The Work IS the Story: Reimagining How We Narrate, Preserve, and Document our Work
This year’s Black Educator Network (BEN) gathering meets at an important crossroads. As nature-based early childhood educators, we are doing extraordinary, community-rooted work — and simultaneously navigating a moment that asks us to prove, justify, and perform that work for audiences who may not understand our work or even share our values or our vision.
We’re gathering to name that tension honestly, and then to move through it — together.
Inspired by the Natural Start Conference theme of Imagine If, we’re asking: What if the story we tell about our work was as powerful, layered, and alive as the work itself? This gathering is both a space of rest and a space of creation. Come ready to reflect, to make something, and to be in community with people who understand the particular weight and particular joy of this work.
If you are a Black educator or education professional practicing or interested in nature-based education, we welcome you to join us.
There is no cost to register, but registration is required, and space is limited.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Time: 9:00–4:00 PM CT
Location: San Antonio Botanical Garden
Cost: There is no cost to register, and lunch is included
Meet the Facilitators
Ashley Brailsford, Founder of Unearthing Joy
Ashley Brailsford, PhD, is an early childhood educator and nature enthusiast who launched Unearthing Joy to guide the development of culturally-centered, nature-based programming for families, community groups, and organizations that center the stories and contributions of Indigenous, Black, and other people of the global majority. Her experiences in teaching, professorship, curriculum development, and leadership in education, coupled with time spent as an outdoor guide informs her programming and development process to create outdoor spaces into inclusive spaces that honor culture, explore justice, and unearth joy.