Those of you who know me and John and our various endeavors probably associate a few images with our pairing. There’s beer, of course. There are tales of various schemes being conceptualized on the back of a bar napkin and in the dark confines of a pub. These are filed in the apocryphal origin stories of Science Education at the Crossroads. Like so many tales, while these don’t tell the entire story, they possess an air of truth that resonates.
But this isn’t the entirety of the story. Crossroads was born out of frustration and gumption, but also a sense of need. John and I have long reiterated to many of you that we host the conference for ourselves, and it’s just very fortunate that others join in and make it what we want it to be. The need for this gathering stems from a sense that we can learn from one another in deep ways that we don’t experience in other settings, but also that we have a shared sense of respite in a Crossroads gathering.
This isn’t unlike a backpacking trip into the mountains. Again, those of you who know us might have heard tell of a backcountry adventure or two. Most recently, this entailed multiple days in the Wind River Range, a high mountain pass, and a total solar eclipse. At risk of sounding hyperbolic, this was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I’ll be happy to tell you about it sometime.
But of late, I’ve been cowering in the basement, literally and figuratively. I’ve put away social media and have instead just taken to a fetal position. I’ve admitted to John that my head is some cloud of cobwebs, and it’s hard to find clarity or even glimpses of sunlight in this subterranean retreat. This is a move towards self-preservation, but I know it can’t continue. After a deep breath, I need to jump back in: “in” the mix of being a little more sociable generally, but most especially “in” towards a more deliberate action to effect change. The question is, where do I find a way to clear my head for this?
The astute reader who knows me well enough can see where this is going. This is where John and I feel the call of Crossroads and the mountains, simultaneously. It’s in those mountain retreats we’ve found a sense of clarity, and it’s in Crossroads where others have helped us to sharpen tools and mission. So, of course, it makes sense to combine these. Consider this your official notice:
Science Education at the Crossroads 2018
Alta Lodge; Alta, UT, 11-13 October 2018
Proposal deadline: May 12, 2018
Details and dates available on our Call for Proposals page.
The Alta Lodge holds a special connection and nostalgia for us. It was the site of one of our earlier meetings, one that seems to hold a special memory with many of us, perhaps because we were able to document it with photos. We flash back to when Brian had longer hair; Scott’s was the same length; mine wasn’t yet gray. There we were with the mountain landscape backlighting us, but our inside gazes were focused upon one another. Discussions were intense and animated. These are all of the characteristics of any Crossroads that I’ve come to expect but don’t fully know how to describe. I just know that it’s possible, and it motivates me in all my other work to push for that higher level of engagement—because I know it’s possible—and it gives John and me the sense that this meeting space is what we need to provide. Sure, it’s for you; but it’s also and especially for us.
It’s time to climb again into the mountains, both to retreat and to renew our engaged work. Please consider this our official invitation and encouragement. Spread the word to those who are “polite dinner guests,” as we like to call them, those who can help set the table and listen thoughtfully, who have space and openness to put away slide presentations in exchange for an open notebook. (Take a look at our guide to see if it’s a good fit—it certainly isn’t for everyone.) We anticipate good conversation, good food, a very definite possibility of a moose greeting you immediately outside your window in the morning, and genuine interactions carrying you through the weekend and beyond.
