2026 Montreal

John Dewey Society Annual Meeting

Concordia University & Université du Québec à Montréal
Montreal, Canada
August 10-12, 2026

In 2026, we are marking a special year for the Society. It will be 90 years since its official formation as the “John Dewey Society,” with its first annual meeting held in February 1936.

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The 2026 JDS Annual Conference will be one opportunity to mark this significant year. 

We are delighted to cooperate for the first time with The International Network of Philosophers of Education (INPE), so that day 2 and 3 of our conference will be joined with INPE. We will also have a co-sponsored event with The Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain.

Our Keynote speaker for the Dewey Memorial Lecture will be Prof. Gregory Pappas:

Injustices and the Erosion of Democratic Living in the 21st Century: Where Do We Go from Here? Where Do We Look for Lessons? Is There Any Basis for Hope?

The recurrent problems of injustice and the erosion of democracy in the world, the global ecological crisis, and the disillusionment with the customary ways we try to handle these urgent and concrete interrelated problems have left many without any good basis for hope. In some places, it seems there is just no way out of the slippery slope to fascism and the extinction on what is left of its counterfeit democracy. I admit pessimists have evidence on their side.

There is, however, in the Americas a “silent revolution” going on that could be the basis of some hope. I argue that we should listen (to and with), learn from and inquire with, grass roots communities experimenting with new ways to live in a world plagued with racism, colonialism, and both democratic and environmental degradation.

The Zapatista communities of Chiapas, Mexico; the Boggs Center of Detroit; and Casa Pueblo of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico—are good examples of this alternative revolution guided by radical democracy as an ethical-political vision of “El buen convivit.”

In my presentation I share the general lessons I have learned from these exemplary “American” communities, but focus on Casa Pueblo, the one closest to me, and highlight the important role of education. These lessons are the basis of my proposal of Where do we go from here? 

I argue we must abandon the quest and hope for universal and top-down strategies to change the world. I outline instead what we need to work on if we are serious about deep and lasting transformation (democratization) of our societies. It amounts to a paradigm shift about the preferred means and ends of social transformation, revolution, democracy, and education; a shift in our political imagination that still can make our struggles meaningful even if catastrophe will most likely ensue. I present a variety of tasks, strategies, practices, social experiments, beyond rebellion-protest. I end by considering some possible challenges and objections.

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Registration

Registration for the JDS 2026 Conference is now open. Register here.

Program

Click here.

Travel & Hospitality

Hospitality for the conference will include tea and coffee, lunch on Day 1, light bites during the Conference, and receptions. Getting there and accommodation.

Travel Grants Are Available 

JDS is delighted to offer travel grants to attend the conference in Montreal. 

Travel grants are for Ph.D. students, post-docs/ERCs, teachers in schools, or those on precarious work contracts. 

If you would like to apply, please email our Emerging Scholars Liaison, Michał Wieczorek (michal.wieczorek@ucd.ie), who will provide you with more information. We aim to notify the first round of applicants by May 5. 

(Please note: To receive a travel grant, you must become a member of JDS. Also, certain grants will require you to become a member of PESGB, which is a low cost. We will inform you of this once your travel grant is approved). 

Call for Proposals

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