Building Bridges at MEC 2025

Over 40 EMS Faculty and Staff attended the biannual Mennonite Educators Conference, bringing together over 300 educators from the U.S., Canada, and Albania. With a focus on the theme “Building Bridges,” the conference goals are to make and maintain connection and collaboration among Mennonite educators while exploring innovative teaching strategies like project based learning.

Conference Chair Justin King, EMHS principal, led the planning committee and expressed pride in the event’s success. He noted, “This conference is always a highlight for me. Our faculty have a commitment to academic excellence. Experiences like this help sustain the innovation and relational emphasis our school makes a priority.” 

The guiding verse for the event, I Corinthians 3:9-11, emphasized the importance of cooperation in education, reminding attendees that they are “God’s coworkers” and tasked with building on the foundation of faith laid by Jesus Christ.

Dr. Matinga Ragatz, an award-winning educator and consultant, served as the educational keynote speaker on project based learning. The opening keynote session was delivered by Dr. John Roth, author and Mennonite historian, who spoke on the challenges and task of faith in education in our current setting, which added thought-provoking and challenging discussions throughout the conference.

Our faculty and staff offered a range of well attended breakout sessions including an example of project-based learning, engaging high school students through Socratic Seminars, ethical communication in schools, Developing History curriculums that highlight women and more!” Faculty and staff members also facilitated hymn sings and networking opportunities, enhancing the collaborative atmosphere among the schools.

Attendees shared reflections on their experiences, highlighting the value of reconnecting with sister institutions and gaining new perspectives on their work. One educator remarked, “It deepened my appreciation for our school, reinvigorating a strong sense of pride and respect for all our faculty, staff, and students. I truly want to be here.” Lizzy Miller, Math teacher, noted specific teaching strategies she was eager to implement, such as collaborative learning techniques that encourage student engagement and problem-solving, getting students out of their chairs and up at the board for collaborative review. 

In a season when burning bridges is much easier than building them, Mennonite Educators reaffirmed their commitment to support one another in their educational journeys, with their own distinctives, celebrating a spirit of unity and shared purpose. Educators left the conference inspired to continue as coworkers in God’s work.

I Corinthians 3: 9-11, CEB

We are God’s coworkers, and you are God’s field, God’s building. I laid a foundation like a wise master builder according to God’s grace that was given to me, but someone else is building on top of it. Each person needs to pay attention to the way they build on it. No one can lay any other foundation besides the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.