2026 Northeast Regional Conference

Rates Descriptions:

Early Bird

• Rate includes:

  • Conference programming, keynotes, and socials

  • Friday dinner, 3 meals Saturday, breakfast and lunch Sunday

Regular

• Rate includes:

  • Conference programming, keynotes, and socials

  • Friday dinner, 3 meals Saturday, breakfast and lunch Sunday

One Day (Saturday or Sunday)

• Rate includes:

  • Conference programming, keynotes, and socials for the single day

  • Meals for that day (based Friday dinner, Sat 3 meals, or Sun 2)

Rates Table:

PICOUP Award

Person In Charge Of Unlocking Potential

Michael Gessford will be remembered for his playful spirit, his dedication to the field of experiential education and his kindness and generosity. Mike possessed a unique way of empowering others to achieve their best. In a world of people so quick to offer answers; Mike asked questions. His confidence in others abilities and his endless pursuit of knowledge urged those around him to dig deeper within themselves. Mike was a perceptive educator who gave the world his all and asked for nothing in return. PICOUP is a phrase Mike himself came up with to describe his "job title": Person In Charge Of Unlocking Potential.

This award is dedicated to the memory of Mike Gessford (1962-2011), the original PICOUP. Mike would have liked to remind everyone, "follow your bliss."

The PICOUP Award will be given each year to someone in the Northeast AEE community who selflessly gives of themselves for the betterment of others. This award is to honor an individual who has the ability to empower others to achieve their best regardless of personal gain.

Past Honorees

THE JOSH MINER DIALOGUE

In 2001, the Northeast Regional Conference hosted Josh Miner as one of the keynote speakers. As a founding trustee of Outward Bound, Josh was instrumental in bringing the experiential philosophy of Kurt Hahn to the United States. Conference attendees were fortunate to hear Josh's vision and passion firsthand, as he shared stories, metaphors, and lessons of children, curiosity, and character. Josh passed away nine months later.

In an effort to capture the essence of the wisdom he shared, in 2003 the Northeast Region Advisory Council established the Josh Miner dialogue series. The series consists of a public undefined dialogue or conversation between the years' honoree and another professional in the field. The "interview" traditionally takes place during the Northeast Regional Conference. This format gives conference attendees a chance to get to know the honoree in an informal setting that often reveals best practice advice and nuggets of wisdom, as well as personal stories and mistakes to avoid.

The Northeast Region Advisory Council in conjunction with the Regional Conference Host Committee selects the Josh Miner Dialogue Series honoree.

2026 Josh Miner Dialogue Honoree: Anita Tucker

Anita R. Tucker, PhD, LICSW, CCAT is a Professor of Social Work at the University of New Hampshire. Since starting at UNH in 2005, Dr. Tucker's research and social work practice have focused on the use of experiential practices such as outdoor and adventure therapy to promote health and wellbeing for all individuals. She is the Co-Coordinator of the Outdoor Research Collaborative (orcollab.org), a grant funded research center and coordinates UNH's dual degree master's program in social work and recreation management She has been recognized for her impact in the field and received the Heart of Adventure Therapy Award, the Distinguished Researcher Award and Servant Leader of the Year Award from the Association for Experiential Education as well as the Distinguished Career Research Award from UNH's College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Tucker has published over 55 peer reviewed articles and two textbooks on outdoor and adventure therapy focused on documenting these evidence-based practices and increasing access for those in need. Since 1996 when she attended her first regional conference, AEE has been her professional home. She has been part of the Northeast Region Advisory Council as a member at large, treasurer, chair and three-time conference convenor as well as the Chair of AEE's Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group. She has also served on AEE's Board of Directors. She is grateful to AEE for being such a core part of her professional joy and journey. When not teaching, writing or supervising folks she loves spending time outdoors skiing, fishing and/or hiking with her family and dogs, as well as any time spent in collaboration and community with her students and amazing colleagues in experiential education and outdoor/adventure therapy. 

2026 Interviewer: Morgan Decker

Morgan Decker is a licensed clinical social worker whose passion for experiential learning and adventure began at summer camp and in school with amazing teachers. As a result of these impactful experiences, she chose to embrace this path in her education and career by attending the University of New Hampshire in the Outdoor Education program. She continued at UNH earning her MSW degree, focusing on adventure therapy. Morgan has an extensive background in the experiential field working in non-profit organizations, wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding schools, various challenge courses, and public high school. She has been a member of AEE since 2007 where she has attended and presented at both regional and international conferences on trauma informed brain based facilitation, Social Emotional Learning, and variations on experiential activities. She is a member and past Chair of the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group (TAPG) Leadership Council and is a Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist (CCAT). In 2024 she received the AEE Michael Stratton Practicioner of the Year award and in 2025 she was the keynote for the Northeast Regional AEE conference. Currently, she provides adventure based experiences with a focus on social emotional learning to youth at a public high school in southern Maine and she hopes to bring the world of adventure therapy to more places and people. Her personal adventure experiences usually include coaching track and field, stand up paddling, hammocks, and dog agility with her black labs!