Place-based Pragmatism & Pedagogy: Food, Land, Culture, & Community Nourishment

November 8-9, 2025
The Beach Institute
Savannah, GA

Place-based Pragmatism & Pedagogy:
Food, Land, Culture, & Community Nourishment

The Beach Institute, Savannah, GA
November 8-9, 2025

In partnership with Nobis Project join us for a place-based, experiential learning retreat exploring and learning from Gullah-Geechee history, traditions, and culture work today.

Since 2011, the Community-based Global Learning Collaborative Institutes have been a mainstay to bring together stakeholders in deep, integrative, ethical community-based global learning. Members of this community include diverse stakeholders: students, educators across disciplines, practitioners, community organization representatives, and community members.  

Our gatherings have developed an inclusive community, advancing best practices and aspiring to the highest standards of community-campus partnerships for global learning locally and internationally. We invite courageous conversation, learning, and applied insights at the intersections among shared history, food justice, and social and environmental change.

Each CBGL Institute has stimulated conversations around critical issues facing the field. Through an applied conference framework, participants build community and determine action steps. The 2025 Institute’s theme is: Place-based Pragmatism & Pedagogy: Food, Land, Culture, & Community Nourishment

We will build community through experiential learning together, including a visit to a rice farm, a walking tour highlighting Black history in Savannah, and shared meals. Participants will learn how educators, community leaders, and scholars in the region are navigating ecological and economic change through innovations including sustainable agriculture and ethical community partnerships.. All will have opportunities to share best practices and challenges in their home community or institutional contexts, collaborating on strategies that center community voices in global learning.

Institute Themes

  • Ethical community-based storytelling, oral histories, walking tours, and archives

  • Cultural traditions, displacement, and food sovereignty

  • History, interdependence, and collaboration

  • Food justice and agriculture

  • Community-led efforts to sustain and support the natural environment

  • Developing programming and partnerships across ideological differences

Logistics and Details

LOCATION

  • The Beach Institute African American Cultural Center
    502 E Harris Street, Savannah, GA 31401 Map

    Besides an African American history walking tour and visit to a rice farm outside of Savannah (transportation provided), all shared meals and conversation will take place at the Beach Institute

  • Savannah is on the coast of Georgia, in the southeastern United States, off of US Interstates 16 and 95.

HOTEL

MEALS

  • The following meals are included in registration:

    • Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner

    • Sunday breakfast and lunch

GETTING TO SAVANNAH & AROUND

  • The closest airport, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), is 8 miles northwest of downtown Savannah, Georgia. Delta, American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, and Allegiant serve the airport. Within 2 hours 15 minutes drive time visitors can also fly into Charleston, SC Charleston International (CHS).

  • Ground transportation from the SAV airport to historic Savannah options include taxis, Uber/Lyft, or rental cars. It’s about a 20-minute drive to downtown and rideshares cost $30+ depending on time of day.

  • Once to your lodging (above) there are many walkable options for coffee, nature, and museums near the Institute site. A free trolley system serves the city.

RATES (Early Bird Until September 19)

To strive for more equity and support of institutions and our member campuses, we align our Institute fees without our tiered approach to membership.

  • Community partner $100 ($150 after September 5)

  • Collaborative member $450 (then $500)

  • Institutional Team Discount $400 (then $450)
    for teams of 5 or more from one organization

  • Presenter $300 (then $350)

  • Student registration $150 (then $200

  • Collaborative Non-member Tier 1 $600 (then $650)

  • Collaborative Non-member Tier 2 $500 (then $550)

  • Collaborative Non-member Tier 3 $400 (then $450)

  • Collaborative Non-member Tier 4 $300 (then $350)

Scholarships are extremely limited and we are soliciting Institute co-sponsorships to off-set the cost of participation for community partners and students. If you would like to request a reduced-fee registration, before starting to register please complete this brief form.

Tentative Schedule

  • Friday, Nov 7th

    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
    Pre-Institute Workshop
    Reimagining Fair Trade Learning for the Current Moment: Theory and Practice


    6:00 - 8:00 PM Pre-Institute Dinner and Cooking Demonstration
    Experience the Taste, Story, and Soul of the Low Country:
    Join us for an immersive cooking demonstration and dinner. This heritage-based / garden-to-table event celebrates culture, community, and connection—one plate at a time. From intimate gatherings to cultural experiences, What’s Gina Cooking and The Gullah Heritage Kitchen offer more than just food—we serve legacy. Led by Chef Gina Capers-Willis, our boutique catering brings the rich flavors of Gullah Geechee cuisine to your table with handmade dishes, seasonal ingredients, and Southern storytelling.

    Please note: there is an 8-person minimum for this event. If we do not receive this number by October 31 we will cancel this activity.

    Details Coming Soon (Timeline Below)

  • Saturday, Nov 8th

    8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Breakfast & Welcome

    9:30 AM – 11:30 AM African American History Walking Tour

    12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch & Roundtable Discussion
    Cultural Interdependence & Collaboration
    Case studies of ethical partnerships in global learning

    1:30 PM – 3:00 PM Challenge Talk and Discussion Session (Choose One)
    Cultural Traditions, Displacement, and Food Sovereignty
    Storytelling and Oral Histories

    3:00 PM – 3:15 PM Break

    3:15 PM – 5:00 PM Challenge Talk and Discussion Session (Choose One)
    History, Interdependence, & Collaboration
    Developing Programming across Ideological Differences

    5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Reflection Activity

    6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Dinner & Community Partner Panel

    Details Coming Soon (Timeline Below)

  • Sunday, Nov 9th


    8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast & Reflection

    9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Visit to a Rice Farm (Outside Savannah, transportation provided)

    10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Travel Back to Savannah

    11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Designing Ethical & Equitable Partnerships

    12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch & Open Discussion Sessions (Choose One)
    Food Justice & Agriculture
    Climate Change & Sustainability

    2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Action Planning: Bringing Institute Learnings Back Home

    3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Closing Remarks: Next Steps & Commitments

    Details Coming Soon (Timeline Below)

Key Dates

  • July 28, 2025: Institute registration opens 

  • August 14: Challenge Talk presenters to confirm or decline

  • September 9: Institute program with speakers and sessions will be available to public

  • September 19: Early bird registration ends

  • October 17: Institute registration closes

  • October 30: Presenters submit presentation materials to be posted on CBGL website

  • November 8-9, 2025: CBGL Institute

  • November 12: Post-event survey sent

Thank you to our Institute co-sponsors!