September 2026
by Neda Moussapour, ETB Field Building & ETB: Regional Project Coordinator

Fall has always felt like a natural moment to reset for me. Maybe it’s years of associating the season with the beginning of a new school year or the vivid changes outside, but there’s something about these cooler days that makes me want to make plans and fill my calendar with things to look forward to.

With friends, I create new collaborative Spotify playlists and schedule potluck dinners in a conscious effort to carve out time for one another amid our varying and rather unforgiving calendars. On my own, I’ve been exploring new hobbies that invite me to be creative or learn something new.

I’ve been thinking about how this same desire for connection shows up in our work. In recent conversations with the ETB community, there has been a genuine sense of excitement about upcoming opportunities to gather in person. With upcoming Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) and American Evaluation Association (AEA) conferences there will be plenty of time and space to reconnect with colleagues, learn from the work happening across the field, share resources and ideas, and spend time in community with one another.

I find it energizing to have these moments on the calendar to shake up what can otherwise become mundane days. At a time when the work can feel challenging, gathering with peers who are asking similar questions and navigating similar complexities can offer a chance to continue imagining, with a renewed sense of hope, what comes next.

So, as the weather cools and the remaining days of 2026 unfold, I’m looking forward to a season filled with connection, creativity, learning, and plenty of plans on my calendar.