AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine and President Shaun R. Harper hosted two virtual Town Hall Meetings on August 25 and August 28, 2020, to talk to the education research community about early plans for the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting and to gather feedback and answer questions from AERA members and other meeting attendees. The Town Halls were planned after the association announced  on July 30 that the next AERA Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 9–12, 2021, will shift to a completely virtual format.

Designed to generate a robust discussion about the creation and delivery of an interactive, dynamic 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting, the two town hall meetings together drew a diverse audience of 770 scholars representing varying career stages, fields of inquiry, and research interests and approaches. 

Watch the two video recordings posted on this page to learn more about the unfolding and planning of the 2021 virtual meeting,  including topics such as synchronous and asynchronous sessions; interactive paper presentations; professional development, networking, and mentoring opportunities; informal gatherings and receptions; and exhibitor opportunities, among others.