Summer Conference in Middlebury, Indiana
June 26–27, 2026
Essenhaus Inn and Conference Center
Plain Roots: Community, Story, and Support for Higher Education
A conference designed to connect those with a Plain background who are seeking or have sought education while welcoming anyone interested in the culture and conversations around it — all are invited!
What to Expect
- Panels featuring current students, professionals, and authors sharing their experiences in education and beyond
- Presentations on specialty topics and individual education journeys
- Two shared meals with opportunities to connect, converse, and build community with fellow attendees
Registration & Accommodations
- Two tiers: most will pay $100, but reduced to $50 for those with reduced ability to pay and those attending only on Saturday
- Includes Friday dinner and Saturday lunch
- Lodging available through the Essenhaus Inn, Airbnb, and local host families (more information to come on host families)
Register below or directly through Eventbrite
Plain Roots Conference Schedule
Friday, June 26, 2026
1:00 pm – Registration
2:00 pm – Opening talk: outlining the purpose and goals of the conference
(Saloma Furlong and Eythana Miller)
2:30 pm – Presentations on Pennsylvania Dutch Projects
- Eythana Miller, Heritage in Translation: the oral history of an unconventional Amish community
- Rose Fisher, The Pennsylvania Dutch Dialects Project
- Eythana Miller & Rose Fisher, Teaching people to write Pennsylvania Dutch
3:30 pm – Break
3:45 pm – Author panel Saloma Furlong, Albert Miller, John Yoder...(moderated by Eythana Miller)
5:00 pm – Close for the day; move from conference center to restaurant for dinner
Saturday, June 27, 2026
9:00 am – Personal narrative by Naomi Kramer Yoder
9:30 am – ADSF: Where we started and where we are today (the ADSF team)
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Panel of students receiving scholarships from ADSF: Sharon Beachy, Katie Fisher, Marigold Kempf (moderated by Rose Fisher)
12:00 pm – Naomi Clark
12:30 - Lunch
1:45 pm – Individual stories from medical professionals: Harley Yoder, Freeman Miller, Laura Buress
3:00 pm – Break
3:30 pm – Steve Yoder
4:00 pm – Individual stories from those in STEM: Leon Hostetler, Derek Miller, Harley Troyer
5:15 pm – Saloma and Eythana make closing remarks and ask everyone to fill out a survey
5:30 pm – Conference Ends: Optional dinner at Essenhaus for those who want to stay.
Want to help spread the word about the conference? Please share online as widely as you like. To help spread the word in your community, you can also download and print our conference poster by clicking the button below. We thank you kindly for your your help!
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Two Exciting Announcements!
Registration: Our registration for scholarship applications for the 2026-2027 academic year is now open to…
Become a Mentor
Want to lend advice and support to a potential or current student? Apply to become an ADSF Mentor.
Volunteer
Want to volunteer? Please tell us about yourself by contacting us.
Spread the Word
Want to help spread the word about ADSF? Please tell everyone you know about the scholarship. We thank you!