The American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT) will be 50 years old next year.

Renée Smith, Professor of Philosophy at Coastal Carolina University, was recently elected president of the AAPT.

In the following guest post, she talks about her experiences with the AAPT, what the organization does, and how to join it.

The AAPT’s Upcoming 50th Anniversary
by Renée Smith 

In 2026, the American Association of Philosophy Teachers will celebrate 50 years of advancing the art of teaching philosophy.

This year, I was honored to become the 24th president of the American Association of Philosophy Teachers on what marks my own 20^th anniversary of being involved with the AAPT. It is no exaggeration to say that the AAPT has been tremendously influential in my career as a philosophy professor.

In 2006, just a few years into my first job, I attended my first AAPT conference at Washington and Jefferson College. I presented research I had done and techniques I had used to teach philosophy as a distance course. While I don’t remember much about my presentation, what I do remember is the uniquely inclusive conference “vibe.” I found a community of philosophy teachers who were engaged, welcoming, and excited to talk about teaching. Every session on the program offered thoughtful and practical pedagogical strategies as well as engaging and interactive discussions relevant to my career as a philosophy teacher. Even at communal meals and social events, people were excited to talk about teaching, share their experiences, and make professional connections with other philosophy teachers no matter how long, where, or in what capacity they taught philosophy.

The AAPT conferences, and the many other AAPT activities I have since experienced, unlike any other professional activities, have been foundational to the professional life I have developed over the last 20 years as a philosophy professor. Because of the AAPT, I have attended, presented, and planned conferences sessions, published papers, co-edited a volume of AAPT Studies in Pedagogy, refereed conference and journal submissions, supported colleagues’ bids for promotion, mentored faculty, organized virtual conferences, facilitated virtual teaching discussions, and performed professional service on committees and on the board of the AAPT.

In the coming year, as we prepare to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of AAPT in 2026, I invite you to get involved with the AAPT, to discover the many activities and resources the AAPT has to offer, and to join us at our summer conference in July 22-26, 2026, at Eastern Michigan University!

In support of philosophy pedagogy and philosophy teachers, the AAPT offers an array of activities, events, and opportunities designed by and for philosophy teachers.

• The AAPT hosts a biennial, four-day conference-workshop in the summer of even-numbered years. Numerous concurrent session on a variety of topics related to teaching philosophy provide opportunities to try teaching techniques and activities, present scholarly work on teaching, and engage with other philosophy teachers. Many attendees stay on campus and eat meals together, participate in Trivia Night, and enjoy the conference banquet. The call for proposals for our 2026 conference workshop is here.
• At the conference, the Seminar on Teaching and Learning in Philosophy provides a multi-day intensive workshop on teaching philosophy for graduate students and new teachers. Participants are led by trained facilitators and exposed to research-based pedagogy that can be used for teaching philosophy.
• The Seminar facilitators also host One-Day Workshops on teaching and learning in philosophy departments across the country.
• At the divisional meetings of the APA, the AAPT offers 2-day Teaching Hubs, co-organized with the APA Committee on Teaching Philosophy, where presenters offer a variety of teaching-related sessions as well as a poster session for both philosophy teachers and students.
• The AAPT publishes an annual journal, AAPT Studies in Pedagogy, for which each volume has a guest editor and theme.
• A relatively new addition to the AAPT lineup are the Virtual Talking Teaching sessions—biweekly virtual discussions throughout the academic year on a variety of teaching-related topics open to both members and non-members.
• The AAPT provides Grants for Innovations in Teaching, awards the Lenssen Prize for the best paper on teaching philosophy, and co-sponsors the David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching with the Teaching Philosophy Association and the American Philosophical Association.
• An all-volunteer organization, there are many opportunities for professional service with the AAPT. In addition to our board of directors, we have a dozen committees—including an editorial board for the journal, and committees focused on virtual programming, teaching and learning, finance, teaching hubs, conference planning, and more.
• The benefits of membership include discounted conference registration and access to multiple journals and anthologies published by the Philosophy Documentation Center, including AAPT Studies in Pedagogy, Teaching Philosophy, Teaching Ethics, the Journal of Pre-College Philosophy, and Questions: Philosophy for Young People, among others.

Members also benefit from joining a community of professionals dedicated to supporting the teaching of philosophy and philosophy teachers. In the AAPT, you will find your people—mentors, supporters, collaborators, and philoso-friends—with whom you can build a fulfilling career. We would love for you to join us!

To learn more about the American Association of Philosophy Teachers, check out our webpage, https://philosophyteachers.org/, and follow us on social media, Bluesky, Facebook, and Twitter.

The American Association of Philosophy Teachers is a non-profit organization and the work of the organization is done by volunteers. Your participation, membership, and donations help us to achieve our mission.