The following schedule is for CETI 2026
Schedule subject to change as conference sessions are confirmed.
Friday, November 13th
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Pre-Conference Registration
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Staff and Member Leadership Pre-Conference Pt. 1
11:30 PM - 6:00 PM | Registration Open
12:15 PM - 1:45 PM | Lunch for Staff and Member Leadership Pre-Conference
2:15 PM - 3:45 PM | Staff and Member Leadership Pre-Conference Pt. 2
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | ICC Ann Arbor Co-op Tour
5:45 PM - 6:30 PM | Co-op Speed Dating Networking Activity
Saturday, November 14th
8:00 AM | Registration Opens
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | Coffee & Connecting
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Welcome & Kickoff
10:15 AM - 11:30 AM | Course block 1
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Panel
12:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Lunch on the town
12:45 PM - 3:15 PM | Hands-on Cooking Workshops at co-ops (limited spots)
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM | Course block 2
3:45 PM - 4:40 PM | Course block 3
4:45 PM - 6:15 PM | Course block 4
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM | Defend & Unite: Co-op Solidarity Planning
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM | Cooperative Game Night (at a co-op)
Sunday, November 15th
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | Coffee & Connecting
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Course Block 5
11:15 AM - 12:45 AM | Course block 6
12:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Panel: Co-op Internship Network
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Course block 7
4:15 PM - 5:00 PM | Wrap-up and Goodbyes (and Co-op Swag Raffle!)
6:00 PM | Informal Faculty Dinner on the town
Panel
TBD
Program Highlights
Staff and Member Leadership Pre-Conference
Friday, November 15th -10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
The problems faced by the staff, managers, and leaders of group equity cooperatives are unique and the number of peers is small. This pre-conference offers a full-day learning forum for co-op staff and member leaders from across Canada and the United States, providing space to connect, share strategies, and dig deeper into issues specific to your roles. Check out the full description including workshop highlight and the draft agenda here.
Pre-Conference Cost
NASCO Member - $60 USD / $80 CAD
Non-Member - $80 USD / $105 CAD
Sunday Panel: Leadership in the Co-op Movement (Cooperative Internship Network)
Facilitator: TBD
Panelists:
- TBD
Annual Events at Institute 2026 to Look Forward To
Every year co-opers look forward to learning, connecting, and celebrating at our annual events in Institute including:
ICC Co-op Tours: Walking tours to many houses that make up the ICC Ann Arbor houses
Hall of Fame Ceremony: A dinner and celebration of our Hall of Fame Co-opers nominated by fellow co-opers. Look out for nominations and don't miss this special event to honor co-opers.
Staff & Managers Event: Staff and Managers at co-ops have important jobs to keep our co-ops running. Come connect with other staff, managers, and executive directors at housing co-ops.
Annual General Meeting: All Members of NASCO are able to participate and vote in the AGM. This is a space for members to make changes to the NASCO bylaws, to elect the Active Member Representative to the NASCO Board, to hear from Diversity Congress, and to get updates on NASCO’s activities from staff. The AGM is open to all to view, but only AGM representatives can vote.
Identity-Based Caucuses
Caucuses are member-led spaces for participants with shared identities to connect, raise issues, and organize for change within NASCO, their co-ops, and our broader communities.
This year, caucuses will take place online in October before Institute. Each caucus will elect representatives and bring proposals to the Collective Liberation Congress, held in person during Institute. For those who want to connect socially, optional in-person gathering spaces will also be available on Friday.
More information, including the full caucus schedule and registration links, is available here.
Course Tracks:
Interdependence as Resistance
Interdependence as Resistance. As the dominant systems in the West require individualism to operate, co-opers resist through the daily practices of labor distribution, collective decision making, shared cost of living, cooking for one another, and so many other forms of resistance. As the need for mutual aid & direct action rises across the globe, how can co-opers continue learning while weaving our established ways of interdependence into our larger communities and movement spaces?
Staff and Managers
This year’s co-op staff track brings co-op staff together to build strong connections, share best practices, and learn new ways to tackle the unique issues they face, leaning into our conference theme of Mobilizing the Co–op Ecosystem. Sessions include a series of knowledge shares centered around specific staff roles and several opportunities to participate in our popular peer consultation sessions, as well as a number of sessions focused on concrete skills.
Cooperative Fundamentals
Keeping your co-op running smoothly requires a wide range of skills and a wealth of collective knowledge. Workshops in this course track will focus on building essential tools for maintaining your cooperative—from understanding member, board, and staff roles to dynamic facilitation and fair housing. This series is ideal for anyone who hopes to leave NASCO Institute with a foundation of knowledge and concrete skills to take back to their co-op.
Cooperative Leadership
A cooperative approach to leadership connects the human needs of members to a co-op’s mission and the day-to-day work needed to maintain strong organizations. Practicing cooperative leadership requires self-awareness, active listening, and gratitude when receiving criticism. Any cooperator can practice leadership when they uplift the voices of fellow members and actively work to share power equitably. This course track creates space for attendees to learn and practice core leadership skills.
Creating A Co-op
With the cost of living constantly on the rise, the demand for affordable housing solutions—like housing co-ops—is greater than ever. NASCO has pulled together a team of experts to take future co-op founders through the process of starting a new housing co-op, from clarifying the initial concept to drafting your business plan. Workshops in this series provide a comprehensive, step-by-step training program on the development process.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Working together with other cooperatives is a core part of what it means to be a co-op (it’s one of the seven Cooperative Principles!). Solidarity between co-ops helps each co-op serve its members most effectively and strengthens the cooperative movement as a whole. This course track features the work of cooperators across different sectors and highlights how housing co-op members can become more involved in the cooperative movement at large. Join us in these sessions to be inspired, expand your horizons, and dream big.