Registration is open 11-7 for the MittenCI Conference, April 17th-18th, 2026. Mitten CI is held at Saline High School on Friday, April 17th from 4:30-7:00 and Saturday, April 18th from 7:30 A.M.-5:30 P.M. Registration includes sessions on both Friday and Saturday.
Snacks are provided on Friday. On Saturday there is a light breakfast, snack, lunch, and beverages.

Early Bird Registration: $130 for early (closes Friday, December 12th)
​Full registration -   $160 Regular Price
Student registration- $50 
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2026 Keynote: Coming soon!


MittenCI is proud to welcome Dr. Shital Vora as our keynote. Dr. Shital Vora is a visionary leader, humanitarian, and advocate for global collaboration. As
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Brigades, the world’s largest student-led
movement for sustainable development, she has inspired tens of thousands of students and
professionals to bridge cultures and create lasting impact across the globe.
Dr. Vora began her career as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, specializing in orthopedics and
sports medicine in Chicago. While at Marquette University, she founded the very first Medical
Brigade, a grassroots initiative that sparked what is now a global network of over 600 active
university chapters working across Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, Greece,
and Ghana.
Under her leadership, Global Brigades has evolved into a powerful model for experiential
learning and cross-cultural partnership. Students and community members collaborate to
advance health equity, economic empowerment, and access to clean water and education,
transforming not only the communities they serve, but also the global citizens they become.
Throughout her career, Dr. Vora has held pivotal roles within the organization, from CEO of
Health Programs to Chief Program Officer and Chief People Officer, fostering a culture of
innovation, empathy, and human-centered leadership. As CEO, she continues to guide the
organization’s strategic vision, leading a global team that has raised over $150 million to date,
enabling over 1.6 million patient consultations, 53,000 people to gain access to clean water, and
the training of more than 700 community health workers.
A passionate educator and mentor, Dr. Vora also serves on the Marquette University Health
Sciences Advisory Board and has been honored with Marquette’s Young Alumnus of the Year
and Young Alumni National Award.
Whether inspiring students in classrooms or speaking on international stages, Dr. Vora
embodies the spirit of global engagement, reminding us that language, service, and shared
humanity are the most powerful tools we have to change the world.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Why a Comprehensible Input conference in Michigan?

Comprehensible Input is a different way of teaching a second (or third or fourth) language.  The focus is on comprehensible and interesting input, communicable language, pacing teaching to our student's learning progress, and using to the way our brains naturally learn to increase language acquisition.  To learn more about this method of teaching please go to the 'about' section of our website. 

Several summers ago, Michigan CI educators working together at IFLT and CiMidwest decided it was time to bring a Comprehensible Input conference to the Mitten state.  MittenCI became a reality because all of the excited teachers at IFLT and CiMidwest inspired us to continue to share this effective and fun method of teaching. There are many amazing educators in the Great Lakes area, and we hope to support you by bringing an exciting day of training close to home. Comprehensible Input in the Mitten, on the path to language acquisition.    
Photos 2018
Language Lab 2018
Conference in Review w/ Darren Way
Mark your calendar!! MittenCI will be back April 17th and April 18th!
Why a pre-conference and a conference instead of a 2 day conference?
The MittenCi team works hard to give you a high quality training opportunity at a low price. Friday, April 17th will be a smaller event in the evening at Saline High School, a snack will be provided. The Friday pre-conference will offer a few popular longer trainings that would be hard to host on Saturday. This will allow teachers that attend Friday to take advantage of different sessions on Saturday. The Friday pre-conference is covered in the cost of registration. There is no Saturday only price available.
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Presenters coming soon...

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Mitten CI features CI presentations, Open Coaching, great food, collegiality, and giveaways for teachers!
Will apply for Michigan SCHEC credits (more coming soon).

Conference
​Organizers

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 Erica Peplinski-Burge, Beth Gregones,  Rebecca Moulton, & our amazing volunteers!
How do I contact you if I have questions?
​[email protected]

​Sponsors & Donors

We would like to thank our sponsor Saline Area Schools for the support and use of the beautiful facilities. We would also like to thank the SAS Culinary students for the food,  Mr. Rodriguez and his graphic design students for the logo, and SAS Honors and World Language students for greeting and assisting teachers during the conference.
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Register now!
Need to contact us?  Reach out to us at [email protected]