For some, taking charge of their own development might mean being part of a regular conversation on Twitter — like the social studies teachers who, via the hashtag #sschat, share resources, discuss issues and cheer each other on every Monday night. For others, like those in the 10 a.m. “Student Engagement” session in Newark that day, it could mean sharing stories, problems and solutions with 18 other educators who know exactly how they feel when they’ve tried everything from games to reward systems and nothing is working with that fifth period class.

At a time when thousands of demoralized teachers are walking out of schools, Edcamps offer both community and empowerment. They also fill a gap between the mandatory professional development a school provides and the large traditional conferences that teachers must often pay out of pocket to attend — if, that is, their school district will allow them the time off.

Edcamps are “soul-refilling, a booster shot, a way to realize you’re not alone,” said Robert Dillon, 44, the director of Innovative Learning at the School District of University City in St. Louis and one of the founders of EdcampSTL. This year his camp attracted nearly 600 people from states across the Midwest.

The first Edcamp took place in Philadelphia in 2010, after teachers there attended a local technology industry unconference called BarCamp and realized how well a similar event could work for educators. From there it grew, and eight years later more than 2,100 camps have been held in 33 countries, according to Hadley Ferguson, 63, a former middle school history teacher, who was one of the founders of the original camp and is now the executive director of the Edcamp Foundation.

Created in 2013, the foundation has largely been supported since 2015 by grants of nearly $4 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and its work has begun to creep into traditional education spaces. Large education conferences like ASCD and NCTE have added Edcamp-like sessions to their programs, and in 2014 and 2015, the United States Department of Education experimented with the model, holding Edcamps of its own in Washington.

This year, a partnership between the Edcamp Foundation and PBS has brought the philosophy to a new audience of early childhood educators — and with it, raised new issues to discuss. At a recent camp for those who work with 1- to 3-year-olds, “What do we do about biting?” was a hot topic.