‘Voterpalooza’: Promoting Voter Engagement Through Community-Oriented Live Music Events

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
Through this session, the TX Votes student organization at the University of Texas at Austin will share our experience hosting 'Voterpalooza', an outdoor concert and voter engagement event designed to promote early voting, civic engagement, and community involvement. Over the last two fall election cycles, Voterpalooza has become a signature event on our campus, combining live music, community and university partner tabling, ballot education, and meals donated by local food vendors. Through this poster presentation, we will discuss the event's concept, execution, and outcomes, with the aim of offering valuable insights for other student organizations, universities, and community groups seeking to increase voter engagement and participation through a meaningful live music experience.

Presenters: Molly Hykel, The University of Texas at Austin;  Eliana Arriaga, The University of Texas at Austin; Becca Alonso, The University of Texas at Austin

“It’s like pain from being empty.”: Student Centered Food Access Research, Advocacy, and Leadership

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
Students, staff, faculty, administrators, neighbors, and supportive organizations from three Twin Cities private universities with increasingly diverse student bodies representing historically underrepresented backgrounds, have been working to address food access needs for over eight years. Students at private universities continue to be excluded from food insecurity conversations, advocacy, and policy at the national level and this session will engage the most recent findings of our community engaged, student led and centered action research embedded in a community-engaged learning (CEL) MPH Qualitative Research Methods Course. This presentation will share the student-led and centered process of our ongoing research and advocacy, highlighting the findings from the one on one interviews with food insecure students across all three campuses Spring 2025.

Presenters: Susi Keefe, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; Jasmine Koch; Alyssa Olson, CAPI - Immigrant Opportunity Center; Olivia Mancia Chavez, Cross Campus Food Access Coalition; Valentine Cadieux

“You can’t ignore the fact that harm was done”: A photovoice collaboration with Our Streets explorin

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
The construction of I-94 in MN disproportionately impacted primarily Black and Indigenous communities, causing significant social, economic, and environmental harm. Our Streets is a nonprofit organization advocating for transportation equity and aims to address the historical and ongoing challenges of I-94, focusing on community engaged and centered solutions such as highway removal. Our collaboration brings photovoice methodology to engage participants to share their experiences. This approach centers the voices of those directly impacted by I-94, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with the highway. This presentation will share the findings from 4 focus groups in 3 communities along I-94.

Presenters: Susi Keefe, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; Alexandria Harris, Reconciliation Lunch Group; Yasmin Hirsi, Our Streets; Valentine Cadieux

A Curricular Approach to Community Engagement Preparation

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
Many scholars and practitioners have noted the importance of preparing students for community engagement, but few models exist for doing so through a university-wide curricular approach. This session describes Seattle University's process for developing a new, required Core course that prepares all undergraduate students for equitable community engaged learning. To do so, the course, UCOR 1000, applies place-based pedagogy, introducing students to histories and current issues in Seattle and preparing them to engage meaningfully with Seattle communities. After hearing about the course, participants will be invited to discuss applications for student preparation on a variety of scales. Whether you are seeking to develop university-wide curricula or developing a single course, we hope you will leave with ideas for future action.

Presenters: Cecilia Morales, Seattle University; Becky McNamara, Seattle University

A Foundation of Hope: Exploring The Relationship Between Hope, CBPR, and Community Capacity

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
In the face of adversity, communities are often advised to "stay hopeful." But what does this mean, and how might it actively assist communities? This research investigates the interactions between hope, community capacity, and the implementation of community-based participatory research projects. Using an established CBPR project as a case study, the authors interviewed individuals from across project stakeholder groups to explore these interactions. This research has found strong qualitative correlations between community members' perceptions of hope and their community's capacity to engage in community-empowering projects. Additionally, the authors investigated the potential for the creation and implementation of a hope-based model of CBPR. This has shown promise as a novel framework within which CBPR may be more effectively taught and implemented.

Presenters: Max DeCaro, Lehigh University; Kathryn Jackson, Lehigh University

Advocacy in Volunteerism: The CCE's Student-Led Approach to Bridging Community and Civic Service

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
The spirit of advocacy on college campuses reaches its greatest efficacy when community and civic participation work in tandem rather than in separate silos. The initiatives of community service organizations are often directly influenced by the same local, state, and federal policy decisions that civic engagement groups work diligently to illuminate. This session explores how the Center for Community Engagement at the University of Arkansas integrates these foundational spheres to create an advocacy model for student-led service organizations that unites education and action within their volunteer leadership structure. Through this knowledge-to-action workshop, participants will gain invaluable insights into applying an intersectional and civic lens to their respective service roles, fostering equitable and community-driven advocacy.

Presenters: Natalie O'Brien, University of Arkansas; MJ Ferguson, University of Arkansas; Esther Beller, University of Arkansas; Jacob Holmes, University of Arkansas; Gwen Keith-Powell, University of Arkansas; Lillian Griffith, University of Arkansas

AI Personas in Action: Strengthening Service-Learning and Community Partnerships

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
This session demonstrates how AI personas can enrich service-learning by bridging classroom learning with community engagement. Participants will learn how AI personas serve as consistent "practice partners" that help students explore diverse stakeholder perspectives, refine ideas, and build confidence before engaging with community members. The session will highlight methods for integrating personas into course design to strengthen communication, cultural awareness, and collaboration skills. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for applying AI personas to create interactive, experiential learning environments, foster stronger community partnerships, and inspire meaningful student engagement.

Presenters: Margaret Sass, Boise State University

Assessing the impact on college students after participating in a Day of Service.

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
During this session I will take you through the history of the Spartan Days of Service and how they are unlike other days of service programs. I will also dive deep into the data, based on an exit survey that includes specific learning outcome questions and the interesting responses from students. The data will tell a story of the impact just one day has on a student from a student's perspective when serving with community.

Presenters: K.C. Keyton, Michigan State University

Belonging as Civic Practice: Building Bridges Across Differences

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
Belonging is not only an emotional experience—it is a civic practice that strengthens communities and deepens our capacity to work across differences. This poster highlights insights from workplace Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and immigrant-led community networks to illustrate how belonging can be intentionally cultivated within higher education and civic partnerships. Through case examples and a visual “Belonging Canvas” framework, attendees will explore practical strategies for fostering dialogue, bridging identities, and supporting equity-centered engagement. This poster invites participants to reflect on their own roles in building inclusive learning and civic environments and offers adaptable tools that can be used in classrooms, community programs, and institutional initiatives.

Presenters: Lola Adeyemo, EQImindset

Beyond the Academic Year: Challenge & Opportunity in Building Lasting Partnerships

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This session focuses on navigating the complexities of sustaining ethical community partnerships at small liberal arts colleges. Two Bryn Mawr College examples will be highlighted to illuminate the challenges and opportunities of sustained engagement across many academic years. A multi-year project with a citizen-driven historical preservation advocacy group involving several campus departments and connected to multiple academic community-based learning courses will serve as a foundational example. A long-term co-curricular program and partnership with a social service agency will also be shared, describing its evolution from a VISTA initiative through multiple iterations to the present afterschool STEAM program. The importance of internal structures of support as well as external collaboration will also be discussed.

Presenters: Ellie Esmond, Bryn Mawr College; Liv Raddatz, Bryn Mawr College; Amanda Moser-Shick, Bryn Mawr College; Tiffany Stahl, Bryn Mawr College; Sydney Robertson, Bryn Mawr College

Bridging Campus and Community in SW Washington: Strengthening STEM Pathways Through MESA Mentorship

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
The MESA Mentor Program at WSU Vancouver serves as a compelling model of authentic campus-community partnership, demonstrating how WSU Vancouver faculty, university students, and K-12 educators collaboratively advance STEM education for underserved students. Survey data from both mentors and MESA educators show measurable gains for university and pre-college students in technical and soft skills alike. Mentors indicated that participation in the program fostered a deeper sense of professional and personal purpose. Mentors shared a heightened sense of self and civic responsibility as they engaged with students, contributed to their learning, and observed their growth and enthusiasm for STEM. These outcomes suggest that embedding community-engaged, hands-on learning across the education system can strengthen pathways into STEM nationwide.

Presenters: Josey Sechrist, Washington State University, Vancouver; Aref Majdara, Washington State University, Vancouver

Bridging the hunger gap on and off campus through student-led food recovery

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
While hunger is a pervasive issue across all geographic areas, its prevalence is not uniform. Research indicates that students in higher education face significant challenges in meeting their basic needs, while hunger is on the rise in the U.S. The establishment of Food Recovery Network (FRN) chapters on college campuses is a strategic approach to addressing hunger while also reducing food waste, a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. By implementing various food recovery programs led by local students, we can create sustainable solutions to reclaim surplus food and ensure its distribution on and off campus, thereby increasing equitable access to food resources, while positively impacting our environment.

Presenters: Sarah Corbin, Food Recovery Network; Sarah Corbin, Food Recovery Network

Bringing a Sense of Belonging to Undergraduate Students and Community Partners at WVU

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
The Purpose2Action program at West Virginia University was created to help students who have faced economic challenges, create a sense of belonging, and alleviate pressing needs within our community. This program pairs students with local non-profits to work 10 hours per week in areas the organizations need support in. Surveys administered after the students completed the program show that a sense of belonging within the community and the university increased. The community partners that worked with these students were also administered a survey that showed an increase in a sense of belonging within the university. These types of programs help our students, community partners, and our community-university relationship.

Presenters: Ashe Walker, West Virginia University

Broker reQUEST: Using a design thinking approach to explore potential collaborative alignment

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
Brokers or boundary spanners are people who work at the intersection and build connections across institutions, organizations, and networks. When exploring some potential for partnership, brokers can play a key role in bringing together people and ideas in fruitful ways. Among scholars and practitioners who work in collaborative partnership, there is a request in the scholarship for more insight into the praxis of this brokering work. How might we illuminate the brokering work in designing partnership opportunities? This session will create space for thoughtful engagement with an emerging set of ideas. We will explore a design thinking framework to help us make visible the complexity of brokering potential opportunities.

Presenters: Kristen Perkins-LaFollette, Northwestern University

Building a Case for Support: Resourcing Community Service Through Creativity, Strategy, and Partners

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
Community engagement professionals are often tasked with sustaining impactful programs amid tightening budgets and competing priorities. Sustaining community engagement and service offices requires creativity, collaboration, and strategic relationship-building. Through two campus case studies, the session will explore practical strategies for cultivating financial and institutional support through advancement partnerships, external grants, and leveraging cross-campus and community collaborations. Participants will engage in guided reflection, peer exchange, and hands-on planning to map their current resource landscape and identify new opportunities for investment. By the session's end, attendees will leave with concrete tools, adaptable models, and a personalized action plan to advance the financial and strategic resilience of their community engagement initiatives.

Presenters: Carie Hertzberg, Marquette University; William Hargrove, Kennesaw State University

Building a Living Archive of Women’s Sport History through Community Partnership

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This presentation offers a model for mutually-beneficial, sustainable partnerships focused on a long-term project. Members of the nonprofit Play Gap, Oberlin College professor Dr. Line, and undergraduate Oberlin students will share about the partnership that led to the development of an archive of women's sport history in Northeast Ohio. Presenters will offer an outline of the steps taken to build this project and how stakeholders have been involved. Presenters will reflect on what they have learned from this process and the gains and challenges, and offer considerations and practical recommendations for attendees on how to initiate and implement similar community-driven collaborations.

Presenters: Jo Line, Oberlin College; Kiersten Schilk

Building authentic campus-community connections: the Student Leader Fellowship Program

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
Building campus-community partnerships can be complex. The relationship should be mutually beneficial on both sides, engaging, and bonus points for being student-driven. The Student Leader Fellowship Program at NMU attempts to build these partnerships while teaching community leadership skills to the students and addressing community problems. This presentation will give an overview of our program along with its goals, outcomes, and founding. It will explain how we build partnerships with the community and encourage student-driven solutions to community issues through our Community Service Internships. Lastly, it will offer a way to create something similar on your own campuses to further promote student led action and engagement.

Presenters: Gwendolyn Feamster, Northern Michigan University

Building Leadership Pathways through MU Extension’s Neighborhood Leadership Fellows and Yo

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
This session explores how the University of Missouri Extension's Neighborhood Leadership Fellows (NLF) and Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) develop civic leaders by connecting research, community priorities, and grassroots leadership. NLF equips adults from St. Louis neighborhoods with leadership skills and access to policy-making spaces, while YEP supports students in becoming active contributors to local change through mentorship and hands-on training. Together, these programs offer practical, replicable models for building local leadership pipelines and fostering community-driven solutions. Participants will learn strategies for designing effective leadership pathways, explore tools for measuring impact, and engage in conversation about how institutions can collaborate more meaningfully with community members and youth. This session offers a grounded, hopeful approach to strengthening civic participation and local leadership

Presenters: Dwayne James, University of Missouri - Columbia

Building Multidisciplinary Community Engagements that Matter: Authenticity in an Increasingly Surfac

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
Authentic, reciprocal partnerships require bridging divides. Service-learning (S-L) faces ongoing challenges within siloed academic systems and a national climate marked by complexity and technological overload. This interactive session highlights how the University of Arkansas's S-L Initiative has engaged over 20,000 students in the past decade through credit-bearing courses that advance community-identified priorities, offering a model distinct from traditional R-1 approaches. Participants will explore how to design or adapt courses that integrate three essential S-L components: experiential learning, structured writing and reflection, and engaged reciprocity. Together, these practices strengthen civic responsibility and deepen community impact. The session offers sustainable partnership models, examples of institutional support, and guidance for crafting authentic, equitable, and action-oriented campus-community collaborations.

Presenters: Laura Gray, University of Arkansas; Lisa Bowers, University of Arkansas

Building Transformational Spaces: Faith, Healing, and Authentic Connection

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
This interactive session is designed for educators, faculty, staff, and community partners who are committed to creating spaces where mental health, belonging, and emotional well-being are prioritized. Building Transformational Spaces explores how vulnerability, authenticity, and spirituality can be powerful tools for fostering trust, healing, and deeper connection—both within ourselves and in the communities we serve. Participants will reflect on their own lived experiences, examine barriers to transformation, and explore how to lead with care, purpose, and presence in environments often marked by disconnection and burnout. Whether you support students, mentor peers, or work in community engagement, this session will offer insight and practical tools to strengthen relational culture and foster environments where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to grow.

Presenters: George Walley-Sephes Walley-Sephes, Community College of Philadelphia

Career and Civic Readiness: Building Civic Capacity through Community-based Experiential Learning

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
This session presents the framework behind Rowdy Corps Community Scholars, a community-based federal work-study program that integrates reflective analysis, leadership and professional development. Presenters will share how this innovative model creates pathways for students to engage in community-based scholarship, fulfill internship requirements, participate in project-based learning, and deepen campus-community partnerships. The program is part of the Center for Civic & Community Engaged Leadership supporting students, staff, faculty and community engage in meaningful civic leadership experiences. Through these partnerships, students build civic capacity, enhance career readiness, and learn directly from local public sector leaders. Participants will gain insights into how experiential learning through federal work-study can advance the public-serving mission of the university while building students' civic capacity and career readiness.

Presenters: Maria Alejandro, The University of Texas at San Antonio; Noelani Cubillos-Sanchez, The University of Texas at San Antonio; Lukas Valdes, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Carolina Engagement Week: an “UNConference” to showcase the joy of community engagement

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
Carolina Engagement Week (CEW) is an annual event, now in its 5th year, that highlights the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's collaborations with community partners and encourages skill-building to strengthen engagement. Launched in 2022, CEW is a decentralized "unconference" that provides an open, participant-driven exchange on critical issues ranging from mental health to food insecurity. Attendees can learn about the minimal infrastructure needed to involve faculty, students, and community partners in a flexible and collaborative week of learning, service, and celebration of community engagement.

Presenters: Margaret Barrett, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Katie Patton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Catalyzing Civic Career Pathways

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
Colleges serve a critical role in educating future civic leaders, but most non-profit, government, and social services programs are not well positioned to recruit college graduates for entry-level work. Campus civic engagement offices serve as an ideal connector between students and community partners looking to hire. During this session, we will share programs and strategies that bolster student civic career exploration through organizing campus recruiting days, mentoring, and creating immersive internship programs during school breaks.

Presenters: Travis Lovett, Harvard University

Celebrating Civic Leaders: A Mentorship and Recognition Model

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
In this interactive presentation, participants will learn about the Campus Vote Project's tiered civic peer mentorship structure and the accompanying national and state-level recognition programs that celebrate outstanding student leaders. Participants will examine how creating recognition opportunities can inspire resiliency and hope in civic work, and review a new Resource Bank that CVP has compiled from our fellowship curriculum. After reviewing this information, there will be a guided discussion on how these tools and resources can be adapted and incorporated to fit the needs of your campus and students.

Presenters: Lauren Schueler, Fair Elections Center; Tieanna Burton, Fair Elections Center; Abdullah Aljanabi, Wayne State University

Changes to Institutional Promotion and Tenure Policies and Practices to Advance Community Engagement

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
Purpose: This presentation will share the Medical College of Wisconsin's (MCW) revised promotion and tenure process, highlighting recognition of community engagement (CE) as a scholarly career path. Previously, CE was inconsistently classified across multiple promotion tracks, limiting its visibility. The revised system now allows faculty to demonstrate their expertise in mission-based accomplishment areas at three different levels. Faculty specializing in CE now have a clear pathway for promotion and tenure, with guidance documents and school-level rank committees ensuring equitable evaluation. Objectives: The audience will recognize how institutions can uplift community-engaged scholarship through a formalized promotion and tenure process. Key takeaways: Promotion and tenure can promote inclusive recognition of community-engaged scholarship, support faculty career advancement, and reinforce commitment to CE.

Presenters: Staci Young, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin; David Nelson, PhD, MS, Medical College of Wisconsin

Co-Authoring and Co-Journeying Healing and Growth with Refugee Women: Translating Story into Theory

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This author talk shares insights from a five-year co-journey of emotions, storytelling, deep listening, and imagining with Somali refugee women. Grounded in authentic community engagement and decolonial psychological science, the study centers Ka Bogso (in Somali), meaning "being healed toward psychological wholesomeness." Through collective reflection, we co-authored the 5Rs posttraumatic growth model—Running, Resettlement, Residual Stagnation, Reconciliation, and Resolution—expressed through visual art and stories translated into twelve languages to honor oral traditions and community knowledge. The session includes visual presentations and reflections from Somali and Afghan refugee women who engaged with the model. Participants will be invited into dialogue on how story, theory, and art can cultivate shared healing, relational understanding, and community-engaged knowledge co-creation.

Presenters: Yunkyoung Garrison, Bates College; Fowsia Musse, Maine Community Integration

Community Engagement and Partnerships for Research Centers: Building lasting relationships

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
o Maintaining and growing genuine, lasting partnerships with the community is a time-intensive task and with the natural flow of students in and out of programs and research project lifecycles that can be anywhere from months to years, it can seem impossible to achieve. Overreliance on personal contacts, project-relationship silos, and the very human tendency to over commit leads to underutilized connections and lost opportunities. This session explores how elevating community partnership work within research centers can lead to sustainable, long-term partnerships that deepen research impact, increase center cohesion, and support student learning now and in the future.

Presenters: Kathleen Voss, University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Community engagement in a first-year STEM course: student success and demographic impacts

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
Community engagement in the classroom is considered a high-impact and transformative classroom practice that has potential for a positive impact on student performance. In a high-enrollment introductory-level environmental science course, students self-selected to participate in community engagement projects or a research-based writing assignment. 8-years of comparative data for students participating in community engagement (204 students) and not participating (218 students) will be presented to display the efficacy of community engagement on student success metrics, along with demographic and retention data. Preliminary results suggest that students who participate in a community engagement project display an increase in course performance assessment (i.e., higher grades) compared to students who choose to complete a research-based writing assignment.

Presenters: Michael Berger, Washington State University, Vancouver

Community-Defined Principles and Practices For Neighborly Engagement

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
The Neighborly Engagement Research Lab (NERLab) at Providence College (PC) is a community-engaged research collaborative examining relationships between colleges and their surrounding communities, using PC as a case study. The research asks a simple but challenging question: What are neighborly principles and practices for higher education community engagement, as defined by residents? Through in-depth interviews with 20 residents and over 100 hours of participant observations at community meetings, NERLab identified six foundational principles of ""neighborliness"" with community members: institutional commitment, shared leadership, recognition of community context and knowledge, equitable allocation of assets, and ongoing reflection and assessment. This student-led poster shares the research design, theoretical and methodological perspectives, and emerging practices for applying these principles to strengthen community-campus relationships.

Presenters: Miranda Macaluso, Providence College; Chase Quigley, Providence College; Katherine LaDuke, Providence College

Connected Communities: Opportunities and Challenges in Online Community-Engaged Learning Courses

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
At St. Catherine University, approximately one third of community-engaged learning (CEL) courses are online or hybrid. In this roundtable conversation, participants will learn about some of the ways St. Catherine University has successfully implemented CEL in online courses as well as the challenges of navigating this modality. Participants will be encouraged to share their own successes and challenges with online CEL and will collectively consider how to reach online learners with this high impact practice while continuing to benefit community partners.

Presenters: Sophie Hunt, St Catherine University; Rachel Droogsma, St Catherine University

Cortico on Campus: Using Conversations to Foster Connection Across College Communities

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
Cortico on Campus equips college students with training in active listening, facilitation, and community organizing while introducing innovative tools like recorded, small-group conversations and voice medleys that amplify student perspectives. Student Fellows design and lead projects tailored to their campus communities, improving mental health culture, making organizations more inclusive, and strengthening connections between students and local residents. These projects foster empathy across differences and create lasting artifacts that inform future campus decision-making. As Lead Fellows, we will share our unique experiences with the fellowship curriculum and highlight project impacts. Participants will join a condensed version of our process by engaging in small-group dialogue and hearing a voice medley, leaving with concrete ideas to apply on their own campuses.

Presenters: Shania Dhanaraj, Cornell University; Sam Wood, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Creating Pathways for Faculty Success in Community-Based Learning

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
In this session, we will discuss the variety of pathways and funding for faculty at Washington and Lee University to engage in community-based learning and develop their knowledge and skills. We will present a wealth of opportunities that the Office of Community-Based Learning offers to faculty that also builds an ethos of community-engagement on campus. Possible avenues of faculty engagement include designating a CBL course, participating in the CBL Collaborative, becoming a Scholar-in-Residence, joining the Community-Engagement Service Learning Committee, applying for a Course Design Grant, and receiving a Community-Engaged Scholar Award. This poster will detail the infrastructure the Office of Community-Based Learning has created so that faculty can arrive at these various destination points.

Presenters: Sascha Goluboff, Washington and Lee University; Alessandra Del Conte Dickovick, Washington and Lee University; Judy Repair, Washington and Lee University

Crossovers & Conversations: Basketball Courts as Classrooms for Health Education

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
Crossovers & Conversations originated as a positive youth development initiative founded by a medical student in collaboration with a municipal recreation department. It has since evolved into a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with programs operating across multiple states. Through the integration of free basketball camps and comprehensive health education, C&C empowers underserved adolescents by addressing systemic inequities in education and health outcomes. This session will examine how leveraging sports as a platform for health education amplifies youth engagement, advances equity, and cultivates authentic, reciprocal community partnerships. Participants will gain strategies to replicate this model, strengthen community relationships, and promote sustainable impact.

Presenters: Shane Fuentes, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

Cultivating Civic Character for the Common Good: Campus-Community Partnerships in Action

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This session highlights Ball State University's Cultivating Civic Character for the Common Good (C4G) initiative, funded by the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) and supported by the Lilly Endowment. C4G unites faculty, students, and community partners to embed civic character, democratic engagement, and service-learning across disciplines. Through interactive discussion, participants will explore strategies for building authentic campus-community partnerships that cultivate civic leadership, promote racial equity, and inspire students to lead lives of purpose and action. Presenters will share lessons learned from launching Ball State's new Civic Studies Minor and statewide collaborations with Community Engaged Alliance and Third Way Civics. Attendees will leave with actionable frameworks and tools for integrating character education and civic engagement within their own institutions.

Presenters: Davidq Roof, Ball State University; Trygve Throntveit, Ball State University; Elijah Howe, Community Engaged Alliance

Cultivating Student Civic Purpose Through the Community Resource Unit (CRU)

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
The Community Resource Unit (CRU) program offers a unique model that connects first-year students with local nonprofit partners through a 10-hour community-based internship, while anchoring their experience in a weekly seminar on local context, community-engaged work, and purpose-driven leadership. Students engage in hands-on learning with real-world impact, including field trips, project-based assignments, and a paid internship. Federal Work Study eligibility ensures access, while seminars provide space to process experiences, strengthen community ties, and develop transferable skills. CRU members gain early resume building experiences, an expanded view of leadership, and a deeper sense of civic purpose. Presenters will highlight lessons learned in program design and implementation, showcase student outcomes, and engage participants in discussion about similar efforts at their institutions.

Presenters: Tamara Johnson, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; A.J. Simmons, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Julia Meyarzum, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Data with Heart: Transforming Assessment into Stories that Inspire Change and Connection

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
How do we turn data into stories that matter? This session explores how community engagement professionals can use data and assessment results to create data-driven stories that illuminate impact, foster collaboration, and strengthen partnerships. Participants will learn to transform numbers into narratives that reveal engagement in action and create stories that celebrate success, surface challenges, and guide continuous improvement. Using real-world examples from campus-community initiatives, we'll demonstrate how data visualization can connect mission to measurable outcomes, helping teams close the feedback loop and sustain hope through insight. Leave equipped to make your engagement data dynamic, human-centered, and actionable.

Presenters: Katherine Feely, John Carroll University; Heather Craigie, John Carroll University

Designing for Culture and Community: A Collaborative Vision for Esther Manor Farm

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
Landscape architecture students collaborated with Esther Manor Farm, a 10-acre nonprofit farm north of Richmond, VA, to co-design strategies for growth and community engagement. The farm specializes in Cameroonian and African produce and fosters cultural connection through food. Students developed an engagement plan, presented design ideas for feedback, and showcased their work at the farm's annual farm-to-table gala. Professional firms supported the project by funding site visits and participating in the design process, offering mentorship and review. This partnership provided students with hands-on experience in culturally responsive design and community collaboration, while helping Esther Manor Farm envision its future. The project highlights the value of interdisciplinary partnerships in advancing food justice and culturally rooted landscape practices.

Presenters: Jennifer Engelke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Jennifer L. Thomas, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Developing a Cultural Broker Program: Insights from Hispanic and Hmong Communities in Central WI

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
Hispanic/Latino and Hmong individuals face significant barriers in accessing and navigating health systems in Central Wisconsin. Cultural brokers can assist by bridging cultural gaps and language barriers and improving trust. A public university, medical school, and community-based organization partnered to assist a healthcare system seeking to develop a cultural broker program. This session highlights how the team worked together to gather and analyze extensive feedback provided by 59 Hispanic/Latino and Hmong individuals through interviews, focus groups, and deliberative dialogues, and the role community health workers played in giving voice to their communities. The panelists will share this rich collection of data and offer insights to others seeking to develop a cultural broker program that is responsive to community needs.

Presenters: Anthony Lewis, Medical College of Wisconsin; Corina Norrbom, Medical College of Wisconsin; Francisco Guerrero, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service

Dissecting the Olive Branch: Meaningful Communication between Community Partners and Us

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
This session explores the critical role of interpersonal and social awareness and intentionality for success in community-engaged work. We'll focus on how Graduate Assistants (GAs), often serving as crucial liaisons, bring a unique blend of academic knowledge and developing professional skills to these settings. Participants will discuss various practices for fostering mutual understanding with community partners and leveraging their perspective to strengthen ethical, reciprocal partnerships. The discussion will touch on practical examples of navigating complex community and organizational dynamics.

Presenters: Roman Contantino, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Echoes, Amplify, Reflect: Building Community Through Student Storytelling

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
This session explores Hamilton College's Engaged Scholars Program as a promising practice in cultivating belonging and empowerment through student storytelling around experiential learning. Rooted in reflection, the program scaffolds students' academic, personal, and professional growth while amplifying voices often underrecognized in higher education. Using the framework of Echoes, Amplify, and Reflect, we share how Engaged Scholars functions as a community-building and storytelling mechanism that not only honors individual journeys but also strengthens institutional culture. Participants will engage in reflective exercises to consider how their own campuses can echo student voices, amplify impact, and reflect hope through recognition and storytelling practices.

Presenters: Maddie Carrera, Hamilton College

Empowering Students Through Global Leadership & Civic Action

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
This interactive workshop explores how educators and community leaders can use global leadership principles and civic engagement strategies to inspire student agency, belonging, and social responsibility. Drawing from lessons in education, athletics, and community building, participants will learn how to cultivate compassion-driven leadership and purpose in young people. Through practical frameworks and real-life examples, attendees will gain actionable tools for fostering student voice, building inclusive partnerships, and aligning engagement efforts with equity and well-being goals. Together, we'll reimagine hope as both a mindset and a movement for uniting campuses and communities.

Presenters: Darrin "Boomer" Williams, Pro Athlete Advantage / Ambassy International (also affiliated with New Paradigm for Education, Detroit, MI)

Engagement That Heals: Building Connection, Resilience, and Hope.

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
This roundtable centers mental health, belonging, and well-being within the context of service learning. It explores how meaningful engagement through service learning can act as a protective factor against isolation and burnout by fostering connection, purpose, and resilience. Drawing from mental health research and lived experience at the intersection of mental health and service learning, participants will consider how intentional project design can promote collective care for students, faculty, colleagues, and community partners. The goal is to share and discuss strategies for making service learning a vehicle for well-being - not just service - with practical approaches for embedding belonging and supporting mental health across campus and community settings.

Presenters: Roberta Bacelar Lovato, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Gabriel Pilon Gaiotto, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Engaging Faculty as Ambassadors and Advocates of Hope

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
In times of institutional constraints and organizational change, faculty can serve as agents of hope. This discussion will share a case study of the development of a faculty fellows initiative at the University of Rochester (NY). Faculty serve as exemplars, ambassadors, advocates, and mentors to systematically support other faculty in adopting community-engaged pedagogy. It will also share evaluative feedback about such initiatives at various colleges and universities. Finally, this discussion will seek to surface constructive feedback and sharing of related promising practices.

Presenters: Glenn Cerosaletti, University of Rochester; Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp; Rachel O'Donnell

Enhancing Rural Hispanic Health Engagement and Emergency Readiness via Bilingual CPR Training

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
Rural Hispanic communities are at higher risk of never having received CPR training, while also being further from medical services. This project used a bilingual, community-based approach to teach CPR and assess confidence and preparedness in these populations. A medical student and community health worker brought the 50-minute American Heart Association Family and Friends course to community settings. and subsequently administered an anonymous post-survey. Participants in Spanish-language courses noted that the format reduced barriers that would have otherwise prevented them from seeking training. All reported increased confidence in performing CPR, and most felt adequately prepared despite the shortened framework. These findings highlight how bilingual community CPR programs can build emergency readiness and encourage broader health engagement.

Presenters: Benjamin Zinmer, Medical College of Wisconsin; Corina Norrbom, Medical College of Wisconsin; Gustavo Perna, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service

Finding Hope Through Starting a Community Non-Profit: A Faculty Journey

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
In this presentation, I provide an overview of how I started a community non-profit seven years ago, Animal Advocates of Greater Lafayette (AAGL). I discuss connections to the theme of authentic campus-community partnerships, and the key moments and decisions that have guided AAGL's growth over the past seven years. I share my experience of finding hope through establishing this community organization, building strong relationships between AAGL and numerous student organizations and academic units on my home campus, publishing about my experience, and currently writing a book focused on these issues. I then present a roadmap for others interested in leveraging their backgrounds and experiences into starting a non-profit organization that addresses their own passions and community needs.

Presenters: Nadine Dolby, Purdue University - Main Campus

Fostering Hope Through Partnership: Chicago History Museum and American Islamic College

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This session highlights the partnership between the Chicago History Museum and American Islamic College, fostering compassionate, creative, and socially impactful storytelling and interfaith engagement at a leading American Muslim institution. Their collaborative programs have grown into a dynamic campus-civic partnership to preserve and share the rich histories and stories of Chicago's multiracial, multiethnic Muslim communities, centering community ownership. Presenters explore why community-engaged learning is essential for studying marginalized religious communities whose stories are often misrepresented or politicized to erase historical, theological, and cultural complexity, and how museums as repositories of material culture and spaces for meaning-making can serve as powerful sites for interreligious bridgebuilding. Participants will be invited to provide feedback to shape ongoing and future programs and partnerships.

Presenters: Homayra Ziad, American Islamic College; Romana Manzoor, American Islamic College; Rebekah Coffman, Chicago History Museum

From Campus to Community: Adapting the GA Model for Meaningful Partnerships

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
This workshop presents the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Service Learning Academy (SLA) organizational model as a replicable approach for managing complex, community-engaged projects. Through this model, graduate assistants (GAs) serve as key facilitators who connect faculty, students, and community partners. GA support ensures consistent communication, project organization, risk management, and long-term collaboration. Participants will explore how to adapt this model to fit their own institutional or organizational contexts, empowering volunteers and staff to take on leadership roles. The session provides practical tools and frameworks to strengthen engagement, improve communication, and sustain meaningful partnerships that achieve shared goals.

Presenters: Gabriel Pilon Gaiotto, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Roman Contantino, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Roberta Bacelar Lovato, University of Nebraska at Omaha

From Compassion to Action: Advancing Community Through Mental Health and Belonging

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Purpose: To equip leaders, community organizers, and advocates with practical strategies to embed mental health, belonging, and well-being into civic and community engagement. Objectives: 1. Explore the link between psychological safety, inclusivity, and sustained engagement. 2. Apply The M.A.R.P. Method¬Æ to strengthen team connection and reduce burnout. 3. Identify actionable steps for embedding well-being into leadership and partnerships. Key Takeaways: Participants will gain tools to foster inclusive, mentally supportive environments; strategies to promote resilience in high-demand settings; and methods to transform compassion into measurable community impact. By prioritizing mental health and belonging, attendees will be prepared to advance unity, equity, and collaboration—turning the conference theme, Hope Found Here, into everyday reality.

Presenters: Dr. Sabrina Dean, Dr. Sabrina's Healthcare Consulting

From Harm to Healthy Discomfort: Critical Dialogue-Building in a Polarized Climate

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
During a time when dialogue feels risky, one college created a four-part series, Moving From Harm to Healthy Discomfort, designed for students, faculty, and staff to build skills in perspective-taking, self-regulation, and dialogue-building. Presenters share how the program fostered confidence and challenged assumptions, and strategies for adapting this model to foster healthy discourse, support co-curricular education, and prepare students for global citizenship in a polarized climate.

Presenters: Cody Nielsen, Convergence Strategies; Dawn Lee, Abundant Strategies

From Research to Action: Creating an Online Hub for Neurodiversity & Disability Justice

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Rooted in student-led analysis of systems around neurodiversity and disability justice, this session will introduce "The Access Project," a new effort to promote accessibility and disability justice in higher education. The hub links students, faculty, community engagement professionals, and others with resources, mentorship, and inclusive language to encourage understanding and relationship-building. Attendees will explore how prioritizing neurodivergent voices can shift campus culture, disrupt ableism, and reconsider accessibility with empathy and partnership. Attendees will take home practical ideas and inspiration to undertake similar projects at their own institutions. They will manage to construct spaces where equity and unity come before hope in collective action.

Presenters: Oriana Cappella, Stonehill College

From Spark to Structure: Student Leadership Anchored by Institutional Support

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
A common challenge on campuses is how to keep service and volunteer efforts strong and sustainable. Departments may have resources but limited reach, while student groups bring passion and creativity that, without support, is difficult to maintain. The result is missed opportunities to grow leaders and maximize impact. This session introduces a model that bridges those gaps by pairing a student-led service board with a campus department. The department provides resources and guidance, while students channel their ideas and energy into projects. Together, they expand capacity in ways neither could achieve alone, while cultivating leadership and sustaining a strong culture of service.

Presenters: Jacob Corn, Georgia Gwinnett College; Minh Vu, Georgia Gwinnett College; JP Peters, Georgia Gwinnett College

From Startup to Sustainability: Building Scaffolds for Student Engagement

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
This poster highlights the University of Michigan School of Information Engaged Learning Office's evolving model for engaged learning and community engagement, developed over eight years of practice. Our work connects co-curricular experiences with competencies through scaffolding student leadership, embedding community engagement in courses, and building curricular workshops on essential skills. Guided by NACE and AAC&U competencies, we are developing a framework that enhances experiential learning curricularly and co-curricularly, supported by a rubric grounded in high-impact practice quality elements.

Presenters: Alissa Talley-Pixley, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Angie Zill, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Glimmers of Hope in Chapel Hill

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
When thinking about what brings us hope, staff at UNC-Chapel Hill immediately credited our students and community partners. Students bring joy, creativity, and inspiration to us every day. Community partners bring dedication, connection, and unity to everyone they connect with. This session aims to bring hope to participants by sharing stories of hope and civic joy in Chapel Hill and encourages them to find their own glimmers of hope in their communities.

Presenters: Katelyn Bodwell, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Kate Palmer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

High School Internships as Models of Reciprocal Learning on University Campuses

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
One of the most effective ways for universities to engage local high school students is by hiring them as summer interns—positioning youth not just as future college students, but as partners in community-centered learning. This session highlights replicable, mutually beneficial high school internship models developed by the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development's Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement (SPACE) Office. Over two summers, SPACE has hosted Boston Public Schools interns in a program grounded in reciprocal learning and co-designed projects. Participants will explore tools, scaffolds, and examples from the internship, along with strategies for institutionalizing community-engaged internships across campus. The session will conclude with a roadmap and multi-year vision for expanding this work university-wide.

Presenters: Cara Mattaliano, Boston University; Justin Ruiz, Boston University; Mary Churchill, Boston University; Irene Dennison, Boston University

High-Touch, High-Impact: A Cohort-Based Curricular Model for Community Engagement in the Liberal Art

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
This session presents a high-touch, cohort-based curricular CEL model at Bryn Mawr College (Praxis III) that combines student-designed, credit-bearing courses with structured cohort experiences to foster academic excellence, career exploration, and ethical community engagement in the liberal arts. Our model offers a replicable framework for higher education institutions seeking to advance student-centered learning and skill building while fostering reciprocal campus-community partnerships.

Presenters: Liv Raddatz, Bryn Mawr College; Tiffany Stahl, Bryn Mawr College

Hope Science for Campus Resilience: Building Mental Health Through Evidence-Based Leadership

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Higher education faces unprecedented mental health challenges, with rising anxiety, depression, and burnout among students and staff. This session introduces Hope Science — a measurable framework that protects mental health while driving academic success. Participants will learn the three components of hope (Goals, Agency, Pathways) and practical strategies to build psychological safety, foster belonging, and create resilient campus communities. Through interactive exercises and real-world applications, attendees will develop actionable tools to transform campus stress into collaborative problem-solving opportunities. Key takeaways include distinguishing hope from toxic positivity, implementing hope-building practices without additional resources, and creating inclusive environments where diverse students thrive. Perfect for student affairs professionals, faculty, campus leaders, and community partners seeking evidence-based approaches to support student success.

Presenters: Yira Muse, Waypowered Leadership, LLC

How to Creatively Engage Audiences and Make Your Ideas Stick

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
Even the most innovative ideas fail without public buy-in. Millions of ideas are pitched every year, but only a few stand out. In today's information-saturated world, the challenge is ensuring our work resonates enough to inspire engagement and action. Drawing from my experience as a viral TEDx speaker and public artist, this session will demonstrate how creative storytelling and message design can encourage more people to engage with your work, implement your ideas, and create change. Participants will learn frameworks for distilling complex concepts, tailoring messages to diverse audiences, pitching ideas creatively, and measuring engagement in practice. By applying these strategies, advocates and educators will gain tools to amplify their work, communicate more effectively, and ensure their ideas are implemented.

Presenters: Rishika Kartik, Brown University

I Signed Up to Serve for a YEAR?! Using Path-Goal Theory to Support Civic Engagement and Success

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
Since 2022, thousands of full-time California college students apply to serve 450 hours in their college communities each spring. When the fall semester starts there is a collective ""What did I get myself into?"" feeling in the air and folks start dropping out, sacrificing up to $10,000 of aid in the process. Learn how one campus has utilized path-goal theory to create a system of peer support, milestone and community celebrations, and clear directives to promote a growing 94% retention rate and increased self-confidence in compassion, leadership skills, and active citizenship.

Presenters: Marylou Bagus-Hansen, University of the Pacific; Dari Tran, University of the Pacific

Impact of Faculty Development on Student Outcomes in Community-Engaged Courses Across Disciplines

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
This poster exhibits how sustained faculty development in community engagement, alongside shifting institutional narratives surrounding the efficacy and importance of community engagement, can improve student learning and lower students' resistance to community engaged learning opportunities. Data from multiple semesters show that over time, as instructors' experiences with engaged teaching developed, their students' self-reported achievement of course objectives improved as well. This poster offers findings from multiple semesters of upper division courses indicating that persistence and reflection of faculty improve student learning. Data were collected via an IRB-approved, compensated assessment. Attendees will be invited to consider how to support faculty in narrativizing initial challenges (and risks) of incorporating community engagement for the first time.

Presenters: Johanna Phelps, Washington State University, Vancouver

Kuwentuhan’s Epistemic Promise: Knowledge Equity in Community Engaged Work

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
By using a Filipino/a form of historical methodology, the kuwentuhan can allow those in educational spaces to promote intercultural competency with their surrounding communities. With this method, kuwentuhan promotes knowledge equity via humanizing and legitimizing the voices of marginalized communities that are not often heard in such spaces. In this knowledge-to-action workshop, Speaker X proposes outlines on how to allow for practical application using this storytelling based method.

Presenters: Brigette Hinnant, Washington State University, Pullman

Leaning into Community: Anti-Racist Community Engagement Among White Faculty

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
Despite decades of research highlighting the strengths and benefits of service-learning and community engagement (SLCE), over the past 15 years scholars have critiqued the ways in which the pedagogy can reinforce negative stereotypes, reproduce white supremacy, and recenter whiteness. This knowledge-to-action workshop will highlight an emergent model of anti-racist community engagement (ARCE) among white faculty in U.S. higher education. The presenter will emphasize findings and recommendations for supporting white faculty as they adopt an anti-racist approach to their SLCE practice. Finally, participants will actively consider how to support white faculty in implementing ARCE in their own institutional and community contexts within the current political climate.

Presenters: Laura Wilmarth Tyna, Lewis University

Lessons Learned from Let’s Talk, Marathon County

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
This session provides key findings and lessons learned from Let's Talk, Marathon County, an initiative that uses deliberative dialogues to foster civil conversations among community members around a variety of highly-charged public issues. Beginning in 2023, a panel of nearly 100 politically and demographically diverse residents from across urban and rural areas of Marathon County, Wisconsin has met regularly in small groups to weigh approaches to topics such as homelessness, immigration, and gun violence. To date, 50 separate dialogues have been conducted, including 8 Spanish-language sessions. The Let's Talk team will share practical insights, as well as participant outcomes about finding common ground and increasing confidence in the community's ability to engage in civil discourse.

Presenters: Eric Giordano, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service; Noah Colletti, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service; Luke Rudolph, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service; Gustavo Perna, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service; Francisco Guerrero, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service; Corina Norrbom, Medical College of Wisconsin

Leveraging Coordinated Support to Strengthen Faculty-Led Service Learning

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
This session presents a promising practice from the University of Arkansas that enhances the sustainability and impact of Service Learning through dedicated coordination. The Service Learning Coordinator position bridges faculty, students, and community partners, enabling scheduling, communication, and adapting to evolving partner goals. The presentation highlights one example of how partnerships with local Head Start programs have been streamlined to ensure students meet community needs while gaining hands-on experience. This aspect of the Coordinator's role streamlines communication between the University and partners, easing faculty administrative responsibilities while fostering reciprocal engagement. Presenters will share tools, workflows, and reflections illustrating how this coordination supports campus stakeholders and community partners. Attendees will leave with strategies for implementing similar infrastructure at their own institutions.

Presenters: Lisa Bowers, University of Arkansas; Noelle Kingsbauer, University of Arkansas

Leveraging Grant Funded Awards and Community Partnerships

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
During this session, attendees will learn how CSUSB leveraged a grant to strengthen a community based relationships, support community centered activities, and teach first year students the importance of community centered work.

Presenters: Camelia Fowler, California State University - San Bernardino

Meaningful Civic Assessment: Bring Data Together to Tell Our Stories

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
Civic engagement is at the heart of many institutions' mission and vision, yet many of these institutions' civic engagement efforts are measured in terms of achieving status or worth through designation programs. These programs often center on either voter engagement or service learning, but rarely are combined along with other institutional and community level data to comprehensively assess the impact of civic engagement efforts at the institution. This session is designed to encourage participants to think beyond the designation program rubrics to think broadly about how civic engagement work can be measured authentically, and utilizing an equity framework to drive these efforts.

Presenters: Charles Black, Fair Elections Center; Jill Dunlap, NASPA

Michigan State University's "Shifting the Paradigm in Michigan: Building More Circular Economies"

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
In such an economically volatile time, many are urging for movement from current "take, make, waste" traditional economic extractive practices to those of a more regenerative nature. Circular economics embraces this paradigm shift where material waste is designed out from product lifecycles creating both new markets and jobs as well as relieving crippling pressures on landfills and reducing carbon footprints. Join Michigan State University's Center for Community & Economic Development to learn about the public/private journey of creating more circular economies within the state of Michigan and beyond that also enhances community well-being through facilitative student leadership, community bridging, collective impact and National Service support.

Presenters: Mary ZumBrunnen, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Gracia, Michigan State University

Mini Medics: An Exploration of Medical Careers for Children in Rural Communities

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
The state of Wisconsin has an ever-growing need for physicians and healthcare workers in rural communities. Attempting to increase the number of providers in Wisconsin's rural communities is an initiative that should begin during childhood. This project aims to provide an opportunity for children in rural communities to explore careers in medicine through the use of hands-on learning activities. Survey data from participants concluded this event was beneficial for exploring what it would be like to pursue a career in medicine. Providing rural communities with events like Mini Medics is a way to create an interest in healthcare and ultimately benefit the future of medical care in rural communities.

Presenters: Jenna Trzebiatowski, Medical College of Wisconsin

Moving Boston Forward Together: Aligning University, School District, and City

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This interactive session will share learnings from a university, school district, and city partnership. In collaboration with the City of Boston and Boston Public Schools, the Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement Office at Boston University created a flexible partnership model for use across the city. Through examination of this collaborative process, this session will share tools for translation across sectors, alignment with community priorities, and partnering for increased impact and equitable outcomes. Participants will engage the question: ""How can we create new ways of partnering and lead citywide change without positional power? The session will ask participants to imagine a shared vision for a more equitable future across university, city, and school district boundaries of culture and ways of knowing.

Presenters: Mary Churchill, Boston University; Irene Dennison, Boston University

Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free: Practicing Social Change in Mississippi Freedom Schools

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
This session explores the enduring legacy of Freedom Summer 1964 through the Sunflower County Freedom Project in the Mississippi Delta, a community organization that empowers Black and Brown youth through artistic practice, political education, and leadership development. This workshop will focus on how Freedom Schools reshape traditional power dynamics by inviting resourced college students from across the nation to serve as teacher-organizers, inviting them into a shared responsibility—giving them stakes—to address historical injustice. By placing Freedom Schools in conversation with critical theorists like bell hooks, Paulo Freire, the Combahee River Collective, Grace Lee Boggs, and Mariame Kaba, this session will present a theory of change grounded in living history and foster dialogue on applying liberatory pedagogy to our own practice.

Presenters: Annabel Tang, Duke University

Our Histories Are Healing: How Resilience Centered Facilitation Recasts Mapping Prejudice’s Historic

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Mapping Prejudice, based at the University of Minnesota Libraries, is a community-driven project that identifies and maps racial covenants—clauses once used to exclude people who were not white from homeownership—to illuminate how structural racism has shaped communities today. To support participants living with the legacies of racial covenants, the project partnered with Render Free, a Black-led coaching business, to create Our Histories Are Healing—a resilience-centered, participant-focused prequel to the standard community mapping sessions. The objective is to provide safe, reflective spaces where participants can process difficult material through somatic and restorative practices. Session participants will leave with a deeper understanding of a model that can be used for engaging challenging histories with empathy and care.

Presenters: Rebecca Gillette, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Own Your Destiny: Empowering Civic Voices for Equality and Justice

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
This session uses the Own Your Destiny program to promote civil learning, democratic engagement, and community partnership. Participants will explore strategies for advancing equality, justice, and inclusion within civic and institutional settings. Through interactive dialogue and reflective practice, attendees will learn how to build authentic partnerships that strengthen community engagement and institutional trust. Objectives: (1) Identify approaches to foster civil dialogue and civic responsibility; (2) Develop action plans promoting equity and participation in democratic spaces. Key Takeaways: Participants will leave equipped to champion justice-driven initiatives, model inclusive leadership, and implement sustainable practices that empower individuals and communities to own their collective destiny within a healthy democratic society.

Presenters: Dr. Patt McGuire, Student Lives Matter and Teachers Lives Matter

Participatory Budgeting & Latino Voter Turn-Out

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
In recent municipal Chicago elections, lower voter turnout has consistently occurred, especially within Latino communities. Despite the Latino population being a third of the city population, it has the lowest voter turnout. The 12th Ward, located on the southwest side, is one of the Hispanic-majority wards, where Latinos make up most of the district's population, and recorded the lowest voter turnout in the 2023 municipal election. Although on the northwest side, the 35th Ward, another Latino ward, had a similar story, with a lower turnout in each election cycle until 2015. The introduction of Participatory Budgeting (PB) and Community Engagement projects to involve residents in their community has led to higher voter turnout for the Ward.

Presenters: Alexander Diaz, University of Illinois Chicago

Poll Worker Project - Weber State University and Weber County

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
In 2024, two Weber State students recruited ten poll workers for the county elections office from the student population, with the intention of recruiting Spanish-speaking students, given the Latin population in Weber County. We received a grant from the Election Assistance Commission for these students to do this work. In the middle of prepping the project for its launch, Utah passed a law saying that we could no longer do DEI work on campuses, which our legal team decided included our grant. These students pivoted, recruited poll workers without violating the interpretation, and solidified a relationship between the University and our County Elections Office partner.

Presenters: Alayna Ruiz, Weber State University; Sierra Hood, Weber State University

Positionality: Community Centered, Community led

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
Coalition for the Homeless (CFH) aim and mission is to end homelessness through education, coordination and advocacy. In the arena of community engagement, it intertwines in the arena of specialized programming such as Path to Action: Neighborly Path Series, Directly Impacted People initiatives, Member engagement, and outreach/grassroots partners. Reviews of the infrastructure of programming policy in empowering stakeholders on what advocacy looks like in action, messaging strategy and community centered framework.

Presenters: Marcus Stubbs, Coalition for the Homeless

Project FLEX: Empowering Incarcerated Youth through Sport Based Youth Development Approaches.

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
Project FLEX is a transformative sport-based youth development program designed to empower incarcerated youth through physical activity, mentorship, and character development. Many incarcerated youths lack access to positive role models, structured physical activity, and opportunities to develop life skills essential for successful reintegration into society. Implemented in partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ), the program currently operates in four state institutions. Using an asset-based approach that prioritizes relationship building and the transfer of life skills, Project FLEX focuses on participants' strengths while fostering leadership, teamwork, and personal growth. The initiative demonstrates how sport can serve as a powerful tool for rehabilitation, social change, and positive development within juvenile justice institutions.

Presenters: Emerson Baptist, Northern Illinois University; Mlungisi Mhlanga, Northern Illinois University

Reaching students where they are: Outreach strategies for full student voter participation

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Changes in higher education have made it more difficult, and more fraught, to conduct nonpartisan student voter outreach that is intentionally inclusive of an entire campus community - and not just the students who are already easiest to reach and most likely to show up. Based on the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition's Reaching Students Where They Are guide, this workshop uses a wealth of on-the-ground experience to help participants identify potential gaps in their outreach, craft new strategies to address them, and ensure inclusivity that is sustainable within the current campus climate.

Presenters: Bianca Rosales, The Students Learn Students Vote Coalition; Danny Fersh, The Students Learn Students Vote Coalition; Courtney Holder, University of Maryland - College Park; Kareena Salvi, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote; Noelani Cubillos-Sanchez, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Reading the Past, Rewriting the Future: The Impact of Uncovering Structural Racism

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
St. Catherine University's "Welcoming the Dear Neighbor?" in collaboration with Mapping Prejudice is a community-engaged public history project where ~10,000 volunteers read and document racial covenants in housing deeds. We describe the process and methodology of the project and present pilot data on how participation heightened participants' awareness of systemic racism. Findings indicate that after direct engagement with primary sources participants increased both their cognitive and emotional awareness of structural inequities and were motivated to educate others. We discuss implications for community-university partnerships that foster civic engagement around racial justice and propose a deeper study of the transformative effects of participating in this project.

Presenters: Anne Williams-Wengerd, St Catherine University; Arturo Sesma, Jr., St Catherine University; D'Ann Urbaniak Lesch, St Catherine University

Rebuilding Belonging Across Generations: Intergenerational Role Renewal in Practice

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
How do we rebuild belonging across generations? This poster presents the Intergenerational Role Renewal (IRR) framework, showing how older adults and younger participants create meaning together through storytelling, reflection, and civic connection. Grounded in research on role theory and mental health, IRR offers practical tools, like the Role Renewal Canvas and Pattern Points Dialogue, to help communities cultivate purpose and empathy. Participants will explore how role renewal fosters belonging, share their own insights, and take away adaptable activities for campuses or organizations. Together we imagine new ways to practice compassion, connection, and unity - the heart of Hope Found Here.

Presenters: Krystal Gilliam, Point Park University

Reciprocal Impact: P-16 Service Learning's Role in College Prep and Teacher Skill Development.

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
This poster details a sustained P-16 partnership between UNO Teacher Education students and English language learners from Benson High School, many of whom are from refugee or immigrant backgrounds. The collaboration provides authentic college exposure that inspires students who might otherwise not consider higher education, fostering a crucial sense of belonging. UNO students gain invaluable hands-on experience creating culturally responsive instruction for multilingual learners, enhancing their teaching readiness. This model demonstrates how a deep, reciprocal partnership moves beyond simple academic help to actively build college identity in refugee or immigrant youth while simultaneously developing highly skilled future educators.

Presenters: Gabriel Pilon Gaiotto, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Roberta Bacelar Lovato, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Reframing the Development of a Social Change Logic Model to Create Collective Impact

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
By adopting the asset-based community engagement strategy and collective impact framework, the church should consider the following six principles (SAMHSA, 2022): 1. Involving diverse community members in key decision-making processes. 2. Building mutual respect and trust between the church and community. 3. Addressing issues that are most important to the community. 4. Maximizing participation and leadership by people living in the community. 5. Jointly learning and discovering, together and from each other, the value of research for improving and sustaining community development. 6. Creating learning opportunities by involving students, teachers, churches, and community members.

Presenters: Sung Kwon, Andrews University

Scaffolding the Bridge: Developing Deliberative & Resilient Students with Engagement & Reflection

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
In a moment where dialogue programs and deliberating across difference are both deeply necessary and widely popular in higher education, students must have the knowledge and skills to productively participate in these spaces. In the Macalester College Community Engagement Center (CEC), students are frequently placed in contexts where they engage in community spaces outside of the institution where they are supported to build public relationships. The CEC designs programs that balance this engagement with consistent opportunities for reflection and meaning-making. In this session, participants will learn about strategies and activities that underline this approach and have the opportunity to share and reflect on how they prepare students for effective communication and dialogue within their own academic and/or community contexts.

Presenters: Derek Johnson, Macalester College; Sam Wegner, Macalester College; Ruth Janisch, Macalester College; Hanna Miller, Macalester College; Yair Castillo Palacios, Macalester College; Amelia Worthington, Macalester College

School and Community Partnerships

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
Attendees will hear concise overviews of communication planning, stakeholder mapping, messaging strategies for diverse audiences, and a streamlined crisis response model. The session includes real-world examples illustrating media outreach, social media engagement, and community feedback via pulse surveys. The presenter will also outline basic evaluation metrics for measuring impact. A dedicated Q&A segment at the end allows participants to clarify concepts and discuss application in their own school contexts. By session's close, leaders will grasp actionable insights to strengthen school-community partnerships.

Presenters: Douglas Fiore, University of Central Missouri

Spanning Institutional Networks of Practice: Collaborative Infrastructure for Community Engagement

Focus area: Infrastructure and support for community engagement
The University of Arizona's Experiential Learning Design Accelerator provides infrastructure and support to integrate community-engaged learning (CEL) into undergraduate curricula. By combining human-centered design strategies with faculty development, the Accelerator fosters sustainable models for embedding CEL into courses. In partnership with CU Boulder, we're advancing this work through collaborative infrastructure emphasizing cost sharing, resource sharing, and co-creation of best practices to scale communities of practice and scholarship. Together, we connect and deepen these communities to empower faculty to design meaningful CEL aligned with student success and community needs. This workshop will share lessons learned, collaboration strategies, and opportunities for connecting CEL communities of practice across institutions, with the aim of cultivating compassion, action, and unity in higher education civic engagement.

Presenters: Annie Kurtin, University of Arizona; Lisa Schwartz, University of Colorado Boulder

Spotting Democracy in Action

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
What does it look like when people practice democracy? When are you practicing skills for democracy in your work? When are you witnessing community members doing the same? Workshop participants are invited to reflect on and practice in real time the perspective-taking and skills essential to fostering democratic spaces, collaborations, partnerships, systems, and communities.

Presenters: Emily Seru, Carleton College; Sinda Nichols, Carleton College

Sprouting Leaders: Designing Effective Campus-Nonprofit Partnerships to Drive Student-Led Impact

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
What makes a campus-community partnership meaningful, sustainable, and student-centered? Through this poster session, we'll explore models and best practices for collaboration between universities and nonprofit organizations. Using Sprout Up — a college volunteer-led environmental education program — as a case study, we'll examine how partnerships can adapt to different campus contexts. We will highlight practical strategies for improving student engagement and equity in service initiatives. Sprout Up is a program of Environmental Volunteers, a nonprofit that has harnessed the power of volunteers to provide nature science education to 500,000 students and families for 53 years.

Presenters: Kendall Post, Environmental Volunteers; Tom Schnaubelt, Stanford University; Anu Ramamurty, Environmental Volunteers

Storytelling for Belonging: A Tool for Faculty Development, Wellness & Community Building

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
In today's shifting higher education landscape, cultivating connection, purpose, and resilience is vital. This interactive session introduces storytelling as a strategy to address faculty burnout, isolation, and well-being. Grounded in a model implemented at NSU MD, the session explores how personal and professional narratives can foster belonging, strengthen faculty identity, and build inclusive academic communities. Attendees will engage in a guided storytelling activity, learn strategies to integrate narrative into faculty development and wellness programs, and explore tools to evaluate impact. Participants will leave with actionable resources to implement storytelling initiatives at their own institutions, positioning narrative as a catalyst for compassion-driven leadership, equity, and community engagement.

Presenters: Arkene Levy Johnston, Nova Southeastern University; Vijay Rajput, Nova Southeastern University

Storytelling for Systems Change: Narrative Approaches to Preservation & Transformation

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
The Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility provides support for students tackling systemic community issues. Through the Lang Opportunity Scholarship (LOS) Program, Lena Habtu '26 and Mya Chuluundorj '26 received training, mentoring, and funding for projects countering ethnic profiling in Ethiopia and cultural erosion in Mongolia. Lena created a documentary with Human Rights First Ethiopia, highlighting Tigrayans' experiences during the 2020-2022 conflict. Mya's project, "Story-Capturers: The Voices of the Land," is a digital archive preserving the cultural heritage of Mongolian rural communities, engaging students against climate change and urbanization. Join this session to learn about replicable solutions developed with marginalized ethnic groups facing threats in Ethiopia and Mongolia.

Presenters: Jennifer Magee, Swarthmore College; Lena Habtu, Swarthmore College; Mya Chuluundorj, Swarthmore College

Student Voices, Community Impact: 8 years of Impactful Community-Engaged Research Projects

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
This poster showcases the community-engaged research projects of John Carroll University interns who partnered with community organizations to address locally identified needs. Through 10-week long summer internships, student researchers collaborated with community partners on projects ranging from youth mental health resource mapping to food insecurity assessment to constructing a homeless Bill of Rights for the City of Cleveland.

Presenters: Heather Craigie, John Carroll University; Katherine Feely, John Carroll University

Student Voting Motivators and Barriers for the 2024 Election: Elections Distrust & Low Self-Efficacy

Focus area: Civic learning and student success strategies
In 2024, the Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project partnered with seven campuses across the country to better understand the motivators and barriers to student voting through campus-wide surveys. During this session, student and staff researchers will share how campus-specific reports are informing future civic engagement efforts, discuss key findings from the aggregate report, and guide participants in exploring ways to improve measurement tools and contribute to the 2026 Student Voting Study.

Presenters: Kassie Phebillo, Fair Elections Center; Brian Siegel, University of Maryland - College Park; Jehlan White, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Student-Driven Approaches to Culturally Responsive Violence Prevention and Survivor Support

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
This session explores how student-led, community-engaged research can drive more inclusive and effective sexual violence prevention and survivor support on college campuses. Drawing from the presenter's honors thesis, the presenter describes participatory methods including interviews, a data interactive, and photovoice, that center student voices to discuss the impact of sexual violence on college communities. Attendees will learn how student perspectives can highlight gaps in current campus responses and point to actionable, culturally responsive recommendations for change. By showcasing the power of student agency in addressing systemic inequities, this poster demonstrates how compassion-driven, student-centered research can create safer, more unified campus communities and advance the collective work of preventing sexual violence through empathy, action, and inclusion.

Presenters: Jaya Dayal, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Student-Led Engagement: From Service Day Models to Social Innovation and Action

Focus area: Student-led, student-driven engagement and leadership
The University of Nebraska Omaha, a metropolitan, community-engaged campus, has developed two complementary pilot models that position students at the heart of community engagement. Supported by private foundation funding, the "Hands of Hope" service project empowered learning community students to envision, plan, market, and lead a multi-day service experience in collaboration with local nonprofits—building leadership, networking, and workforce skills. In parallel, Pitch4Progress invited students campus-wide to design and implement social innovation projects that address real-world challenges alongside community partners. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how student-led engagement can cultivate compassion, agency, and action. By emphasizing experiential learning for all students, UNO's varied approach strengthens workforce readiness, enhances social mobility, and earns broad support from institutional leaders and funders.

Presenters: Toni Monette, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Anna Spethman, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Systems Change and Sustainability: Postgrad Pathways for Continuous Social Impact

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
How can students sustain their social impact projects after graduation and navigate project success amidst limited resources? Join two recent Swarthmore College alumni who have continued to address wicked public problems-digital illiteracy in Liberia and voter disenfranchisement in Pennsylvania-while transitioning to postgraduate life. This socratic-style workshop will engage participants in a systems mapping exercise to discern how one can make a distinctive contribution in the face of resource and capacity constraints. They will encourage participants to grapple with key challenges relating to constituency partnerships, (small and big-P) politics, and project sustainability.

Presenters: Harry Hou, Swarthmore College; Prince Tardeh, Swarthmore College

Teaching How To Think in Hyper-Polarized Times: The Advocate, a Scientist, or Facilitator Model

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
This session will introduce a developing model that lays out three primary "ways of thinking" to help students better understand their potential civic role, particularly in our currently divided times. The model builds off insights from social psychology, conflict management, and dialogue and deliberation. Each option is critical, and has strengths and weaknesses. Ideally, students develop proficiency in all three ways of thinking, and learn how to integrate and prioritize the most useful form depending on the situation. In particular, the session will make the case for the growing importance of thinking like a facilitator, which at its best can bring out the strengths of the other two while helping mitigate their limitations.

Presenters: Martin Carcasson, Colorado State University - Fort Collins

This Generation Hits Different: Supporting Gen Z in Service Experiences

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Gen Z has inspired a shift in approaches for a new group of people volunteering and learning in the community. Challenges continue to exist in how we engage and support these students to gain the outcomes we hope from their experiences. From the perspective of a community service professional on a college campus, this session will explore the background and challenges of this population, consider the effects on volunteer experience, and propose strategies to support Gen Z in ways that speak to them and bring them into our service purpose.

Presenters: Rachel Scherzer, Wittenberg University

Capturing the Critical Lens: Developing Alternative Assessment Tools for Service Learning Impact

Focus area: Storytelling, assessment & impact
A pilot evaluation instrument was developed and used to assess the impact of Critical Service-Learning on undergraduate students’ civic attitudes and skills, satisfaction with and perceptions of community engagement, understanding of course material, and educational experience and skill development. Preliminary findings showcase the need for alternative assessment tools to better address the unique critical lens of service-learning. Assessment tools, IRB/research ethics materials, and syntheses of findings will be presented. Fellow faculty will see tangible strategies for cohering unique data sets to tell a compelling story for continued institutional investment in community engaged classroom practices in support of students and communities.

Presenters: Caitlin Bletscher, Washington State University, Vancouver

Upstream Service: Strengthening Peer Relationships to Prevent Burnout and Improve Impact

Focus area: Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
Service professionals in higher education often operate in high-stress environments where peer support and emotional resilience are essential. This session explores how proactive peer-to-peer management—an upstream approach—can prevent burnout, reduce conflict, and improve the quality of care delivered. Drawing on themes from Upstream by Dan Heath, we'll examine how investing in team well-being before issues arise leads to stronger outcomes for both service providers and the communities they serve.

Presenters: Kristine Cross, The University of Texas at Arlington

Using Cross-Media Storytelling to Cultivate Civic Identity and Democratic Engagement

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
How do we inspire students and community members to act with courage and responsibility in the face of injustice? This session presents Moral Leadership in Action, an innovative course developed by Cong Tony Sun at Tufts University's Tisch College, exploring leadership through generous listening, civic dialogue, and WWII moral exemplars such as Oskar Schindler, Chiune Sugihara, John Rabe, Madeleine Vautrin, and Pope John XXIII. Drawing on Hannah Arendt's writings on responsibility, Kidder's moral courage framework, and Carol Gilligan's ethic of care, the course pairs these foundations with the "Three E's Method" of cross-media storytelling (aesthetics, education, ethics). Participants will analyze narratives and gain strategies to integrate moral leadership and storytelling into classrooms, civic programs, and partnerships.

Presenters: Cong Tony Sun, Tufts University

Using Zines to Spark Civic Action

Focus area: Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
This session, led by millennial artist, social worker & educator, Adriana Paez, will inspire participants to put down their phones, pick up a sharpie, & join the analog revolution that we all need right now - ZINES! Adriana will share her theory on how zines could help us reimagine democracy, providing examples of how she's using zines to move people of all ages from passive observers to active participants. Attendees will leave with a mini-zine instruction manual & the inspiration to take this fun & engaging practice back to their campus/community to try for themselves.

Presenters: Adriana Paez, Studio Paez, LLC

Utilizing AmeriCorps VISTA to Build Capacity and Relationships with Local Nonprofits

Focus area: Authentic campus-community partnerships
A key activity of the joint Climate Resilience Plan (CRP) between Agnes Scott and the City of Decatur is to assist with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Project, a local nonprofit that provides senior home repairs. The Climate Resilience Plan Task Force works towards a more resilient Decatur community with the help of an AmeriCorps VISTA, a position established at the college in 2024 to help strengthen the relationship and build capacity between the college, city, and MLKSP. During this roundtable, the presenters will share how the VISTA supported and built capacity for the implementation of the Climate Resilience Plan along with best practices and lessons learned through collaborative leadership.

Presenters: Noemi Carrillo, Agnes Scott College; Blayne McDonald, Agnes Scott College

Wicked Problems, Shared Humanity: Student-Led Deliberative Dialogue in Action

Focus area: Bridge building, dialogue, and discourse to support an engaged democracy
At Sam Houston State University, the American Democracy Project (ADP) fosters civic engagement through Deliberative Dialogues (DD)—structured conversations that cultivate understanding across difference. This session highlights SHSU's DD certification pathways, where students and faculty earn facilitator or moderator credentials while engaging with "wicked problems" that defy simple solutions. Integrating CDI Perspectives' psycho-social learning tools and assessment, the program embeds DD training into first-year curriculum and co-curricular experiences. Participants will explore the DD program, student-led training, student-led DDs, and program assessment.

Presenters: Steven Koether, Sam Houston State University