Conference Recap: Highlights from Program Directors Gathering at Swarthmore College

On October 23-24, we gathered at Swarthmore College for an inspiring and impactful conference, convening more than 30 Periclean colleagues from across 20+ campuses nationwide. This dynamic, peer-led meeting focused on exploring critical civic issues in higher education, showcasing the expertise within our network and fostering a rich atmosphere of knowledge and relationship building. 

Participants engaged in an array of interactive sessions throughout our two days together (full agenda here). Topics ranged from measuring and assessing the impact of civic initiatives, to facilitating dialogue in an increasingly polarized environment, to developing innovative student leadership programs, diving deep into community-engaged learning throughout. A quarter of our time was spent in nearby Chester, immersed in the vibrant community collaborations of Swarthmore and Widener University and led by local leaders.

We were heartened by high levels of engagement and enthusiasm, coupled with very positive feedback on the individual and collective learning that transpired. An illustrative piece of feedback from Mecca Madyun, Faculty Director, Civic for Civic Engagement at Drew University:
"ALL of these sessions offered extremely insightful perspectives, practices, and questions which have influenced me to evolve my pedagogy and strategies for developing an equity-centered ecosystem that will sustain civic engagement work." Other comments we received included: “this is one of the best conferences I have been to in a long time,” “all the sessions were worthwhile, which s saying a lot.”

Heartfelt thanks to our Periclean Program Directors for their dedication and collaborative spirit that fueled such a worthwhile gathering. We are keenly aware of how valuable their time is, and deeply appreciate their investment in the Periclean network and look forward to building upon the foundation we collectively created for years to come.  We extend extra gratitude to Swarthmore College, and in particular Program Directors Jennifer Magee and Ben Berger, for the exceptional efforts they undertook in welcoming the Periclean community to their beautiful campus and for sharing the truly inspiring work of the Lang Center.

Check out photos from this wonderful conference here!