Office of the Chancellor
Office of Public Engagement2026 Public Engagement Summit
The Office of Public Engagement invites faculty, staff, students, and community partners to submit proposals for the 2026 Public Engagement Summit — Publicly Engaged Solutions to 21st Century Societal Grand Challenges: Illinois Leadership and Innovation. This free, full-day Summit will highlight publicly engaged research, teaching, and service partnerships addressing today’s most pressing societal challenges. It includes basic, participatory action/ use-inspired research; implementation and demonstration projects, and service-learning courses and other activities.
The Summit will showcase collaborations between the university and community organizations, governments, nonprofits, and businesses — locally and globally — focused on promising or best practices and impact.
Submit your proposal to join us in shaping meaningful dialogue and shared learning.
All university faculty, staff, students, and community partners are invited to submit proposals presenting:
We welcome proposals across public engagement. Themes of particular interest include the following:
Public engagement initiatives and projects focused on specific grand challenges — such as inclusive education, economic and workforce development, community health and wellness, accessible technology, environmental justice, food security, homelessness, or other areas of interest to university and community partners.
Best practices for building mutually beneficial, ethical, and sustainable community-engaged partnerships — drawing on the expertise of community partners and university researchers/instructors/staff with extensive engagement experience.
Partnering with communities to identify needs and solutions to emergencies and in rapidly changing socio-political environments — and understanding the effects of these events on communities.
Measuring, evaluating, and communicating public engagement outcomes — highlighting challenges and progress in how university and community partners assess impact and share results with various audiences.
Collect the items below to complete the online submission form.
A 15-minute presentation with facilitated discussion.
A descriptive presentation focused on program design, promising or best practices, and impact.
A facilitated discussion with 3–5 panelists on a timely topic.
Interactive poster session engagement with Summit participants.
The lead presenter will receive confirmation that the proposal has been received.
The lead presenter will be notified by Wednesday, February 25.
Presenters of accepted proposals will be asked to confirm participation by Monday, March 2.
Due to limited presentation space, not all proposals can be accepted. Multiple submissions are allowed.
All presenters and attendees must register. There is no fee to attend.
Proposals are reviewed for clarity, partnership strength, and potential value and impact. This includes basic, participatory action and use-inspired research; demonstration and impact projects; and service-learning courses and other activities.
Content advances understanding of engaged research, teaching, and service and how they help solve societal grand challenges.
Demonstrates meaningful collaboration with community partners including ethical and sustainable partnerships and rapid response collaboration.
Provides practical guidance, lessons learned, design princiand promising and best practices.
Proposal purpose is clearly articulated, including project relevance, potential value, and impact.
Questions? Contact Penny Nigh at nigh@illinois.edu