Announcing the Compact24 Plenary sessions

We're excited to share the latest update to the Compact24 annual conference agenda—four plenary sessions featuring thought leaders and changemakers. Read more about them below—and don't forget to secure your spot at Compact24!

Defending Higher Education, Advancing Inclusive Democracy

Sponsored by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation

In this critical election year, America’s progress toward an inclusive, multiracial and multicultural democracy is in question. Recognizing the critical role of higher education in advancing inclusive democracy, many of the actors working to reverse our progress have developed coordinated campaigns to attack higher education, especially its practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion. At this moment of vulnerability, we will be joined by two distinguished leaders working to advance inclusive democracy, Sharon L. Davies, President and CEO of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, and María Teresa Kumar, President of Voto Latino, to share their insights into the challenges and opportunities facing both higher education and democracy.

AmeriCorps & Higher Education: Partners in Innovation and Social Impact

For 30 years, AmeriCorps has supported our nation’s most pressing needs in education, disaster relief, health care, and more. Throughout AmeriCorps history, higher education has been a critical thought leader and implementation partner in empowering communities to affect change. This plenary will celebrate the 30th anniversary of AmeriCorps and the critical role that higher education has played in its success. Furthermore, the plenary will explore the key issues and priorities for national service, civic engagement, and higher education moving forward as our nation and communities face social, political, environmental, and economic challenges and opportunities.

Perspectives on Bridge-building and Engagement Across Lines of Difference

Sponsored by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations

Civil discourse needs to be at the core of higher learning in a healthy democracy, and currently, America’s democracy is not healthy. Polarization and conflict are common narratives across the political, social, and economic landscape—and college campuses are at the center of culture wars. The plenary, sponsored by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, will explore how higher education can and must meet the moment by implementing and scaling civil discourse and bridge-building activities. Lightning presenters and discussants will explore why this work is necessary, what barriers higher education faces, and what conditions are necessary to create a culture on campus that fosters free expression and collective action.

Now is the Moment: Higher Education Civic and Community Engagement as the Way Forward

Civic and community engagement professionals have long been innovators, connectors, and problem solvers who bring people together across campuses and communities around shared causes. From its roots, our field has been grounded in navigating challenging situations through partnerships and collaborations—ultimately developing cutting-edge solutions to address the biggest issues in our society. This is the foundation we can build on as we address the extreme challenges of today. During this plenary session, join us for a frank and honest dialogue about what’s happening, how we’re responding, and what the role of civic and community engagement is and should be.