Call for Proposals: 2027 PHENND Conference: The Age-Friendly Campus – Jan 8

Posted by PHENND on October 6, 2026

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Friday, January 8, 2027
LOCATION: St. Joseph’s University, University, Philadelphia, PA
CONFERENCE DATE: Friday, February 26, 2027 (Save the date!)

OVERVIEW:

We are looking for individuals who plan on attending the “PHENND Conference: The Age-Friendly Campus” to be held Friday, February 26, 2027 to design and lead paper presentations and workshops. This gathering will be attended by 100-120 campus staff, faculty, students and community partners active in community service, service-learning, college success and campus-community partnership work. While primarily targeting individuals who are part of the 20+ colleges and universities involved in the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND), this event is also open nationally to practitioners of campus-community partnerships. Over the course of one day, between 3 and 5 elective choices will be offered during each of three sessions. Therefore, we are looking for a total of roughly 10-15 workshops and/or paper presentations.

We seek sessions that explore the following themes and ideas:
—Intergenerational Programming: Sessions that explore how higher education can foster relationships across generations. Consideration for how these programs impact current students as well as the larger society.

—Children on campus: Sessions highlighting programs and projects designed for the thriving of young children (ages 0-12) whether for community-based/school participants and/or the children of staff/students.

—Older adults: Sessions highlighting programs and projects designed for the thriving of older adults (ages 55+) whether for community-based participants and/or faculty/staff/students.

—Changing demographics of students: Sessions that discuss creative ways for addressing the widening age ranges of college students and how that impacts classroom instruction as well as other aspects of the college experience. The average age of a U.S. college student is 25 with one-third of students older than 25. What does this mean for campuses that have traditionally served 18-22 year olds? How does this fact impact the public perception of higher education? How does this fact influence the experience of higher education for people of all ages/life stages?

—The Future of Higher Education and Lifelong Learning: Speculative discussions of how higher education can/should/must adapt to truly be centers of “lifelong learning.” Proposals should go beyond programming and consider physical layouts, financial models, and the public purpose of higher education. How can embedding intergenerational approaches to higher education solve many of higher education’s challenges and solve societal programs?

Learn more and submit your proposal here.