ATHENS, Ohio — Ohio University will bring faculty, staff, students, community partners and regional leaders together for the Engage OHIO 2026 symposium on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5-6, at the Ohio University Inn and Conference Center in Athens, the university announced.
The 2026 Engage OHIO: Community and Place-based Engagement Symposium explores how universities and communities can work together to advance learning, strengthen communities and serve the public good, according to the university. Registration is now open, with the full program available through the Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment.
"Engage OHIO is an opportunity to bring everyone into the same room to build the relationships that can grow into partnerships, and learn from the collaborations that are already working," said Courtney Lefebvre, interim executive director of Ohio University’s Center for Community Impact and a member of the symposium planning committee, in the university’s announcement.
The symposium opens Thursday, Nov. 5, with the Community Engagement Awards and the Place-Based Teaching and Learning Plenary at the Ridges Auditorium, featuring plenary speakers Joe Brehm and Bryn Sowash of Rural Action. The awards recognize community organizations and university colleagues across Ohio University’s campuses.
Among the 2026 recipients, the Southern Wayne Advocacy Council is OHIO Partner of the Year, Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio is Athens Partner of the Year, and Dr. Pamela Kaylor of Ohio University Lancaster will receive the Community Engaged Faculty Award, according to the university. Sarah Simmons of Ohio University Southern and Larry Hayman are among the Community Engaged Administrator Award recipients.
On Friday, the program begins with a student poster session and continues with concurrent sessions on community engaged teaching and learning and nonprofit capacity building. The afternoon includes mobile experiences at campus and community sites demonstrating partnerships in action, the university said.
For Southeast Ohio, the symposium is more than a campus event. It puts Athens at the center of a regional conversation about experiential learning, nonprofit capacity and collaborative problem-solving, and it invites community partners interested in campus-community partnerships to attend and build new connections for the work ahead.
Photo: Kayura Mendonza, CC BY-SA