Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network (OEPN) Pre-Conference

Together We Lead: Relational Practice, Community Partnership, and Shared Power

 

Schedule:

Monday, October 5, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Networking evening event

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Pre-conferece workshop

Cost: $125 - Participation fee includes programming materials and meals, including networking event

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Join us for the 2026 Outreach and Engagement Professionals Network (OEPN) Pre-Conference, hosted by the Engaged Scholarship Consortium (ESC), and explore Together We Lead: Relational Practice, Community Partnership, and Shared Power. 

In a time marked by complexity, evolving community needs, and shifting expectations of higher education, the role of boundary spanners - those who build and sustain relationships across institutions and communities - remains essential. As engagement professionals, scholars, and practitioners, we are called not only to design programs and partnerships but to lead in ways that are relational, collaborative, and rooted in shared power. 

This year's pre-conference invites participants to reimagine leadership as a collective practice rather than an individual role. Grounded in traditions of community organizing and informed by the expertise of local partners, this experience centers the relational work that sustains meaningful, community-engaged scholarship. Together, we will explore how trust, reciprocity, and accountability shape transformative partnerships across grassroots efforts, cross-sector collaborations, and institutional contexts.

Through dialogue, reflection, and place-based engagement, participants will examine how leadership is enacted in partnership with communities and how shared power can lead to more equitable and impactful outcomes. Attendees will leave with practical tools, shared language, and strengthened networks to support their work. 

Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned practitioner, this pre-conference offers an opportunity to reflect, connect, and lead-together. 

 

REGISTER HERE