Stories

Project Pericles is pleased to presenting two sessions at the 2025 American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Annual Meeting, January 22-24, 2025 in Washington D.C. We are delighted to contribute to a robust agenda of sessions for year’s theme: Reaffirming Higher Education Public’s Purpose, which is extremely aligned with our mission of graduating students to be life-long engaged citizens. Please join us: ​ 🗓️ January 23, 2:00-3:15pm: Disrupt Distrust: Fostering Well Being and Resilience through Democratic Engagement. Sanda Balaban, Executive Director, Project Pericles Sinda Nichols, Director of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, Carleton College Danielle Lake, Director of Design Thinking and Associate Professor of Human Service Studies, Elon University Bill Harder, Director of Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence and Professor of Political Science, Goucher College Bernadette Ludwig, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Civic Engagement, Wagner College Session Description: The weight of challenges related to the economy,

On October 23-24, we gathered at Swarthmore College for an inspiring and impactful conference, convening more than 30 Periclean colleagues from across 20+ campuses nationwide. This dynamic, peer-led meeting focused on exploring critical civic issues in higher education, showcasing the expertise within our network and fostering a rich atmosphere of knowledge and relationship building. Participants engaged in an array of interactive sessions throughout our two days together (full agenda here). Topics ranged from measuring and assessing the impact of civic initiatives, to facilitating dialogue in an increasingly polarized environment, to developing innovative student leadership programs, diving deep into community-engaged learning throughout. A quarter of our time was spent in nearby Chester, immersed in the vibrant community collaborations of Swarthmore and Widener University and led by local leaders. We were heartened by high levels of engagement and enthusiasm, coupled with very positive feedback on the individual and collective learning that transpired. An illustrative