Graduate Student Conference

The Learning Community: Education as a Force for Change

The 17th Annual College of Education Graduate Student Conference

March 5–6, 2026

Champaign, Illinois

Welcome!

The mission of the Graduate Student Conference is to build networks between faculty, colleagues, advanced undergraduate students, and graduate students across disciplines related to learning. As a community, our aim is to address the ways educational access, equity, and opportunity affect, and are affected by our broader society.

We strive to introduce new scholars to the important role that academic conferences will play in their scholarly endeavors, create a safe space for budding scholars to present their ideas, and to serve as a bridge between sharing scholarship at Illinois and the broader education field.

Theme

This year’s theme, “The Learning Community: Education as a Force for Change,” centers on fostering interdisciplinary innovation in education to address complex global challenges. The conference provides an important platform for graduate students to present their research, exchange ideas, and engage with colleagues and faculty across institutions. Through building networks and cultivating an open, collaborative environment, we aim to promote scholarly pursuits that emphasize inclusivity, compassion, and collaboration—core elements in shaping the future of education.

Sub-themes

We invite submissions that span both research and practice, covering a variety of theoretical, methodological, empirical, and technical approaches related to education. The following sub-themes are a guide, but the conference is open to all submissions that are committed to improving learning and instruction:

• Learning Spaces across Classroom, School, University, and Community
• Equity and Inclusion as Shared Commitments for the Future
• Human Connections and Leadership in Learning Communities
• Crossing Boundaries for Collective Growth 
• Digital and AI Learning Communities for Transformation and Access
• STEM Learning Communities for Innovation and Social Responsibility 
• Critical Reflection on Theory, Practice, and Outcomes 
• Reimagining Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation