Logistics
Location: Saemann Student Center, Wartburg College. You can find directions to campus, along with some helpful info about construction, on their directions page.
Parking: You can find options for parking on Wartburg’s visitor parking map – Lot E is closest to the Saemann Student Center. There is also street parking.
Wifi: All guests will register themselves to access campus wifi. Select the “WC_Wireless” network, and then open a web browser to connect to the internet and begin the registration process.
Meals: Friday dinner and Saturday lunch are included in the registration fee. We will have coffee and granola bars available Saturday morning, as well as snacks in the afternoon.
Friday, November 13
Conference Check-in and Dinner | 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. | Knights Ballroom
Please allow at least 45 minutes to check-in, get dinner from the cafeteria, and settle in before our opening programming.
Friday Evening Activities | 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. | Knights Ballroom
Welcome and Orientation to the conference
Ice Breakers & Energizers
“Civic Leadership in Everyday Places”
A student panel moderated by Marisa Grant (Mount Mercy University)
In civic life, leadership does not always come with a title or specific set of skills. It is present in everyday relationships – how people work together, listen, navigate challenges, build trust, and share responsibility. The panel will share stories and reflect on lessons learned from leading alongside others.
Saturday, November 14
Coffee & Networking | 8:15 – 9:00 a.m. | Knights Ballroom
Start your day slowly with coffee, granola bars, and networking with your peers.
Opening Large Group Session | 9:00 – 9:20 a.m. | Knights Ballroom
Energizing group gathering.
Deep-dive Breakout Session | 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Reentry Simulation, Justice Learning Initiative
How we address wrongdoing reflects our values and shapes in profound ways the world we live in. 95% of those incarcerated will be released from prison, yet they will face formidable obstacles to successful reentry. The Reentry Simulation provides a glimpse into those challenges, humanizing the vast, impersonal, and often invisible carceral system. Participants role-play the part of an individual recently released from prison, navigating the obstacles to housing, employment, and stability. Come ready to consider: Are these obstacles inevitable? Why do so many people end up returning to prison? What might we do differently? Can you imagine alternatives?
Wellness as a Civic Skill, Jaina Two-Rivers
Wellness is too often treated as a personal indulgence, separate from working, organizing, and civic life — but sustainable community change requires sustainable people. Our session together will reframe wellness as a civic skill: a practice that strengthens our capacity to show up for our communities and for each other. Together we’ll explore integrative wellness modalities, how privilege shapes who gets to prioritize it, and how to embed these practices into your day to day. Capped at 20 participants.
Disagreeing Better, Riah Coley
Our current political and social climate is increasingly polarized and facilitates the calcification of beliefs and opinions into certitudes. This session will serve as a testing ground for new Seed Coalition Civic Agency Workshop material focused on “steelmanning” arguments by questioning our beliefs, building philosophical charity, and synthesizing and understanding the “other side’s” point of view. Capped at 10 participants.
Lunch | 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Knights Ballroom
Lunch will be served in the Mensa – participants will get their meal in the cafeteria and take it to the ballroom for lunch and small group discussion.
Midday Reset | 12:15 p.m. | Knights Ballroom
Wartburg Social Work class will lead a grounding activity before heading to breakout sessions.
Breakout Sessions | 1:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
This year’s schedule is still being developed. Past sessions have included:
- The Impact of Moral Blame in Adolescent Mental Illness, with Ava Carnes from Simpson College
- Effective Communication in Diverse Communities, with Dante Trinidad-Gomez from Central College
- Empowering and Equipping Student Leaders, with Emilee Burcham from Luther College
- Community-Engaged Research, with Keisya Park, Tianyu Zhang, and Regan Reedy from Grinnell College
- Mentorship Roles within Youth-Focused Community Programs, with Arthur Fahnbulleh and Susin Zeki from Concordia College
….. More to come soon!
Wrapping Up | 3:30 – 4:00 p.m. | Knights Ballroom
Snacks will be served.
