Conference Date: Saturday, February 27, 2027
Location: Ball State University
Proposal Submission Deadline: Friday, December 11, 2026
To celebrate our 12th anniversary, this year's theme is "A Baker’s Dozen" – 12 years of great IDEAs + 1 extra for good measure” —highlighting the extra value, sweet achievements, and rich ingredients that neighborhood leaders bring to our communities every single day. We are inviting proposals for interactive workshops, breakout sessions, case studies, and panel discussions that fit within our four conference tracks below.
Conference Tracks
A Dozen Roses: Cultivate Your Neighborhood
Focus: Nurturing community spaces, place attachment, greening projects, and long-term neighborhood care.
Ideas for Submissions: Beautification initiatives, community gardens, public art and murals, streetscape audits, park improvements, and sustaining resident involvement over time.
A Dozen Donuts: Sweet IDEAs for Your Neighborhood
Focus: Creative community celebrations, social gatherings, welcoming initiatives, and neighbor-to-neighbor joy.
Ideas for Submissions: Block parties and porch parties, cultural festivals, grassroots fundraising wins, local business partnerships, and unique neighborhood traditions that build belonging.
A Dozen Eggs: Cracking the Code
Focus: Interactive mock sessions and live civic simulations demystifying municipal government and regulatory processes.
Ideas for Submissions: Hands-on walkthroughs including mock Tax Sale procedures, Unsafe Building Hearing Authority proceedings, and City Council budget allocations—giving neighborhood advocates practical experience navigating public systems.
A Dozen Signs: The Stars Are Aligning for Your Neighborhood
Focus: Strategic alignment, partnerships, grants, resource leveraging, and visioning for the future.
Ideas for Submissions: Securing grant funding, building public-private partnerships, collaborating with municipal agencies or universities, master planning, and aligning neighborhood goals with regional frameworks.