GELYDA Events

Upcoming Summer 2026 GELYDA Conference

The GELYDA Steering Committee is pleased to announce the Association’s next in-person conference in Seoul, South Korea in Summer 2026! Preparing young people for democratic citizenship is more urgent than ever. Children and youth must develop the values, skills, and attitudes to participate meaningfully in community life, safeguard positive norms, and contribute to a more just and connected global society. Without this intentional preparation, we risk what Hobbes once warned of—a “bellum omnium contra omnes”—a war of all against all.

Empathy, responsibility, collaboration, and commitment to the common good—do not happen by chance. They must be cultivated through both formal schooling and extended education. Afterschool programs, service learning, and community initiatives provide critical opportunities for young people to practice perspective taking, civic engagement, and collective problem-solving.

The 2026 GELYDA international conference calls on practitioners, policymakers and researchers to explore how schools and extended education can share responsibility in preparing the next generation for active, engaged and inclusive citizenship at the local, national, and global levels. We invite you to contribute papers and presentations that advance this essential agenda.

We are excited to announce the official website for GELYDA's international conference in South Korea has officially launched. Please visit the site to learn more about the June 24th-26th, 2026 event and regularly monitor for new announcements and updates. This will be the hub for all information with GELYDA's site also posting key information.

The call for abstracts is officially open for GELYDA's international conference and all submissions are due by February 28th, 2026. Below please find links and dates with all key information and the detailed call for papers can be found here. We encourage all who are interested in presenting to submit!!

Abstract Submission Information:

Call for papers announcement & details: here
The link for submitting abstracts can be found here
Abstract Submissions Due: February 28, 2026
Acceptance Notifications Shared: March 15, 2026

The Early Bird registration period is now open for the conference and will run until March 15th, 2026. Regular conference registration will run from March 16th until May 31st, 2026. Important note, Early Bird rates will apply only to those who complete this pre-registration form before the March 15th deadline. To learn more about general registration deadlines, fees and payment methods feel free to visit the full conference site.