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GELYDA Events
Summer 2026 GELYDA Conference
GELYDA hosted a successful conference in Seoul, South Korea June 24th-26th!
Preparing young people for 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 called 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.
The Planning Committee is in the process of updating the official conference website as well as GELYDA's site -- stay tuned for more information. Please visit the site to learn more about the June 24th-26th, 2026 event and regularly monitor for new announcements and updates.
