Join us May 19, 2026, at Nebraska Innovation Campus for
Conference
Strengthening Civic Health | Inspiring Civic Action | Advancing Civic Education
Student pricing and scholarships available now
This one-day gathering is for community catalysts, educators, local leaders, neighborhood advocates, and anyone who calls Nebraska home – and who wants to strengthen our state’s shared civil society.
Rooted in the findings of the 2025 Civic Health Index, the conference creates space for practitioners to explore what strengthens civic life – and what actions we can take together to build a more connected, engaged, and informed society. Sessions and convening will be focused on three distinct areas:
- Civic Health, or understanding the conditions that strengthen communities and democratic life, while exploring data, trends, and lived experiences shaping civic well-being.
- Civic Action, or mobilizing communities to participate, collaborate, and lead while highlighting actionable strategies for driving engagement.
- Civic Education, or preparing all people to participate meaningfully in democracy, including formal and informal pathways for cultivating civic knowledge, skills, and confidence.
2026 State of Civic Life Conference Keynote Speaker
Matt Leighninger
Matt Leighninger is the Vice President of the National Civic League, and directs the League’s Center for Democracy Innovation. NCL was founded in 1894 by Teddy Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis; it maintains the Model City Charter, organizes the All-America City Awards, and supports communities in their work to renovate local democracy.
Matt leads the Center’s work in strengthening civic infrastructure, using technology to scale engagement, and measuring the quality of participation and democracy.
Sessions and Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Matt Leighninger, Vice President of the National Civic League
Arts Advocacy: A Wellness Program, not an Emergency Room Visit
Dr. Lance Nielsen, Nebraskans for the Arts
Prosper Lincoln: A Decade of Community-Based Solutions
Alexandria Labenz, Prosper Lincoln – Housing Driver
Anne Brandt, Lincoln Littles
Amanda Barker, Lincoln Community Foundation
Rebuilding the On-Ramp: Countering Disenfranchisement Among Naturalized Nebraskans
Lisa Guill, Asian Community & Cultural Center
Leadership in the Public Arena: Why It’s Difficult
Racquel Thiesen, Kansas Leadership Center
From Service to Purpose: Helping Students See Civic Engagement as a Path Forward
Anna Spethman, UNO – Office of Engagement
Local Matters: Making a Difference with Strong Towns (PANEL)
Moderator: Abigail Araya, Strong Towns – Omaha
Panelists:
Brian Knudtson, Strong Towns – Blair
Jacob Clark, Strong Towns – Lincoln
Spencer Farley, Strong Towns – Lincoln
Austin Van Velson, Strong Towns – Omaha
Engaging Young Nebraskans in Civics (PANEL)
Moderator: Cleo Zagurski, NEw Voices
Panelists:
Garrett Connely, NEw Voices
Jonathan Renteria, Organizer
Gab Rima, Strongly Worded Letters & Urban Abbey
Melisa Becerra Gonzalez, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
“Learners to Leaders”: Entrepreneurship Education for Civic Engagement
Maria Rosario T. de Guzman, UNL – Department of Children, Youth and Family Studies
Surin Kim, UNL – Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design
Moll Brandt, Nebraska State 4-H Office
Reconnecting Generations: Building Youth Civic Power Through Legacy Organizations
Toni R. Monette, UNO – Office of Engagement + League of Women Voters
Setting Yourself Up for Success After Legislative Session
Guadalupe Esquivel, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
Hannah Young, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
Civic health reflects the degree to which individuals participate and are represented in their communities, from local and state governance to interactions with friends and family. It refers to how communities are organized to define and address public problems.
The data and insights in this report serve as a starting point for conversation and collective action to strengthen civic life and democratic engagement across the state.
For small towns and metropolitan cities alike, the benefits of strong civic health range from achieving success on community priorities to increased wellness to greater economic prosperity for more residents.
The conference will explore three focus areas:
Three Focus areas
.
Community engagement, organizing, and civic education
Best practices and emerging trends in community engagement, civic health, civil discourse, and media literacy.
Community engagement data and research
Latest data trends in civic engagement, voting, trust in institutions, and how that data can be used and inform work in our communities across the country.
Systems-level democracy reform
Reforms that change how we enact laws and elect our representatives directly on the local, state and national levels.
For sponsorship opportunities
Contact Kyle Cartwright at ky*************@***********ka.org