EPIC-N Announces Virtual 2021 EPIC-Network Conference, October 5-7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EPIC-Network
August 27, 2021
Madison, WI, August 27, 2021 – The Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities -Network (EPIC-N) , a global non-profit organization that unites the human capital of universities with local governments and communities to improve quality of life and social wealth, announced its upcoming #2021EPICN Conference. The virtual, interactive event will focus on updating the membership on the growth and proliferation of the EPIC Network, the trending topics affecting EPIC programs, and the resources available to tackle them. Taking place October 5-7, the event offers attendees from across EPIC-N’s global community the opportunity to connect with peers and gain fresh ideas on how to enhance EPIC programs at every level, from beginner to mature programs.
“The conference is a way to bring [university and community] practitioners together to share the resources that EPIC-N makes available,” explains Jane Rogan, Director of Sustaining Hoosier Communities with the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement. “And to develop a broader and deeper understanding of what the organization does for the membership and to encourage the membership to make use of the products and services that EPIC-N offers.”
The virtual event will deliver a collaborative and fun learning environment. “Since this is a virtual format, it’s easier to attend and participate. There are so many successful programs, and they have a lot to contribute,” shares Anne Reichman, Director of the ASU Sustainable Cities Network and Project Cities Program.
#2021EPICN will offer attendees the ability to build a unique and tailored experience with inspiring and informative discussions over the three-day period on key pillars including:
- The expansion of the network, internationalization, the utilization of UN SDGs to frame its work, including as a lens for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work;
- The evaluation and impact of its work in communities, with students, with universities in the short and long term; and
- EPIC-N’s program support, including discussions of tools, opportunities, funding models, and how EPIC-N can support programs. Also, how programs can be more responsive and involved within the network to help build network strength, enthusiasm, collaboration, and to better demonstrate successes, share best practices and develop robust data sets.
At the conference, participants will gain a better understanding of the “growth of the EPIC Network and the fact that the growth has been international, not just in the U.S.; how EPIC programs are shifting to focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the basic metric of what we’re doing while respecting the local context of the individual regions and programs; the progress we’ve made in program quality assurance and quality improvement, but that we also need some quality control on how the programs themselves are running and what sort of effect they are having on students, faculty, and their communities,” says Joel Rogers, EPIC-N Chair and Secretary. “And they’ll learn that there’s a lot of money out there to help them build their programs, but we need the evidence of program impact on students and the broader community.”
For more information on the conference, visit www.epicn.org. Follow the latest conference updates on social media via #2021EPICN on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
About EPIC-N
The Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities – Network (EPIC-N) is a nonprofit association with members all over the world. The organization and its members unite the human capital of universities with local governments, and communities, to improve the quality of life and social wealth for all involved. It does so by supporting the application of The EPIC Model.
Media Contact
Marshall Curry, EPIC-N Program Manager
Phone: +1-608-709-6844
Email: mcurry@epicn.org
epicn.org
