National Outside School Hours Services Alliance
Upcoming Summer 2026 GELYDA Conference​
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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.
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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.
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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.
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