Service-learning opportunities in higher education connect learning to the real world, providing ways for universities to engage with communities while preparing students for their careers. In support of strengthening this hands-on approach to learning beyond the classroom, each spring students, faculty, and staff from 12 Southern states converge for the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Through Higher Education. This year the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is hosting the Summit Thursday-Saturday, March 26-28, 2026.  

"Learning by doing is one of the best ways to build a strong foundation in one's education, especially if what you are doing is of service to the community,” said Gabriel Durham, one of the conference’s organizers and UHD Associate Director of Community Engagement & Service Learning. “We are thrilled to bring this esteemed summit to UHD and fully believe that its themes of community, connection and service are especially vital for facing the challenges of this unique time.”  

The mission of the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Through Higher Education is to promote networking among practitioners, research, ethical practices, reciprocal campus-community partnerships, sustainable programs, and a culture of engagement and public awareness through service-learning and other forms of civic engagement. Membership in the Gulf-South Summit Executive Committee consists of representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia.  

It is not too late to register for this three-day conference filled with ideas and strategies for community engagement in higher ed. The pre-conference itinerary on Thursday, March 26, includes visits to the Houston Food Bank, the nation’s largest food bank by distribution, and historic Third Ward’s Project Row Houses, which enriches lives through art, plus a Buffalo Bayou boat tour.  

In keeping with Houston’s “Bayou City” nickname and UHD’s location at the convergence of White Oak and Buffalo bayous, this year’s conference is themed “Bridging the Bayou—Pathways of Community.” Since the beginning of mankind, humans have forged pathways to communicate with one another and share resources. From roads and bridges to texting and the internet, these pathways shape community both physically and culturally. This year, the Gulf-South Summit will showcase how pathways and connections impact and inform community engagement. 

This comprehensive conference includes 22 posters and 56 presentations and interactive workshops sessions with titles ranging from “Building Empathy Using Immersive Technology” to “Map, Measure, Mobilize, Building Evidence-Ready Service-Learning.” Concurrent sessions center on one of five subthemes:  

  • Shifting Foundations: Modern fundamental changes in how communities form, change and represent themselves. 
  • Blockage and Clearance: Physical, infrastructural, financial, or organizational barriers or portals to community engagement. 
  • Convergence and Intersections: How increasing or decreasing hyperconnectivity can impact community engagement. 
  • Floods and Droughts: Too much of one thing, not enough of another. How complimentary partnerships can fill the gaps. 
  • Gauging the Waters: Using research and assessment to course correct or gain deeper insight. 

The keynote speaker for the conference is Ruth N. López Turley, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, which brings together data, research, engagement and action to improve lives. In 2011, she founded the Houston Education Research Consortium, a research-practice partnership between Rice University and 11 Houston area school districts, representing more than 700,000 students and working to improve educational equity by connecting research to policy and practice. She also founded the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships, which connects and supports over 60 partnerships between research institutions and education agencies throughout the country. She is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard and is originally from Laredo, Texas. 

The first of two plenary panels is devoted to the intersections between higher education and non-profits for civic initiatives. Moderated by Houston Food Bank President Brian Greene, the panel includes Reverend Dr. Mark Brown, Chief Executive Officer of West Houston Assistance Ministries; Ronnie Hagerty, Ph.D., CFRE, Assistant Vice President, Community Relations, United Way of Greater Houston; and Dr. Robert Sanborn, President & CEO, CHILDREN AT RISK. 

The second plenary investigates the intersections between higher education and for-profit civic initiatives. Moderated by Gilbert Herrera, Director of Mauldin & Jenkins, the panel includes Melanie Diaz, a Partner of Boston Consulting Group; Alicia Dixon, Director of Community Relations for CenterPoint Energy; Alex Obregon, Regional Vice President of Finance & Business Operations and Chief Financial Officer of Comcast Texas; and Charles Stein, External Affairs Director, AT&T. 

For more information, email info@gulfsouthsummit.org.