2024 College Changes Everything Conference

Save the Date: July 18, 2024
&
Call for Proposals

2024 CCE Conference – Community Health

We invite you to join us for the 14th annual College Changes Everything® (CCE) Conference on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, Tinley Park, Illinois. The annual conference is the state’s foremost college access and success and career readiness event. Diverse stakeholders come together and learn from each other to help Illinois reach its Goal 2025 – to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025.

Equity continues to be at the heart of the CCE conference as we strive to ensure all students have opportunities for college access and success and they are career ready. At last year’s conference, our collective question was: How do we advance educational equity for Illinois students and parents? This year we consider the role of community health on educational equity. As we champion CCE to highlight how education is an essential component of other policy areas, we need to highlight the role community health plays in advancing educational equity for Illinois students and families. So this year, let’s explore these questions: Can you have educational equity without community health? Can you have community health without educational equity?

Community health encompasses various aspects contributing to the well-being of a particular population. Community is a multifaceted concept allowing partners to define it based on who their work serves and how they do their work (e.g., geographic, social, cultural, virtual, professional, intentional/specific purpose, economic, interfaith, neighborhood, supportive, and more). Communities can be dynamic, evolving entities shaped by its members’ interactions and shared experiences. Partners should approach defining health as it relates to their work in a holistic way that includes: mental, physical, and environmental. We know from other initiatives supporting educational equity, collective efforts maximize impact and partnerships enhance sustainable solutions. Informed planning leads to effective policies, resource allocation, and tailored programs.

Call for Proposals: Monday, April 15, 2024

Please consider helping to make this conference a valuable professional development and collaborative experience by submitting a conference interest session proposal. Please click here to access the session proposal form.

Presenting at the CCE conference is a terrific way to support and engage in active learning with colleagues, share your knowledge and stories with a diverse audience, and enrich your own professional growth. As the conference draws a broad group of professionals and stakeholders, we welcome proposals that cover a wide range of topics related to college access and completion and career readiness. Such topics might include and are not limited to: college and career readiness; student retention, persistence, and completion; programs and services for underrepresented students; educational equity; student wellness and emotional support; career and technical education; partnerships; career development experiences; education, business, and the economy; college costs, financial aid, and affordability; and community stakeholder engagement. In support of the conference theme, session proposals also should explain how the information shared contributes to community health.

  • Deadline – Priority consideration will be given to completed session proposal forms submitted by Monday, April 15, 2024.
  • Non-Commercial Policy – Please note that sessions are to be non-commercial forums. Individuals should refrain from using brand names or endorsing specific products. Sessions are not to be used as a place for direct promotion of products and services.
  • Conference Registration – Presenters must register for the conference, and the registration fee is $40.00. Conference registration will open later this spring.
  • Presenter Compensation Policy – The CCE conference does not provide any compensation for individuals accepted to serve as conference interest session presenters. This includes compensation for travel-related expenses and hotel accommodations.

Tinley Park Convention Center

The Tinley Park Convention Center is located just 30 miles from downtown Chicago at 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park, IL 60477.

2024 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee

  • Illinois Student Assistance Commission
  • Illinois Board of Higher Education
  • Illinois Community College Board
  • Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  • Illinois Department of Employment Security
  • Illinois State Board of Education
  • Illinois College Access Network
  • Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
  • Advance Illinois
  • Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
  • ACT Now
  • Women Employed
  • iCan Dream Center

The College Changes Everything® Conference is sponsored
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Helping Illinois reach its Goal 2025: to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025