Dear Members, Colleagues, and Friends,

The GELYDA Conference Is Almost Here

Building Civic and Community Engagement in Youth Development: A Shared Responsibility of Schools and Extended Education, hosted by Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul South Korea (June 24th to 26th, 2026). 

Join Us Next Month – In Person or Virtually

There is still time to register

Learn more about the esteemed keynote speakers, engaging program and all pertinent event information by visiting the conference website. This year for the first time we will have a new offering in the program for last minute findings, policy initiatives or practice/program innovations. You can sign up to be part of the exchange of ideas until two weeks before the conference and your name will appear in the program.

There is still time to join in-person or for the virtual conference components. Registration is open until May 31st and all GELYDA members will receive a discount to attend. Not a GELYDA Member yet, join today by simply visiting here. Questions - email us at 2026.gelyda.conference@gmail.com. 

We look forward to seeing you in Seoul or online.

April/May 2026 GELDA Blog

Learn more about the Seoul convening and what to expect during this exciting three-day event by reading the most recent GELYDA blog for April/May, Thoughts about the Third GELYDA Conference, Seoul, South Korea. This piece is written by the Program Chair and Conference Organizer Sang Hoon Bae, Professor at the Department of Education and Provost in the Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea). The blog can be found here, along with all contributions to date from our global community of experts.

Warm regards,

Gil G. Noam, GELYDA Chair

Members of the Steering Committee of GELYDA (full list below)

Kristin Lewis-Warner, GELYDA’s Senior Manager

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Sang Hoon Bae, Professor at the Department of Education and Provost in the Sungkyunkwan University

Dale Blyth, Professor Emeritus and former Howland Endowed Chair in Youth Development Leadership

Kylie Brannelly, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Children’s Activities Network (QCAN) and Chairperson of the National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA)

Marlene Gras, Founder and Director of TierraED, Mexico City

Fuyuko Kanefuji, Professor at the Department of Human Sciences and Director of the Institute of Living Sciences, Bunkyo University

Linda Khanyi, Chief Education Specialist. Gauteng Department of Education

Kolbrún Þorbjörg Pálsdóttir, Dean of the School of Education at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik

Ludwig Stecher, Professor at the University of Giessen