The second Summit for Creative Community Solutions, hosted by the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions, will take place on May 8, 2025. This year’s theme, Bridging the Gap: Connections, Accessibility, and Sustainability for Communities, will explore how to strengthen community integration, address the challenges between academic and real-world applications, and promote sustainability.

The Summit will feature a dynamic array of keynote addresses, interactive workshops, and engaging panel discussions, all designed to spark creativity and inspire useful change. In addition, the event will include artistic performances, demonstrating how creativity can be leveraged to tackle social issues and foster a deeper sense of belonging within communities.

The panel topics for Summit 2025 will focus on critical aspects of community development. The Community Connections and Integration panels will explore strategies to strengthen relationships among cultural groups and across many generations, promoting inclusivity. communities. The Accessibility in Knowledge and Skills Sharing panels will address the alignment of academic research with community needs, ensuring that education and training are equipping individuals for societal and economic demands. Finally, the Sustainability and Resilience panels will highlight the importance of urban-rural partnerships, support for sustainable practices in underserved communities, and the drive for sustainable economic development.

Call for project submissions: Summit for Creative Community Solutions 2025

We are inviting students, researchers, community organizations, artists, and changemakers to submit projects for the 2025 Summit for Creative Community Solutions.

Projects must be submitted online and address the Summit’s theme of Bridging the Gap through connections, accessibility and sustainability for communities. Organizers welcome submissions in the following areas:

Community connections and integration:

• Cultural and intergenerational initiatives that strengthen relationship and mutual understanding.
• Emerging trends in community-based media and alternative communication methods.

Accessibility in knowledge and skills sharing:

• Bridging the gap between academic research and community priorities.
• Strengthening educational pathways to prepare for emerging societal and economic needs.

Sustainability and resilience:

• Urban-rural partnerships that foster sustainable collaboration.
• Community-led solutions to overcoming barriers to sustainable living.

The deadline for submissions is April 8. Formats can include presentations, poster boards, or creative projects such as artistic, digital or multimedia projects. Projects must be submitted using the summit’s online form.

The Summit is an initiative in partnership with the City of Brantford, Laurier’s Sustainability Office, Enterprise Brant, Alumni Office, Belonging Brant, Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant, and the Office of Research Services.

Keynotes for Summit 2025 

Summit 2025 will include Lucy Marco, Executive Director of the Grand River Council on Aging; Dr. Alexis Buettgen, Assistant Professor of Psychology; and Rita-Marie Hadley, Director of Lansdowne Children’s Centre.

       Lucy Marco           Dr. Alexis Buettgen      Rita-Marie Hadley

Testimonials From Summit 2024

Eric Meliton, Manager of Laurier’s Sustainability Office, said, “The inaugural Summit for Creative Community Solutions showcased diverse perspectives on innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity. As part of our support, the Sustainability Office offered a tour of key projects and initiatives at the Brantford campus, highlighting our 2023-2028 Sustainability Action Plan.”

Peter Smith, Founder and Creative Director of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity and a presenter at the Summit, described the event as follows: “The Summit brought together so many creative voices from a number of different communities and in that weave, a lot of stories got told - stories that offered not only food for thought - but ideas for action.” The Summit clearly showcased the power of community and the potential that emerges when people come together with a shared vision for a better future.

To learn more about last year's Summit “Innovation, Sustainability, Inclusion”, please visit Summit 2024 Schedule.