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.

Join Us at the Summit for Creative Community Solutions 2025!

You're invited to be part of the Summit for Creative Community Solutions 2025 on May 8, 2025, at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus! This year’s theme, “Bridging the Gap: Connections, Accessibility, and Sustainability for Communities,” brings together students, faculty, community leaders, artists, and changemakers to share ideas, collaborate, and build a more inclusive, sustainable future.

The day will feature inspiring keynote speakers, thought-provoking panels, interactive workshops, and creative performances, all designed to spark dialogue and action. It is a FREE event open to everyone. 

The Summit for Creative Community Solutions is presented in partnership by Wilfrid Laurier University and the City of Brantford, and made possible thanks to support from Enterprise Brant, Laurier’s Sustainability Office, Laurier's Office of Research Services, the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, Laurier Brantford Grants and Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant. 

Location: Research and Academic Centre, 150 Dalhousie St., Brantford

Register now and be part of the conversation that’s shaping our future!

Register here

Detailed schedule is available Here.

Summit 2025 Full Schedule

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

Schedule Overview

[Schedule will be updated as needed.]

8:30-9:00 a.m. | Location: RCW Lobby

• Registration and Breakfast
• BioAdaptive Interface Lab Showrun and Info Session | Location: RCW lobby

9:00-9:50 a.m. | Room: RCW002

• Opening Remarks
• Keynote: Lucy Marco, Creating a Community for a Lifetime

10:00-11:00 a.m. Session 1: Panels

• Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Turning Challenges into Opportunities | Room: RCE004
• From Pixels to People: Harnessing Digital Tools for Real-World Change | Room: RCW202
• Just Transitions: Sustainability, Reconciliation, and Community Resilience | Room: RCW002
• Community Connections through Experiential Learning | Room: RCW203
• BioAdaptive Interface Lab Showrun and Info Session | Location: RCW lobby

11:00-11:10 a.m. BREAK

11:10-11:40 am | Location: RCW002

• Keynote: Rita-Marie Hadley, Leveraging Accessibility to Build Connections 

11:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. LUNCH (Music by Noah Abrahamse) | Location: RCW lobby

• Tour: Sustainability at Brantford Campus | Location: RCW lobby

12:40-1:40 p.m.  Session 2: Panels

• Storytelling for Change: Crafting Narratives that Connect and Inspire| Room: RCW002
• Building Inclusive Communities: Housing, Culture, and Advocacy for a Better Tomorrow | Room: RCW202
• Respect, Resilience, & Gratitude – Where Art, Science, Local and Indigenous Knowledge Intersect | Room: RCE319
• Bridging Movements and Ideas: Empowering Change through Advocacy, Education, and Dialogue | Room: RCW203
• BioAdaptive Interface Lab Showrun and Info Session | Location: RCW lobby

1:40-1:50 p.m. BREAK

1:50-2:50 p.m. Session 3: Panels

• The Ripple Effect of Authentic Self-Expression | Room: RCW002
• Dancing the Bridge: Navigating the Gap through Dance | Room: RCE004
• Bridging Gaps, Building Belonging: Identity, Mental Health, and Education | Room: RCW202
• Inspired community, Real impact | Room: RCW203

2:50-3:00 p.m. BREAK

3:00-3:45 p.m. | Room: RCE004

• Keynote: Alexis Buettgen, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Equity-based Co-creation
• Performance: Central and South Asian Dance by Paromita Kar, Sumedha Mongia, and Pooja Sathe-Kulkarni

7:00 p.m.  POST-EVENT PARTY: QUEERAOKE hosted by Queer Joy | Location: Hudson Public, 93 Dalhousie St. 

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.