Location
2021 Transformation Drive
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
United States
Date & Time
7:30am CDT - 6:30pm CDT
Civic Nebraska’s State of Civic Life Conference on Tuesday, May 19th 2026 will convene community organizers, civic educators, and system reform advocates to collaborate, educate, and plan for the future of our democracy and civic society in the heartland of the United States.
Rooted in the findings of the 2025 Civic Health Index, the conference creates space for practitioners to explore what strengthens civic life - and what actions we can take together to build a more connected, engaged, and informed society. Sessions and convening will be focused on three distinct areas:
›› Civic Health - understanding the conditions that strengthen communities and democratic life, while exploring data, trends, and lived experiences shaping civic well-being.
›› Civic Action - mobilizing communities to participate, collaborate, and lead while highlighting actionable strategies for driving engagement.
›› Civic Education - preparing all people to participate meaningfully in democracy, including formal and informal pathways for cultivating civic knowledge, skills, and confidence.
Civic Nebraska’s State of Civic Life Conference on Tuesday, May 19th 2026 will convene community organizers, civic educators, and system reform advocates to collaborate, educate, and plan for the future of our democracy and civic society in the heartland of the United States.
Rooted in the findings of the 2025 Civic Health Index, the conference creates space for practitioners to explore what strengthens civic life - and what actions we can take together to build a more connected, engaged, and informed society. Sessions and convening will be focused on three distinct areas:
›› Civic Health - understanding the conditions that strengthen communities and democratic life, while exploring data, trends, and lived experiences shaping civic well-being.
›› Civic Action - mobilizing communities to participate, collaborate, and lead while highlighting actionable strategies for driving engagement.
›› Civic Education - preparing all people to participate meaningfully in democracy, including formal and informal pathways for cultivating civic knowledge, skills, and confidence.
Matt Leighninger
2026 State of Civic Life Conference Keynote Speaker
Matt Leighninger is the Vice President of the National Civic League, and directs the League’s Center for Democracy Innovation. NCL was founded in 1894 by Teddy Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis; it maintains the Model City Charter, organizes the All-America City Awards, and supports communities in their work to renovate local democracy. Matt leads the Center’s work in strengthening civic infrastructure, using technology to scale engagement, and measuring the quality of participation and democracy.
Over the last 30 years, Matt has worked with democracy-building efforts in over 100 communities in 41 states. Matt’s first book, The Next Form of Democracy, is a firsthand account of the wave of democratic innovation that emerged in the 1990s and 2000s. His second, Public Participation for 21st Century Democracy, with Tina Nabatchi, is a guide and textbook that surveys the role and potential of democratic engagement. The Center is currently leading two major projects: “Better Public Meetings,” which is helping communities change the typical (broken) format of their official interactions with residents; and the “Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map,” a comprehensive dataset and visualization of all the organizations in America that are working to improve democracy.
Confirmed Sessions and Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Matt Leighninger, Vice President of the National Civic League
Arts Advocacy: A Wellness Program, not an Emergency Room Visit
Dr. Lance Nielsen, Nebraskans for the Arts
Prosper Lincoln: A Decade of Community-Based Solutions
Alexandria Labenz, Prosper Lincoln - Housing Driver
Anne Brandt, Lincoln Littles
Amanda Barker, Lincoln Community Foundation
Rebuilding the On-Ramp: Countering Disenfranchisement Among Naturalized Nebraskans
Lisa Guill, Asian Community & Cultural Center
Leadership in the Public Arena: Why It's Difficult
Racquel Thiesen, Kansas Leadership Center
From Service to Purpose: Helping Students See Civic Engagement as a Path Forward
Anna Spethman, UNO - Office of Engagement
Local Matters: Making a Difference with Strong Towns (PANEL)
Moderator: Abigail Araya, Strong Towns - Omaha
Panelists:
Brian Knudtson, Strong Towns - Blair
Jacob Clark, Strong Towns - Lincoln
Spencer Farley, Strong Towns - Lincoln
Austin Van Velson, Strong Towns - Omaha
Engaging Young Nebraskans in Civics (PANEL)
Moderator: Cleo Zagurski, NEw Voices
Panelists:
Garrett Connely, NEw Voices
Jonathan Renteria, Organizer
Gab Rima, Strongly Worded Letters & Urban Abbey
Melisa Becerra Gonzalez, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
"Learners to Leaders": Entrepreneurship Education for Civic Engagement
Maria Rosario T. de Guzman, UNL - Department of Children, Youth and Family Studies
Surin Kim, UNL - Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design
Moll Brandt, Nebraska State 4-H Office
Reconnecting Generations: Building Youth Civic Power Through Legacy Organizations
Toni R. Monette, UNO - Office of Engagement + League of Women Voters
Setting Yourself Up for Success After Legislative Session
Guadalupe Esquivel, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
Hannah Young, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
Getting There
Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center
2021 Transformation Drive
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
United States
Location
2021 Transformation Drive
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
United States
Date & Time
7:30am CDT - 6:30pm CDT
Who else is coming?
- JG Judy Greenwald
- AB Anica Brown
- TP Thomas Padilla
- LH Lori Harvey
- TD Tricia Darnell
- AM Antonio Marino
- KT Kathleen Thuman
- EJ Emma Jorgenson
- IR Isaac Remboldt
- JS Judith Scherer Connealy
- CR Carol Russell
- CK Christine Kramer
- HY Hannah Young
- SF Spencer Farley
- AD Anjali Deshpande
- VB Victoria Bogatz
- TK Tram Kieu
- GC Garrett Connely
- JC Jacob Clark
- RS Rachel Sissel