Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2025 Anchor Learning Network Action Summit. The virtual summit brought together people from across higher education, community-based organizations, and local governments to explore how to build thriving neighborhoods through place-based strategies, partnerships, and innovation.
We’re grateful to our presenters for sharing thoughtful, practical insights and to all participants for their commitment to building strong communities.
Learn more about the presenters and watch event recordings.
On the first day of the summit, Carol Coletta, Bloomberg Fellow in Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, presented the keynote entitled, “Connecting for success: New opportunities for economic mobility in the places you anchor.” Carol shared what decades of planning, funding, and managing public space have revealed about its remarkable potential to spark more happiness and more economic opportunity. It’s all about connecting.
On day two, CUMU hosted a panel discussion with John Pattison of Strong Towns, Mark Overmyer-Velazquez and Wiley Dawson from the University of Connecticut Hartford, and Kristi King from the University of Louisville. This session highlighted innovative, place-based approaches to building stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities. Presenters shared how small-scale public investments, campus-community collaboration, and applied learning projects are transforming infrastructure, advancing student success, and promoting health and well-being.
After the public events on both days, CUMU member participating in the Anchor Learning Network met as a group to dig deeper into the topics and to learn how to apply the principles shared on their own campuses.
If you are part of a CUMU member campus and would like to apply to be part of next year’s Anchor Learning Network, we invite you to apply for a 2026 cohort when applications open in October.
Learn more about the Anchor Learning Network and eligibility requirements.