Join us at the 2026 PennACE Conference!
- 1 day ago
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Updated: 10 hours ago
Tuesday, May 19 - Thursday, May 21, State College, PA
Join us for three days of engaging speakers, breakout sessions, social events, and networking opportunities designed to inspire and connect professionals across Pennsylvania.
NEW MEMBERS: Join us for a New Member & First-Time Conference Attendee Welcome on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 9:30–10:15 a.m. This will be a casual coffee meet-up to help make connections, get oriented, and learn how to make the most of the conference!
2026 Conference Schedule
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Pre Conference Activities
1:30pm Golf Outing *preregistration required and Glass Fusion Workshop *preregistration required
2:00pm Centre Furnace Mansion Tour *preregistration required
4:00pm University Wine Company Tasting *preregistration required
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
8:30-9:15 Rest & Recharge Session
9:00-10:30 Registration
9:30-10:15 New PennACE Member & First Time Conference Attendees Welcome
10:30-10:45 Welcome
11:00-12:00 Knowledge Session I
Do Hard Things. Leadership Lessons That Can Improve Retention - Based on the book by Steve Magness, “Do Hard THings. Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Real Science of True Toughness”. More Than a Job Search: Guiding Nontraditional Students (25+) from Classroom to Career - This presentation will focus on the challenges, barriers, and expectations of working with students who are nontraditional-aged (25+).
12:00-1:30 Lunch & Networking
1:30-2:30 Express Session I (attend two of the three 25 minute sessions)
Career Cafe - this initiative offers a simple, scalable “menu” of 15-60 minute partnerships designed to strengthen collaboration between faculty and Career Services
How to Build a Regional Internship Summit *PennACE Grant Recipient - Learn how a few PennACE members partnered to create the Berks Internship Summit, a half-day, employer-focused event supporting regional workforce development and student retention.
The Prepared Freshman: What Early Career Counseling Could Mean for Colleges and Employers - There are more and more high schools enhancing their ability to provide career counseling for their students. In this session you will learn about what this trend could mean for colleges and employers.
2:45-3:45 Knowledge Session II
Pairing Personality with Professionalism: Turning Type into Trajectory - This interactive session equips career and professional development practitioners and employers with a proven, campus-tested model for delivering engaging 16 Personalities/MBTI based workshops.
From Vision to Buy-In: A Replicable Strategic Planning Model for Career Services Leaders - This session shares an accessible, replicable approach to strategic planning in career services that aligns student outcomes and impact with institutional priorities and advancement goals.
Small Behaviors, Big Impact: How Everyday Habits Shape Career Readiness and Professional Success - Drawing inspiration from behavior-change research popularized in Atomic Habits, this session explores how everyday habits - many of them nonverbal - signal professionalism, readiness, and leadership potential.
3:45-4:00 Afternoon Snack Break
4:15-5:15 Knowledge Session III
Let’s Talk: Boosting Your First Destination Survey: Tools, Tactics, and Takeaways This session will discuss effective approaches for improving first destination reporting. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their processes.
From Overwhelmed to Integrated: A Practical Strategy for the AI Anxious - This session offers a grounded starting point for those who feel fatigued by AI.
5:15-6:30 The (almost) Famous PennACE Gameshow & Happy Hour
6:45 Group Dinners or Dinner on your own
Thursday, May 21, 2026
9:00-10:00 Express Session II
Mindfullness, Coloring and Zentangles - This hands-on workshop will help participants discover ways to relax and de-stress.
Staying True to You: Authenticity, Creativity, and Career Development - This session explores how authenticity and creativity play a critical role in meaningful career development, particularly for students and early-career professionals.
Supply Programs vs. Demand Programs. Curb Your Student Attendance Anxiety SRU will share their “litmus tests” surrounding producing events that shore up student attendance, revenues and effectiveness.
10:00-11:30 Brunch & General Meeting
11:40-12:40 General Session - Growth Mindset in a Changing World of Work: Purpose, Pathways, and Possibilities in Practice This interactive session explores growth mindset as a practical framework for empowering students, candidates, and early-career professionals to thrive amid uncertainty.
12:45-1:15 Closing Session & Prizes
Conference Hotel
Cost: $149 per room, per night, plus 11% occupancy taxes
Reservations:
Call: 814-863-5050 or 800-233-7505 and give the block code PENN26A.
The cut-off date to make reservations at the discounted group rate is 4/19/2026.
Sponsorship Packages
Information on the conference sponsorship packages, as well as exhibition and advertiser options, can be found on the PennACE Conference website.
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