HILL Conference – HILL Project

HILL Conference: Learning in/from Place and Community

October 24 – 26, 2025 | Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI)

The Learning in/from Place and Community conference marks the culmination of Kalamazoo College’s Humanities Integrated Locational Learning (HILL) initiative, a Mellon Foundation “Humanities for All Times” project. Over four years, HILL fostered site-based collaboration among students, faculty, and community partners in Kalamazoo, New Orleans, St. Louis, and San Diego, exploring how the humanities engage with place, displacement, and community.

Conference Highlights

BODEWADMI NDAW film + discussion with Davis Henderson & Jason Wesaw
Plenary Speakers: Jamala Rogers, Dylan Miner and Monica Kelly
Community Panels & Art Workshops
Digital Humanities & Student Research Exhibition

Schedule at a Glance

Friday, October 24
4:30 PM – Welcome & Opening Remarks
5:00 PM – Film Screening
7:00 PM – Structured Discussion/Reflection

Saturday, October 25
10:00 AM – Plenary Address (St. Louis): Jamala Rogers, Executive Director, Organization for Black Struggle
11:15 AM – Panel One: History and Preservation
12:30 PM – Lunch Discussion and Reflection
2:00 PM – Panel Two: The Urgency of the Local
3:30 PM – Panel Three: Cultivating Community
5:00 PM – Plenary Address (San Diego)

Sunday, October 26
9:00 AM – Digital Humanities Hub & student research exhibition
10:00 AM – Plenary Address (New Orleans)
11:15 AM – Concurrent Workshops
12:30 PM – Closing Remarks