About the Impact Fellowships Summit
The Impact Fellowships Summit (IFS) is the annual flagship convening where fellowship leaders and designers gather to learn, share, and co-create the future of fellowships.
At IFS, participants lead and engage in hands-on workshops, peer-led sessions, and collaborative dialogues that surface new ideas, strengthen program design, and spark lasting partnerships. The Summit is a space to:
- Learn from diverse voices across sectors and geographies.
- Share tools, strategies, and stories that drive fellowship impact.
- Connect with a growing network of changemakers committed to leadership development.
We are excited to invite you to co-create the Impact Fellowships Summit (IFS) 2026, a dynamic hybrid event taking place April 27-30, 2026. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of gathering this community, this flagship convening will bring together fellowship professionals both virtually and in-person to share insights, innovations, and build a community of practice.
We welcome proposals that foster learning, sharing, and networking, while promoting representative voices and perspectives. Your session could be the catalyst for meaningful connections and transformative ideas in our fellowship community.
Kindly find details below regarding the 2026 Impact Fellowships Summit session proposals:
Impact Fellowship Summit Dates
- April 27, 2026: Virtual engagement. Virtual sessions are most effective when kept to 60 minutes or less to maintain participant engagement.
- April 28, 2026: Virtual engagement. Virtual sessions are most effective when kept to 60 minutes or less to maintain participant engagement.
- April 29, 2026: In-person engagement in Washington D.C. Plenaries will be available virtually.
- April 30, 2026: In-person engagement in Washington, D.C. Plenaries will be available virtually.
How We Evaluate Proposals
The IFS Steering committee will be using the following criteria to evaluate proposals:
- Relevance to conference themes the mission and key values of the IFN community, which is centered on leadership development, social impact, evidence-based learning, and creating a trusted space for fellowship practitioners to connect, learn, and drive positive change in communities worldwide. Our focus areas for the 2026 theme: “A Decade of Connection: Shaping the Future Vision of Fellowships Together” explores how fellowship programs can evolve to meet emerging global challenges, bridge divides, strengthen belonging, and amplify collective impact for the next decade and beyond.
- Speaker expertise and diversity of experiences and perspectives: With a broad definition on “experts” we welcome all to offer key insights for relevant and transformative solutions.
- Presentation quality: Does the proposal include a well-structured outline, clear objectives, and engaging content?
- Audience Engagement and Promotion of shared learning: How does the presenter plan to interact with the audience (e.g., Q&A, discussions, polls)?
Our goal is to accept as many session proposals as possible that meet the criteria and fit into the summit’s schedule. Please note that the working language of the event is English. Currently, we are not able to provide translation beyond captioning in English or American Sign Language translation.
If you have any questions or need more information before then, please contact us at: contact.impactfellowships@irex.org.