The Frances Clark Center

Collegiate Connections: Call for Participation

Celebrating collegiate groups and their innovative projects

Collegiate Connections, a professional engagement initiative for students and faculty, supports the innovative work of emerging leaders, scholars, and artists. The program provides opportunities for collegiate groups and classes to submit term and annual projects. Selected group projects will be showcased in the Collegiate Connections online national event on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Eastern. The program aims to foster a greater sense of community and peer connection through this forum for the exchange of ideas and dialogue from across the country and beyond.

Selected projects may also be included in various Piano Inspires digital and publishing spaces, such as Inspiring Artistry, From the Artist Bench, Discovery Page, Piano Magazine and Piano Inspires Kids. In addition, university and faculty mentor names of all proposal submitters will be recognized in an upcoming issue of Piano Magazine, on PianoInspires.com, and in other Frances Clark Center communications.

The Proposals Submission Portal will open in early November 2025. The deadline for project proposal submission is Monday, March 30, 2026. Please see below for submission information. Selected collegiate groups will be notified in mid April 2026 and will be featured as presenters for the Collegiate Connections webinar. Registration for the webinar will be required for all presenters. Collegiate Connections event registration is now available.

Please join us as we explore and amplify the dynamic work of the next generation of piano educators and trailblazers.

Call for Participation

We invite collegiate groups in pedagogy, repertoire, and related performance classes along with their faculty to participate. Projects may cover a wide range of topics such as creative teaching projects, lecture and musical presentations, community engagement, and business entrepreneurship projects. We welcome all group proposals; note that proposals by individual presenters will not be considered.

Other suggested topics include but not are not limited to the following:

Advocacy
Business and entrepreneurship
Career development
Collaborative performance
Community engagement
Creative music making
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Early childhood education
Group piano
Inclusive teaching

Independent music teaching
Interdisciplinary subjects
New professionals
Research
Social justice
Teaching adults
Technology
Wellness
Other…

Proposal Requirements

Presenter names; faculty mentor; university affiliation(s); and primary contact email address
Exact title of proposed presentation
An abstract of the project, not to exceed 350 words.
Format of proposed project (presentation, performance, creative project, etc.).
Short bio(s) (35-50 words) of the presenters.
Digital photo(s) of the presenters. Color headshot preferred; 300dpi. File named by presenter (Last First). Max file size of 6 MB.

The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, March 30, 2026,

at 11:59 P.M. Pacific.

Click here to submit a proposal

Terms and Conditions

By submitting a proposal, all group members and faculty mentor agree to the following:

Primary Contact: Faculty may submit proposals on behalf of their students, or a student may serve as the primary contact.
Availability: Prior to proposal submission, proposers must communicate with all co-presenters and the faculty mentor regarding their interest and availability.
Submission Restrictions: Projects that are commercial in nature are not eligible for review.
Acceptance: The primary contact will be notified of final program decisions by early April 2026, and completion of an acceptance form will be required.
Communication: The primary contact is responsible for communicating all emails and information to all co-presenters.
Live Event Registration and Attendance, Webinar: Presenters for all selected proposals are expected to register for and attend the Collegiate Connections live webinar event on April 24, 2026 (register here).
Change of Schedule and Cancellation Policy: The event schedule and format is subject to change without notice, including modifications to modality, duration, and timeframe, for reasons such as health and safety, and other reasons as deemed necessary.
Photograph and Video Usage Consent: With your consent, photographs or recorded video of this event may be used and reproduced as part of The Frances Clark Center’s teacher training resources, without compensation to you. In addition, the Frances Clark Center reserves the right to use the photographs and videos in any of its print or online publications and advertisements. All photographs, digital images, video files and other formats are the property of The Frances Clark Center.

Questions? Contact [email protected] for assistance.