IU Northwest to host Men at the Margins Conference
- By: Indiana University Northwest
- Last Updated: September 24, 2026
Indiana University Northwest, in partnership with MBK Lake County, IN, is hosting the Men at the Margins Conference on March 18-19, 2027.
The inaugural two-day conference will focus on the challenges, opportunities, and issues affecting local youth and adult men, with particular emphasis on communities across Northwest Indiana.
It will explore how schools, neighborhoods, institutions and public systems can work together to support positive development, engagement, achievement and lifelong success for boys and men. Students, researchers, educators, policymakers, community leaders, families and more are invited to participate in the conference.
“When we invest in the potential of our young men, we invest in the future of our communities,” IU Northwest Chancellor Arrick Jackson said. “IU Northwest is proud to co-host the inaugural Men at the Margins Conference as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue, innovative solutions and partnerships that empower the next generation of males to succeed.”
Teresa Lubbers, President of the Sagamore Institute echoed Jackson’s sentiment, “Sagamore Institute’s Failure to Launch report makes clear that we cannot afford to look at the challenges facing boys and young men in isolation. The next step is bringing people together to listen, learn from one another and turn what we are learning into action. Men at the Margins creates an important opportunity to do exactly that—here in Northwest Indiana and across the state.”
The conference will feature nationally recognized speakers, interactive workshops, youth-led discussions and cross-sector conversations designed to turn dialogue into action to empower youth and adult men to thrive and contribute to their communities.
“The title of this conference challenges us to ask an important question: Who are we leaving at the margins, and what happens when we decide they belong at the center of our collective attention?” Lake County Prosecutor and My Brother’s Keeper Lake County Chair Bernard Carter said. “Men at the Margins is an invitation to listen, learn and act together on behalf of our young men. When we bring our institutions, our communities and our young people into the same conversation, we don’t just create the possibility for something different—we create the responsibility to make something better.”
While the full schedule is under development as proposals come in, some of the sessions include:
- Opening plenary from a nationally recognized speaker
- Youth voices dialogue
- Featured keynotes
- Concurrent learning sessions
- Employer and workforce summit
- And much more
Registration
Registration is currently open to all members of the community.
Students ages 13 to 18 are encouraged to attend the conference free of charge, thanks to the generous support of our donors.
Registration details for attendees ages 19+ are:
- Early registration (until Oct. 31, 2026) | $175
- General registration (until Dec. 31, 2026) | $200
- Late registration (Jan. 1 to Feb. 26, 2027) | $225
Proposals
The Men at the Margins Conference is actively seeking proposals from practitioners and service providers from Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. We encourage all to submit a proposal to lead a concurrent session highlighting established practices or initiatives that explore factors affecting the success of men and boys, both educationally and socially.
Sponsorships
We are also seeking sponsorships for the conference. Every sponsorship is more than a financial contribution; it is an investment in possibility.
Each sponsorship includes “Future Leader Scholarships,” allowing young people (ages 13–18) to attend the Men at the Margins Conference at no cost. Removing these financial barriers will help connect tomorrow’s leaders with the people and opportunities that will shape their futures.
Additional Information
Additional information about registration, conference details, proposals and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the conference website.
All Indiana University events, groups, activities, and educational, cultural, and historical observances welcome all IU students and other members of the Indiana University community.
About MBK Lake County, IN
My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Lake County, IN, is a local initiative of the national My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an initiative of the Obama Foundation, working to advance opportunity, achievement and positive outcomes for boys and young men, with a particular focus on young men of color. Established in 2024, MBK Lake County, IN is one of 54 certified communities in the national MBKA network and brings together community leaders, educators, families, institutions, youth and cross-sector partners to identify and address the barriers that can limit young men’s ability to thrive. Edgewater Health serves as the backbone organization providing the infrastructure, coordination and community support necessary to sustain the initiative and advance its collective work. Through partnerships and community-driven action, MBK Lake County, IN, works to ensure that young men have access to the relationships, resources, opportunities and systems they need to succeed in school, work, family and community life.
About IU Northwest
One of nine campuses of Indiana University, IU Northwest is located in metropolitan Northwest Indiana, approximately 30 miles southeast of Chicago and 10 miles from the Indiana Dunes National Park. The campus has a student population of approximately 3,000 degree-seeking students and more than 30,000 alumni, most of whom remain in the Northwest Indiana region, and has been recognized by the Department of Education as a minority and Hispanic serving institution. The campus offers Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Services, the School of Business and Economics, the School of the Arts, and the School of Education. The campus is also home to IU School of Medicine-Northwest-Gary, the region’s only four-year medical doctorate program. As a student-centered campus, IU Northwest is committed to academic excellence characterized by a love of ideas and achievement in learning, discovery, creativity, research and community engagement. Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring.
