Welcome

We are excited to welcome the NCHC community to Kansas City, Missouri for our 59th Annual Conference, 30 October - 03 November 2024. The Sheraton and Westin in Kansas City are at Crown Center in the vibrant heart of Kansas City.

The theme for NCHC’s 59th Annual Conference is “Harmonizing Heritage: Elevating Honors Education through Culture, Capital, and Community Engagement.” Known as the “Paris of the Plains'' and the “Heart of America,” Kansas City has been, since its founding in the early 1800s, a place where people, ideas, and cultures have met and melded, producing something new, complex, and uniquely American. It is the perfect setting for NCHC to explore these themes with its characteristic combination of intellectual rigor, innovation, and inclusiveness.

NCHC’s Signature Programs, including Place as Text, Beginning in Honors, Developing in Honors, and Partners in the Park will again engage and challenge participants wishing to stretch themselves beyond the ordinary. And, as always, the Annual Conference will also reunite far-flung colleagues and old friends, and forge new attachments.

I urge you to surrender to the magic of “KC.” How many other cities have inspired tributes from musical artists as diverse as Jim Jackson, Fats Domino, the Beatles, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and The Shangri-Las, just to name a few? Treat your tastebuds to the thick sweetness of Kansas City barbecue. Visit the American Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine and feel the thumping heart of American music. And celebrate the sweat, sacrifice, and triumph of African Americans fighting for their rightful place in America’s favorite (and conflicted) pastime by “sliding” into the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

The Fall of 2024 promises to be momentous and memorable. Claim your piece of our shared history by joining us in Kansas City where we will harmonize heritage, infuse excellence into honors pedagogy, and empower our students to become informed, engaged, and impactful contributors to our ever-changing world. Together, we'll elevate honors education to new heights and inspire a generation of thoughtful, dynamic, and socially responsible scholars.