Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the conference start?
Registration and unpacking begins Sunday at 4 pm and the conference is completed by 1 pm on Tuesday. We do not publish the exact location online, but when you register your school you will receive all of those details and many more.
How many chaperones/advisors do you recommend?
An advisor ratio of 1:8-10 is great. Ultimately you will want enough advisors to facilitate smaller group discussions if your group is large. The hotel works hard to put adults' rooms near to their students' rooms to enable better supervision.
How many typically attend the conference?
The D.C. conference attendance grows each year, but was around 850 last year.
How do schools typically pay for this conference?
Schools usually use a combination of methods to pay for the conference including fundraising, student/parent contributions, and budgeting it into the school budget. The payment structure is designed to allow time for fundraising with the majority of the funds due upon arrival at the conference.
How are speakers and topics chosen?
The conference currently operates on a three-year cycle of themes: Relationships, Human Suffering, and Purpose. The conference director is a commissioned Colson Fellow who consults with leaders teaching Biblical worldview and cultural engagement to determine relevant topics within the theme. Speakers are then vetted based on their Biblical approach to the topic and their ability to engage students with their style of communication. Much time and energy is devoted to finding ethnically diverse speakers. If you have suggestions for speakers, please contact us!
Why do you plan summer-camp fun moments into serious sessions?
Our speakers are great, and the topics are deep and often emotionally challenging. If we do not provide opportunities for students to use a different portion of their brains, to laugh, and to move around, they will be unable to engage in the next speaker's content. We are also intentionally creating an environment that will develop a pro-conference culture within each school, enabling leadership advisors to gradually increase the requirements for attendance. Schools who attend each year are able to require service hours, summer reading, and more because the students are motivated to earn the opportunity to attend.
What if we register and then the whole group cannot come due to COVID exposure or illness?
The school registration fee is not refundable. If your whole group decides not to come due to COVID exposure or illness after you've purchased individual conference tickets (deadline Oct. 15), we will refund 60% of the total ticket price.
What if one of my students cannot attend due to COVID exposure or illness?
Conference tickets are transferable. Please bring another student or adult leader along!
Registration and unpacking begins Sunday at 4 pm and the conference is completed by 1 pm on Tuesday. We do not publish the exact location online, but when you register your school you will receive all of those details and many more.
How many chaperones/advisors do you recommend?
An advisor ratio of 1:8-10 is great. Ultimately you will want enough advisors to facilitate smaller group discussions if your group is large. The hotel works hard to put adults' rooms near to their students' rooms to enable better supervision.
How many typically attend the conference?
The D.C. conference attendance grows each year, but was around 850 last year.
How do schools typically pay for this conference?
Schools usually use a combination of methods to pay for the conference including fundraising, student/parent contributions, and budgeting it into the school budget. The payment structure is designed to allow time for fundraising with the majority of the funds due upon arrival at the conference.
How are speakers and topics chosen?
The conference currently operates on a three-year cycle of themes: Relationships, Human Suffering, and Purpose. The conference director is a commissioned Colson Fellow who consults with leaders teaching Biblical worldview and cultural engagement to determine relevant topics within the theme. Speakers are then vetted based on their Biblical approach to the topic and their ability to engage students with their style of communication. Much time and energy is devoted to finding ethnically diverse speakers. If you have suggestions for speakers, please contact us!
Why do you plan summer-camp fun moments into serious sessions?
Our speakers are great, and the topics are deep and often emotionally challenging. If we do not provide opportunities for students to use a different portion of their brains, to laugh, and to move around, they will be unable to engage in the next speaker's content. We are also intentionally creating an environment that will develop a pro-conference culture within each school, enabling leadership advisors to gradually increase the requirements for attendance. Schools who attend each year are able to require service hours, summer reading, and more because the students are motivated to earn the opportunity to attend.
What if we register and then the whole group cannot come due to COVID exposure or illness?
The school registration fee is not refundable. If your whole group decides not to come due to COVID exposure or illness after you've purchased individual conference tickets (deadline Oct. 15), we will refund 60% of the total ticket price.
What if one of my students cannot attend due to COVID exposure or illness?
Conference tickets are transferable. Please bring another student or adult leader along!