Summit Schedule
We have tons of fun programming prepared for in-person attendees at Summit. If you can’t join us in-person, be sure to look out for potential virtual opportunities so you can remain involved!
This schedule is subject to change. Nothing on this website is necessarily guaranteeD. the only schedule that is final is the one participants receive at summit.
Saturday, August 3
Summit day one activities
Participants will gather at American University for the first in-person Summit since 2019. After five years of hard work and diligent efforts, HSDA is proud to welcome nearly 40 youth representing about twenty U.S. states to American University to learn from leaders, celebrate our community, and prepare for the 2024 election season.
We will begin with an Opening Ceremony featuring speeches by our very own leadership and staff. We will go over basic rules and logistics, and then get into icebreakers so we can meet the friends we’ll make over the next half-week.
Sunday, August 4
Bridging the Divide: Fighting Polarization Panel
We will be hearing from Braver Angels and Beyond Conflict about how to address the increasing polarization in America. As political violence weighs heavy on our minds and threats to our democracy rise, this panel will discuss how to find common ground and address an issue that shakes America’s very democratic principles.
workshop hosted by headcount
One of the most impactful grassroots voter registration groups, Headcount is present everywhere. You can find their voter registration booths at concerts, community events, festivals, RuPaul’s DragCon, and Lollapalooza. Voter registration is crucial, especially for youth. Despite making up a large percent of the electorate, Gen Z consistently fails in its voter turnout. Complications and confusion often prevent young people from voting, but we’re here to change that.
Learn from Headcount about how to best increase voter registration and strengthen our democracy.
Ken Martin keynote address and Q&A Session
Join us to hear a keynote address from Ken Martin live at American University. Martin is the Chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, President of the Association of State Democratic Committees, and a Vice Chair of the DNC. Elected chair in 2011, Martin is the longest-serving party chair in DFL history.
Getting his start as a 17-year-old intern with Senator Paul Wellstone (MN), Martin has devoted his career to progressive causes and candidates. He successfully championed an amendment to the state constitution that remains one of the biggest conservation finance wins in U.S. history. Under his leadership, Minnesota voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 when other Midwestern states flipped red.
After delivering his address, Chair Martin will be answering questions from both in-person and online attendees.
Anderson clayton virtual keynote address and Q&A Session
Join us to hear a keynote address from Anderson Clayton. Elected as Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party in February 2023 at the age of 25, Clayton made history as the youngest elected chair of a state party in the United States. As Chair, Democrats ran candidates in every North Carolina Senate district and 118 of the 120 state House districts.
Chair Clayton grew up in Roxboro, NC, a rural town north of Durham. With a blue collar background and a focus on rural issues, Chair Clayton knows what it means to organize in places deemed “red” or “unwinnable”. As a young leader, she knows what challenges face youth and how to push past them.
Chair Clayton will be joining us virtually for a keynote address and Q&A session.
State party Chairs Panel
Having heard from Chair Martin of the DFL and Chair Clayton of the NCDP, we are excited to welcome Chair Colmon Eldridge of Kentucky and Chair Shasti Conrad of Washington State to join us in a discussion about how to organize within the context of a state Democratic Party. Learn about how youth can get involved with their state party, how state parties support local candidates and movements, and where we as high school Democrats fit in the machine of a state party.
As we navigate a complex 2024 election season, state parties will prove crucial to boots-on-the-ground mobilization. Let’s learn from the masters about how to best elect Democrats up and down the ballot this fall.
Digital communications training by annie wu
Starting as a staffer in John Fetterman’s campaign for Senate, 28-year-old communications wizard Annie Wu took over a campaign TikTok account and quickly garnered 240,000 followers and millions of likes. Spreading messages in the digital era is a crucial skill and Wu is a master. In a 2022 New York Times article, another young organizer comments that the success of Annie Wu’s communications strategy in Fetterman’s Senate race is proof that you should just “trust young people”.
Learn directly from Annie about how to harness our generation’s love for social media to become a force for the better through intentional and strategic communications that connect with communities and potential voters.
Reproductive justice in a post-roe america by the young feminist party
The disastrous Dobbs decision did not only overturn the historic precedent of Roe v. Wade, it signified a conservative desire to overturn the existing and recognized rights of millions of Americans and the wish for governments to legislate what happens with the bodies of Americans without consulting them. Hear directly from representatives for the Young Feminist Party (formerly known as Generation Ratify) about how we can continue to fight for reproductive justice in a post-Roe America.
Green Wave: The Youth-Led movement to save our planet
We will be hearing from some incredibly impactful voices and organizations in the climate movement. After a record hot summer, disastrous storms in the Gulf, unprecedented wildfires on Hawai’i, and historic flooding, we know climate change is here and it will only get worse if we don’t change the actions of humanity. The speaker lineup for this event and specifics of what we will do will be released shortly.
students for Harris
Our job this November is clear: mobilize to stop Trump and his radical Project 2025 agenda. Hear from the Harris campaign itself to learn about the strategy, communications, and policy behind running a presidential campaign. Taking this knowledge, we can work to knock doors, get out the vote, and persuade voters to support an agenda that is pro-America and pro-Americans. Be on the right side of history as a convicted felon must face a prosecutor in November — Democrats are ready to win the votes of Americans again.
National Mall Tour
In the evening, we will visit one of the most iconic sites in all of America. A staple of any DC adventure, the National Mall features memorials and monuments commemorating important historical events and figures. We will take three hours to explore this uniquely American beauty.
On the itinerary for the evening: the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, the Vietnam Vets Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Vets Memorial, the MLK Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial.
Monday, August 5th
Tours of Air & Space Museum
We will break off into two groups to explore one of two incredibly important and amazing institutions: the National Gallery of Art or the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
Groups will have about an hour for their assigned location. Locations will be assigned to Mentor Groups ahead of Summit.
DNC HQ Meeting
Participants will gather in the Democratic National Headquarters for a tour, meeting with the DNC Youth Coalitions representative, and a brief on Hill Day logistics.
Did you know? HSDA was awarded two seats on the Democratic National Committee in 2019. Crucial to that successful vote was Jason Rae, the youngest Secretary of the DNC in history; we’ll hear from him later!
Capitol hill day
Beginning with a tour of Capitol Hill, we will get well acquainted with Congress. After our group tour, we will break off into our Mentor Groups and meet with multiple staff members across Capitol Hill.
Because Congress will be out of session, many member of Congress are working at home in their districts/states, but experts on policy and legislative affairs are eager to take meetings with HSDA members and discuss how to ensure democracy works for all Americans.
Mentors have the specific schedules for each group including meeting timing and location. Logistics regarding Hill Day will be discussed earlier in the day and in the week. If you have questions about scheduling, please consult your Mentor.
Swingleft training
Founded after Trump’s election in 2016 to flip Congress blue, SwingLeft delivered Democrats the U.S. House. Now working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, SwingLeft has prepared a training for participants on electoral organizing strategy.
Tuesday, August 6th
Navigating religious and cultural influence in politics: a lecture
From Christian nationalism to Bibles in school buildings, the separation of church and state can be a difficult thing to navigate in this day and age. Joining us is a Georgetown Law lecturer and senior research fellow at the Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs to teach us how to best maneuver this political climate. Her scholarship focuses on how religious values might shed light on tort law, legal ethics and legal education, and how principles of dialogue might inform debates about religion in the public square. We are very excited to welcome Amelia Uelmen, B.A., M.A., J.D. as she teaches students in her lecture Navigating Religious and Cultural Influence in Politics.
Ben wikler keynote address
Hailed as one of the best state party chairs in the United States, state party Chair Ben Wikler turned the Wisconsin Democratic Party into a winning machine. Wikler built a party that became a powerhouse of organizing and fundraising. Only three years after taking over as party chair in 2019, Chair raised over $100 million, believed to be a Democratic Party record. Under his leadership, Wisconsin Democrats saw the re-election of Gov. Tony Evers and the election of a pro-choice judge on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to protect the right to choose.
jason rae keynote address and joint Q&a w/ chair wikler
Jason Rae was elected the youngest Secretary of the DNC in 2017. Before that, he was elected in 2004 to be the youngest person ever elected to the DNC at the time. As Secretary, he has been a strong ally and friend of the High School Democrats of America, even proving instrumental in the awarding of two DNC seats to the Chair and a Vice Chair of HSDA. In addition the DNC, Secretary Rae is a partner with Nation Consulting, a public strategies consulting firm.
After Secretary Rae’s keynote, we will begin a joint Q&A session with Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler to discuss party issues, organizing, and the 2024 election.
Issues close to home: a panel with state and local policymakers
When in the nation’s capital, it can be easy to forget that policy and politics is just as important at home as it is in D.C. In a panel featuring elected leaders at the state and local level from various states across the country, we are going to discuss how we can apply the skills learned at Summit to local and state governance and leadership.
On the panel: Rep. Sam Park of Georgia, Delegate Rozia Henson of Virginia, and other guests.
2024-2025 HSDA Executive Board introduction
In July, hundreds of HSDA members cast their ballots to elect a new Executive Board for the 2024-2025 term. We are lucky to have a few members from the new board join us in-person at Summit. Our newly elected Chair and one of our Vice Chairs will give brief remarks as the whole board lays out their vision for the 2024-2025 term.
The new Executive Board officially begins their term on August 23, 2024.
David Hogg Keynote address and Q&A
In the wake of a school shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas HS, David Hogg and other Parkland survivors formed March For Our Lives (MFOL) and lobbied for gun violence prevention measures, demanding safety and security for students and Americans nationwide. Hogg has since founded Leaders We Deserve (LWD), an organization that supports young progressives in their candidacies for office. LWD is backed by major names including teachers’ union presidents, elected officials, state Democratic Party chairs, journalists, activists, professors, and young candidates.
Learn from David Hogg as he discusses youth activism, the importance of youth in electoral politics, Leaders We Deserve, and how to get involved in races up and down the ballot.
End of summit Ceremony
As we close out an incredible several days, our Summit Staff want to extend our heartfelt thanks for being part of this journey. Summit is no easy thing to plan but, in the end, being with our members and the HSDA community makes it all worth it. As the first in-person Summit in 5 years, we know you’ve missed it just as much as we have. Thank you, HSDA.
After our end of Summit ceremony, we will get our things and depart for Union Station and/or the airport to get you home. After you arrive at your respective location, Summit is officially over and we no longer oversee your safety — we ask that you get home safely. We will send a survey about your Summit experience a few days after Summit.