Get ready for the 2023 HSDA Summit!

Every summer, HSDA members from across the country have the chance to come together and participate in exciting programming at the National Summit. Over the course of 2 days, members engage in extraordinary events, impactful training and workshops, influential speakers, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet with young progressives from all parts of the nation. By the end of the program, we hope to turn attendees into better activists and better citizens, as well as help foster a community of passionate high school organizers.

SUMMIT IS HAPPENING TODAY

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click here for zoom links

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SUMMIT IS HAPPENING TODAY 〰️ click here for zoom links 〰️

Details

The 2023 HSDA Summit will take place July 11-12 on Zoom. All links can be found on this website and will be sent out via email to members.

Attendance

Attendance is strongly encouraged of all HSDA members across the country. The opportunities and experiences you’ll get out of Summit will prepare you for politics, life, and a tradition of leadership within HSDA. All workshops will maintain attendance lists which may be referenced by HSDA leadership in the future when considering positions on leadership or National Staff.

Cost

The cost of attendance is entirely free!!!!!

Summit Schedule

All times are in Eastern Time Zone.

July 11

  • Summit kicks off with a bang as we hear from our outgoing Executive Board, notable speakers, and we go over the exciting two days that make up our 2023 Summit!

  • Two workshop sessions will be hosted during this time, featuring a variety of speakers.

    1:00 - 2:00 --- Workshop Session 1

    2:00 - 3:00 --- Workshop Session 2

  • Take this time to get off your screen and rest your eyes, eat a snack, take a nap, or doom scroll on social media.

  • The Coalition Fair is an amazing opportunity for members to put themselves out there and connect with youth-led advocacy organizations from across the country, ranging across interests and methods of organizing. The Fair will host booths from multiple groups and allow for participants to float between booths and learn about 21st-century youth organizing in America.

  • This time frame is to allow members to connect, network, and befriend other members in their geographical region, as defined by HSDA. Make a new friend!

  • Take this time to eat dinner, nap (again), rest your eyes, or do whatever you need to do!

  • Either take this time as a break or join one or both of the fun events that will be going on in this time frame.

    7:00 - 8:00 PM --- Who Let Him Cook ❌💯🗣🙅‍♂️ Event with Luke Netto

    8:00 - 9:00 PM --- Mixer for networking and socialization

July 12

  • 12:00 - 1:00 PM --- Speaker

    1:00 - 2:00 PM --- Workshop Session 3

    2:00 - 3:00 PM --- Workshop Session 4

  • It’s a break.

  • 4:00 - 5:00 PM --- Speakers

    5:00 - 6:00 PM --- Workshop Session 5

  • ‘Tis the last break.

  • We end our Summit on a bittersweet note as we say goodbye to our graduating seniors, our 22-23 Executive Board, and we welcome our incoming EBoard.

Events

The Coalition Fair

The Coalition Fair is an amazing opportunity for members to put themselves out there and connect with youth-led advocacy organizations from across the country, ranging across interests and methods of organizing. The Fair will host booths from multiple groups and allow for participants to float between booths and learn about 21st-century youth organizing in America.

Who let him cook ❌💯🗣🙅‍♂️

The Who Let Him Cook ❌💯🗣🙅‍♂️ event will be a multi-purpose event for both entertainment, education, and an experience in classy dining. Food is a uniting factor in American history: bringing together foreign cultures, American innovation, and good ol’ fashioned fun. Recreating classic American takes on the best meals, Luke Netto will showcase his ability to multitask while cooking a meal and also talking politics.

Mixer

The evening mixer event will give participants the opportunity to make new friends, grow their network, and create connections with other HSDA members. In a classic one-on-one style mixer, participants will pair up with totally random participants to foster a sense of community within HSDA, highlighting our strength through difference.

Workshops & Content

7/11 1:00 - 2:00 PM - - - Workshop Session 1 - - - Boots-on-the-Ground

  • Grassroots Organizing

7/11 2:00 - 3:00 PM - - - Workshop Session 2 - - - Campaign Skills

  • Digital Organizing

  • Campaign Strategy

  • Messaging and Communication

7/12 1:00 - 2:00 PM - - - Workshop Session 3 - - - Stronger Together

  • Self-Advocacy: Strategy for Women in Politics

  • Building JEDI Concepts from Inside Out

  • A Crash Course in Black History

7/12 2:00 - 3:00 PM - - - Workshop Session 4 - - - Building a Better HSDA

  • Networking and Career Development

  • Local Chapters 101

7/12 5:00 - 6:00 PM - - - Workshop Session 5 - - - Operational Abilities

  • How to: Programs

  • Fundraising and Finance for Progressives

  • Leadership Development

  • Link to Grassroots Organizing 101 resources

    This training will introduce participants to the basics of grassroots organizing, including building relationships, community outreach, and volunteer recruitment/management. The training will utilize lectures, activities, and case studies to ensure participants have a strong understanding of the foundational concepts of grassroots organizing. Additionally, tactics of grassroots lobbying to influence political systems and processes will be discussed.

  • Link to Digital Organizing resources

    With the increasing importance of digital tools in organizing in the 21st-century, this training will introduce and educate participants on how to leverage social media, email marketing, and other digital tools for effective outreach and mobilization. The training would be conducted through interactive sessions focusing on usage of Canva for communications, VoteBuilder/ActBlue/Mobilize for on-the-ground organizing using tech, and other software to expand participants' proficiency in digital organizing.

  • Link to Campaign Strategy resources

    This training would teach participants how to join campaigns as staff and volunteers and how to effectively win campaigns for Democratic and independent progressive candidates. Experienced campaign staff and volunteers will educate students on identifying key areas to canvass, demographics to target, and crafting campaign messages.

  • Link to Messaging and Communication resources

    This training would focus on crafting a compelling message and developing effective communication strategies. The training would use a mix of lectures, role-playing, and group activities to teach participants how to create a clear and concise message that resonates with their target audience. The end goal of the workshop is to equip participants with the communication skills needed to win constituencies, bring more youth to the table, inform others, and report on the greater political world in a young, progressive lens.

  • Link to Self-Advocacy resources

    This workshop is designed for young women interested in politics who want to learn how to overcome barriers, negotiate effectively, and advocate for themselves. Participants will learn how to navigate difficult conversations and assert themselves with confidence, as well as how to create a support network and establish a positive reputation within their professional communities.

  • Link to JEDI resources

    This workshop empowers attendees to apply diversity initiatives to promote JEDI concepts for personal growth and build more inclusive environments. Through interactive exercises and discussion, participants gain a deeper understanding of biases and privileges, working towards creating equitable and just communities.

  • Link to Black History Crash Course resources

    While the GOP tries to silence Black voices and history, HSDA fights back with a condensed one-hour seminar on Black history. Utilizing resources from the AP African American Studies framework, essays from The 1619 Project, and studies on the applications of CRT), participants will be educated on the history of Black life, culture, civil rights, and role in America. By providing this reframing of race, HSDA hopes participants can understand why Black Americans face the issues they do today and why many progressive ideals go unfinished (hint hint, race plays a factor).

  • Link to Networking resources

    This workshop will provide students with the tools to build their political network, including crafting a strong professional brand, utilizing social media effectively, and building strategic relationships. Participants will learn how to create a comprehensive career development plan, including identifying and pursuing opportunities in politics, non-profit organizations, and government. The workshop will also include creation/refinement of a resume and Linkedin page.

  • Link to Local Chapters 101 resources

    This workshop will equip local chapter leaders with a quick rundown on how to start, maintain, and run a successful local chapter. Participants are encouraged to go to other relevant courses for more in-depth discussion of topics. Through group projects, lectures, and discussions, the Local Chapters 101 workshop will provide participants with everything they need to be successful and to carry out the aims of HSDA.

  • Link to Programs resources

    Programs are a difficult thing to plan with tens, or even hundreds of moving parts. Finances, logistics, scheduling, everything is chaos unless you know what you're doing. In this workshop led by the HSDA National Programs team, participants will learn all the different aspects of programming and how to manufacture engaging programs. In the form of lectures, panel discussions and Q&As, and activities, participants will leave with the knowledge and resources to plan a small to large-scale event.

  • Link to Leadership Development resources

    The Leadership Development seminar/workshop will educate participants on leadership styles, techniques, and methodologies. Using case studies, lectures, and individual activites, the workshop will instill HSDA members with a servant-based leadership mentality with practical applications in the political and professional world. Content will be original to the seminar but will draw on the experiences and training of lecturers and workshop leaders.

  • Link to Fundraising and Finance resources

    This training will equip participants with skills in fundraising, budget management, and other financial skills to help them succeed. It is tailored especially towards state and local chapter chairs and leadership for them to host fundraisers and manage chapter finances to help them succeed in whatever they do. By giving leadrers these toals, the seminar hopes to build a new group of financially-literate leaders within HSDA to bring young progressive organizing to a stronger point from the finance side.

Links