2025 NNSP Annual Conference

In the age of TikTok and Instagram, supporting and engaging students to become educated and involved citizens can be challenging. Many young people believe their vote will not matter and that decisions made by elected officials are not something that they can influence. We still teach kids today the same way that we did 50+ years ago where they go to one room for math and a different room for history and a different room for every other subject, but we live in a world that is more interconnected than ever._x000D_
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We have to meet students where they are and engage them on the issues that matter to them. We need to connect them to the process and show them how to access it so that they can see themselves as engaged citizens. The best way to do that is by actually making kids a part of the process. By encouraging students to work the polls on Election Day, they get to see the process up close. For my students, they quickly realized that the people who came in to vote at our school did not reflect the diversity of our neighborhood and school community. By working with students at the polls, they get to ask questions about the process, the candidates and different roles of all of the elected officials. They get to see first hand how the process works and begin to connect the issues to the process. Engaging kids before they leave high school provides the opportunity to connect them in a way they may not on their own._x000D_
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As a science and special education teacher at a very diverse comprehensive neighborhood high school in Philadelphia, and a degree in both political science and biology, I know all too well how disengaged students can be. Join us for a conversation about engaging students in civics outside of the history or social studies classroom and across a broad range of interests an abilities. Learn how inclusion is possible for students of diverse abilities and the excitement of kids engaging in the process, working the polls and voting for the first time.

This session introduces participants to the world of social entrepreneurship, interweaving design thinking, systems thinking, and the power of storytelling for social impact. Through compelling narratives of young changemakers, participants will learn three key processes for innovation: spotting opportunities in their communities, testing and refining ideas through real-world prototyping, and implementing viable solutions to address pressing social issues. The session empowers participants to challenge preconceived notions about innovation and overcome common myths surrounding youth-led change, emphasizing that age is not a barrier but a unique advantage. Through interactive storytelling exercises and case studies, participants will discover how to harness stories of changemakers and entrepreneurs as inspiration for students to take meaningful action and create lasting impact in their communities.

The 3-part Degrees of Impact series is grounded in NNSP's signature summer programming that has successfully run for the past five summers. The series will guide educators in structuring or redesigning a comprehensive community engagement program. Each session builds on the last, offering a step-by-step approach to align mission and outcomes, repurpose existing programs, and integrate meaningful opportunities into the curriculum.

Part 2: Repurposing Programs and Identifying Challenges
Learn to leverage existing programs within your school to enhance civic engagement and social impact efforts while addressing potential obstacles. Educators will examine strategies to redesign or strengthen current initiatives for greater community impact, using resources from the National Network of Schools in Partnership. This session also offers insights into navigating challenges like resource limitations or stakeholder buy-in.

Young changemakers have unprecedented access to tools that can amplify their voices and turn ideas into impactful movements. This session will equip educators and mentors with strategies to help students harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to secure funding for their social impact projects. From grants and pitch competitions to fellowships and unconventional funding sources, participants will learn practical ways to guide students in using AI tools for research, storytelling, proposal generation, and outreach.

This session introduces participants to the world of social entrepreneurship, interweaving design thinking, systems thinking, and the power of storytelling for social impact. Through compelling narratives of young changemakers, participants will learn three key processes for innovation: spotting opportunities in their communities, testing and refining ideas through real-world prototyping, and implementing viable solutions to address pressing social issues. The session empowers participants to challenge preconceived notions about innovation and overcome common myths surrounding youth-led change, emphasizing that age is not a barrier but a unique advantage. Through interactive storytelling exercises and case studies, participants will discover how to harness stories of changemakers and entrepreneurs as inspiration for students to take meaningful action and create lasting impact in their communities.

The 174-year-old Hill School is closely tied to Pottstown, Pa. – and, in 2014, a variety of factors led it to strengthen its connections to this “gritty” small city by creating Hobart’s Run, a comprehensive initiative to make Pottstown safer, cleaner, and more inclusive. Learn about this now 8-year-old, still-evolving neighborhood engagement project and how it has made a tangible, appreciated impact on our hometown while addressing School concerns such as Pottstown’s role in student and faculty recruitment and enhancing Hill’s community service culture.

The last decade has seen an intensification of three of our roles as classroom teachers: the desire and need to teach civics, including supporting students' curiosity with the political process, the duty to protect marginalised students and uplift silenced voices, and professional responsibility of maintaining partisan neutrality in the classroom. However, the polarisation in the political environment of the past few presidential administrations has made teachers feel as if some of three responsibilities take precedence over the others or -- worse -- that backing away from these discussions is the easy way out. Instead, I will aim to make a convincing case for the importance in helping our students productively engage in civic discourse and embrace their viewpoints, and help to equip teachers in all disciplines to do so safely.

All schools aim to create successful, contributing members of society. Community service is often seen as a vital path to achieving this goal, with some schools making it a graduation requirement. However, community service has become another item to check off a list for college applications, rather than a meaningful experience. The term “community service” itself implies a one-way street of giving rather than a mutual partnership between students and organizations. _x000D_
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What if we could redefine community service to be more than counting hours? What if it became an opportunity for students to explore their passions and interests, using them to benefit the larger community? This question inspired me during a seminar series by the World Leadership School in spring 2021, leading to my “moonshot project” that integrated service into the school day. This integration is crucial as students are already overwhelmed with extracurriculars, homework, and family commitments. _x000D_
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In June 2021, I presented this idea to the administration, and with their support, we launched the Eagles with a Purpose (EWAP) club in the 2021-22 academic year. Utilizing our school’s block schedule and “X-blocks,” which provided almost two hours for specialized meetings, EWAP met regularly. In our first year, 10 students participated, engaging in various activities such as: hosting guest speakers, including a state Senator, who discussed using skills to benefit the community, writing cards for soldiers, visiting seven non-profits to volunteer, organizing a volunteer fair at our school, collaborating with local non-profits on projects like a kickball game with Gigi’s Playhouse and a bake sale for childhood cancer research. _x000D_
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The success of EWAP led the administration to recognize it as a .5 credit interdisciplinary class. The following year, our numbers grew to 14 students, and we expanded our activities to include a Passion Speaker Interview event, where students interacted with professionals about their career paths and community impact. This past year, with 17 students, we focused on researching issues important to them and partnering with non-profits to create spring action projects. _x000D_
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Students reported significant personal growth and community impact from their participation. Comments included: "EWAP helped me realize the importance of helping my community, even with small acts," "I learned how to host drives and fundraisers, which I can continue in college, " and "This class enhanced my sense of empathy and social responsibility." _x000D_
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Creating a program like EWAP does not require substantial financial investment. Schools need to allocate time in the schedule, have a passionate coordinator, and facilitate off-campus activities. Celebrating students’ work through events and sharing successes with the community can also help gain traction and support from students, parents, and the school board. _x000D_
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In the past three years, EWAP has: Volunteered over 515 hours, visited 15 local non-profits, hosted 13 guest speakers, created 23 projects for non-profits, and enabled 14 community engagement activities. _x000D_
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Schools should be places where students learn to engage with the community, developing skills that benefit them and society. By integrating service into the school day and aligning it with students’ passions, we create meaningful, fulfilling experiences that show students the value of their classroom skills in the real world.

This session highlights the Social Impact Project, a Government class capstone where students advocate for public policy solutions to issues they care about at local, state, or national levels. The project combines research, civic action, and reflection, helping students develop skills in argumentation, advocacy, and collaboration while applying concepts like policymaking and civic engagement. Through real-world interactions with policymakers and active civic participation, students leave empowered with the tools to effect change in their communities.

This session will explore the concept of a Student-led "Town Hall" in which members of student forum (student government) gather all members of the US community, including faculty, to address and discuss issues within the community. This powerful gathering occurs three times per year and takes place in a unique format where everyone is seated in circular rows with everyone facing each other. The circle symbolizes unity and collectivism, and ensures that everyone can see and hear each other properly. Members of student forum initiate conversation with pre-determined prompts and then leave time at the end for open-forum format. Town Halls ensure that students and faculty feel both heard and engaged as active members of the community.

I believe that my session could be successful as either an Engage Workshop or an Inspire Mini-Session. _x000D_
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In this session I will discuss the concept of sustainable travel and how to combine service-learning and travel in a way that uplifts communities and prepares students for a meaningful experience that will inspire them to think deeper and take action. I will discuss the pre and post work necessary for non-harmful and meaningful service-learning travel and how you can "make global local" and use travel as a catalyst for creating civically engaged global citizens. _x000D_
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As a mini-session on trips I have led or as a 45-min session I would use ~20 min to present and the remaining time I would lead participants through the planning and research process of an intentional service-learning trip.

The workshop highlights the conditions under which students learn best, stressing the significance of relevant content, active engagement, prosocial collaboration, and healthy mindsets. By connecting classroom learning to real-world applications, educators can make content meaningful, thus increasing student motivation and academic performance. This relevance bridges the gap between school and community, reframing knowledge to include lived experiences and everyday activities.
Using a case study from Girard College High School's partnership with Eastern State Penitentiary and the creation of a course on prisons and social justice, educators will learn how to build and measure the impact of these innovative programs. In the first program of its kind, Eastern State Penitentiary partnered with Girard to develop a yearlong curriculum on Social Justice and Mass Incarceration. Students debated issues of race and redemption while leading public discussions and participating in conferences regarding avenues for reform. From that demonstrated success, more partnerships were formed transforming the school culture.

This session will explore the multifaceted concept of wellness, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. We will discuss practical strategies to promote wellness within educational settings, such as the creation of our SWELL spaces, facilitation of a Junior Wellness Retreat, and ensuring easy access to support specialists. By fostering autonomy and mental health, we can empower youth to navigate life's challenges with resilience and positivity.

Due to the myth of the ‘quick fix,’ outstanding results are more often the exception than the norm. A successful initiative in education follows a formula for success informed by implementation science and human-centered design. This session explores an adapted, streamlined implementation framework, drawing on the work of Komesidou & Hogan (2023). Three evidence-based drivers are introduced: Knowledgeable Educators, Curriculum and Instruction, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. In this session, leaders will use a needs assessment to evaluate their ‘Knowledgeable Educators’ driver and examine phases of implementation and enabling contexts that support one’s ability to achieve intended outcomes. Briefly engaging in a mock focus group, participants will learn what educational systems facilitate and impede the implementation process, and how critical adjustments or adaptations may be needed to support the intended goals.

A15-minute mini-session that will inspire participants to understand the critical importance of engaging in local politics. While national elections often capture the most attention, local politics shape everyday life in more immediate and tangible ways. In this session, we will explore how being actively involved in local governance from school boards to city councils can help shape policies, create equitable opportunities, and empower communities. Through a case study, audience interaction, and a call to action, attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of their role in local politics and practical steps they can take to make a meaningful difference.

This workshop will equip educators with the skills to facilitate discussions around controversial issues while maintaining a neutral position. Teachers will receive resources and explore strategies to expose students to a diversity of perspectives, cultivating in students a willingness to listen deeply and patiently and engage regularly with arguments with which they disagree. Teachers will leave this workshop with the ability to model this type of conversation with the confidence that they will maintain their classroom commitment to being a nonpartisan space of discourse.

In this immersive, hands-on session, educators will explore strategies to help elementary students become "problem spotters"—those who actively identify challenges in their surroundings. By teaching students to recognize and solve real-world problems, educators can increase student engagement, foster deeper connections to the world around them, and cultivate essential skills like agency and empathy. Participants will leave with practical tools and approaches they can implement immediately on their own campuses to enhance student learning and community impact.

In this session, educators will learn about how Dr. Chattin incorporated civic engagement and social justice in a public charter middle school and also an independent school. This model encourages students to take pride and ownership of their local communities in the form of community activism.

The last decade has seen an intensification of three of our roles as classroom teachers: the desire and need to teach civics, including supporting students' curiosity with the political process, the duty to protect marginalised students and uplift silenced voices, and professional responsibility of maintaining partisan neutrality in the classroom. However, the polarisation in the political environment of the past few presidential administrations has made teachers feel as if some of three responsibilities take precedence over the others or -- worse -- that backing away from these discussions is the easy way out. Instead, I will aim to make a convincing case for the importance in helping our students productively engage in civic discourse and embrace their viewpoints, and help to equip teachers in all disciplines to do so safely.

Join the Community Activation team from United to Learn (U2L) in Dallas, Texas to learn about bringing the service learning classroom into the field. In this session, U2L staff will share about its Teen Corps Program to model a practical example of collaboration between private and public high schools actively engaging with a local nonprofit organization to build purposeful leaders and advocates for educational equity. This session will showcase the Teen Corps flexible and differentiated program model to complement varied and diverse educational spaces and audiences. Attendees will also learn about ways to sustain Teen programs by providing opportunities for students to exercise their own agency, influencing the program vision through participation in organizational leadership structures.