2026: Changing the Narrative: Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Leaders
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026 - Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
An in-person three-day conference for high school students where students connect with other students from across the country, learn from student leaders and engaging speakers, tour a college/university campus, and identify a challenge in their school community and develop an action plan for change.
Location: Cleveland Marriott East
Hosted by Shaker Heights City School District
MSAN’s core values include beliefs that students’ voices must be centered and research and collaboration drive innovation. MSAN member districts have access to a variety of opportunities to elevate student voices, build student leadership capacity, and partner with students for impactful change including MSAN’s annual Student Conference.
"...when we came together with our own district to put together our action plan, that made me feel like I can make a huge change in the world."
Student Conference Attendee
Conference Resources
- Draft Agenda
- Chaperone Information (coming soon!)
- Transportation (coming soon!)
- Required Pre-Conference Reading and Material (coming soon!)
- MSAN Pre-Conference Handbook Including Consent Form (coming soon!)
Registration Instructions
- Each district team should consist of 6-8 students and 2-3 chaperones. Registration costs for up to 10 attendees from a district are $100/person. If a district would like to send more students and chaperones, a registration fee of $400/person will be charged for anyone over the initial 10. If you have any questions about how many students and chaperones can attend from your district, please contact Connie at the MSAN office at connie.showalter@wisc.edu
- Registration is transferable, but not refundable.
- As soon as possible, please email Connie the exact NUMBER of students and the exact NUMBER of chaperones you will be sending so that we can begin making arrangements.
Registration forms
- A Student Registration Form must be completed for each student attending.
- A Chaperone Registration Form must be completed for each chaperone attending.
After the forms are complete, please give them to the chaperone or administration assistant, who will then enter the data into the registration website.
Registration will open soon!
College Tours
This year, students and chaperones will tour Case Western Reserve University.
Conference Location
Cleveland Marriott East
26300 Harvard Road
Warrensville Heights, OH
Lodging
- Reservations will be available soon. For now, please do not contact the hotel directly. Connie will be in touch with chaperones regarding specific reservation instructions.
- The cost per room is:
- $165 + tax/night for two queen beds
- $165 + tax/night for one king, one sofa bed
- $165 + tax/night for a one-bedroom suite
Hotel reservations MUST be made by Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Other Information
All meals during the conference will be provided (starting with dinner on Wednesday, November 4, and ending with breakfast on Saturday, November 7).
MSAN Student Conference Hosts
Each year, the conference location changes as a new MSAN member district serves as the student conference host each year.
- 2000 Cleveland Heights-University Heights and Shaker Heights City School Districts, OH
- 2001 Ann Arbor Public Schools, Ann Arbor, MI
- 2002 Evanston Township High School District 202 and Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200, IL
- 2003 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Chapel Hill, NC
- 2004 Princeton Public Schools, Princeton, NJ
- 2005 Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge, MA
- 2006 Green Bay Area Public Schools, Green Bay, WI
- 2007 Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, VA
- 2008 Madison Metropolitan School District, Madison, WI
- 2009 Evanston Township High School District 202 and Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200, IL
- 2010 Bedford Central School District, Mount Kisco, NY
2011 Columbia Public Schools, Columbia, MO - 2012 Paradise Valley Unified School District, Phoenix, AZ
- 2013 Amherst–Pelham Regional Schools, Amherst, MA
- 2014 Farmington Public Schools, Farmington, MI
- 2015 Verona Area School District, Verona, WI
- 2016 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Chapel Hill, NC
- 2017 Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, University Heights, OH
- 2018 The Public Schools of Brookline, Brookline, MA
- 2019 Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, Middleton, WI
- 2020 Virtual
- 2021 Virtual
- 2022 Virtual
- 2023 Sun Prairie Area School District, Sun Prairie, WI
- 2024 East Lansing Public Schools, Lansing, MI
- 2025 Alexandria City Public Schools