Secular Student Alliance 2024 National Conference

Conference Schedule

We are in the process of updating the conference schedule on a regular basis. Events, workshops, meals, and times may change. Please check back soon for more information.

Thursday, June 13

Arrival Day

Plan to arrive on Thursday to make your travel plans easier. The campus housing will be available for students. Usually, students hangout in the lobby and welcome other students as they arrive.

Residence Hall Check In

More info coming soon!

Friday, June 14

Conference Registration Open

Starting at 9am

Exhibit Table Set-Up

9am to 12pm

Pre-Conference Workshop 10am to 12pm

Darrel Ray: There Are No Shortcuts to Leadership

Why the hell do you want to be a leader? It can be a thankless job. It is a job you can never do right in many people’s eyes.
Let’s explore why you want to be a leader and what it requires to effectively lead. We will examine the hazards of leading, what happens when you take shortcuts, what motivates people to follow you as a leader, how to find and keep strong members, and how to organize for success.

Welcome and Opening Plenary 1pm

Opening remarks from Olivia Goudeau
Welcome from Frank D. Scott Jr. Mayor of Little Rock
Opening remarks from Kevin Bolling, SSA Executive Director

Conference Workshops 2pm

Be About It: Activism & Voting

Presented by MV Stone

Join us for a lively 45-minute workshop aimed at empowering Secular Students of America to dive into the democratic process. We'll kick things off with a quick intro on how voter turnout is trending across different age groups, and why the youth vote matters. After that, you'll learn handy tips for checking your voter registration status online, plus we'll point you to some great resources for preparing for what will be on your local ballot. An interactive practical portion of the session shares tips for how to be effective in activism and engaging peers in the conversation about voter impact. We'll wrap things up with a Q&A to cover any lingering questions.

Crafting Effective Advocacy Campaigns: Making a Tangible Impact Locally

Presented by Clara Clasen and Percy Walsh

Join us for an engaging workshop designed to empower you with the tools and strategies to build impactful advocacy campaigns within your community. This session will focus on selecting advocacy topics that resonate and inspire collaboration, give advice on garnering support and funding to realize your initiatives and provide real, measurable benefits to your local community in order to position your SSA chapter as a leading force for positive change.

Resisting Authoritarian Discourse In and Outside of The Secular Movement

Presented by Kristina Lee

In 2021 a PRRI survey found that about 12% of the religiously unaffiliated agreed with the statement "Because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country." Two years later, in 2023, that number jumped to 23%. In this workshop we will discuss how demagogic discourses can create climates where violence seems like a logical solution and how such violence can undermine democracy. We will workshop how to address this climate in our daily conversations and engagements in order to advocate for democratic deliberation rather than authoritarian demagoguery.

Break 3pm

Conference Workshops 3:15pm

Anti-Organizational Attitudes: Core Values Or A Recipe To Lose?

Presented by Chris Borecky

There are more Nones than at any time in American history, yet we are losing to the hyper-organized Religious Right. Yet, most secular people are still not organized in a way that could plausibly lead to political or cultural change or that could enrichen their lives. In this workshop, we discuss anti-organizational attitudes, the tradeoffs between hyper-individualism and close teamwork, the risks of conformity or groupthink, the role of the internet in our connection or isolation, the differences between secularism and anarchism, and the boundaries of what is possible for secular organizers. Can freethinkers be members of close-knit communities, or is the idea self-contradictory?

Let’s Talk About Sex(uality and Gender): Taking On the Christian Nationalist Attack on LGBTQIA+ Rights

Reasons for Climate Optimism

Presented by Ryan Bodanyi

Climate change is real and it's awful. And - at the same time - incredible progress is being made to address it. The purpose of this session is twofold: first, to inoculate you against doom and despair, by sharing real reasons for hope. And secondly, to remind you that hope serves a social purpose: it justifies and motivates collective action. By the end of this session, you'll have a better idea of (a) what stands in the way of action to address climate change, and what doesn't, and (b) what's needed to overcome those remaining barriers. Dr. Ryan Bodanyi, the presenter, has worked for Greenpeace, the Clean Air Task Force, the National Wildlife Federation, the Center for Sustainable Energy, and other progressive non-profits. He holds a Ph.D. in environmental policy from the University of Washington, and currently serves as the Board Chair for the Secular Student Alliance.

Friday Afternoon Plenary 4:15pm

Public Education and Separation of State and Church :: with Nick Fish

Dinner

Friday Night Event 6:30pm

Seth Andrews VS. God: Who is the Better Intelligent Designer

Religious apologists often get misty and reverent about the "obvious" design in nature, yet Seth Andrews thinks God did a pretty shoddy job. Join us for an entertaining, often funny, and sometimes alarming examination of the world's faulty wiring...and how humans could have easily done better.

Saturday, June 15

Breakfast 8am

Saturday Opening Plenary 9am

Featured SSA student speaker :: Luke Fisher
New Voters Get Unreasonable :: with Jahnavi Rao and Podcast Unreasonable

Conference Workshops 10:00am

So You Want To Be An Organizer

Presented by Christina Iacono and David Brown

Every one of us has the power to be an agent of change. As we witness the advancement of White Christian Nationalism, it's easy to feel hopeless. But Americans in overwhelming numbers hold firmly that our nation must remain a pluralistic democracy free from religious oppression. And therein lies our power to fight back! There's important work to be done and it starts with each of us. But how can we harness that power and convert it into action items that make a real difference?

Join us for this workshop on a deep dive into the mechanisms of effective organizing. It will consist of a primer for organizers, followed by a sequence of campaign-building stations designed to help customize and solidify your personal plan to help preserve church-state separation, democracy, and civil liberties in your community and beyond. This year. more than ever before, each of us must be ready to hit the streets. This workshop will provide your roadmap for success.

Why Aren't Facts Changing Minds?

Presented by Seth Andrews

How often have we entered a conversation with strong data and valid concerns only to walk away frustrated that things went nowhere? What are Identity Beliefs? How are they formed, nurtured, and defended? And in what seems like a Post-Truth era, how can we carve the cracks that let in the light? Bring your own perspectives, and let's talk about talking. Perhaps if we can find a shared humanity with our interlocutors, minds can be changed...including our own.

Legislative Advocacy and Lobbying 101

Presented by Isabella Russian

Lobbying and grassroots legislative advocacy are important tools that help you connect with legislative officials and forward the issues you care about. Join this breakout session to learn about legislative advocacy that student groups and individuals can get involved in, such as campaigns, inviting local elected officials to speak, how to lobby at a State capitol and Congress, and more - you'll find that lobbying is not as scary as it may seem.

Saturday Plenary 11:00am

The Threat of Authoritarianism Across the Political and Religious/Irreligious Spectrum :: with Kristina Lee

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy :: Backbone Award Recipient

Miss Major is a Black, transgender activist who has fought for over fifty years for her trans/gender nonconforming community.

Major is a veteran of the infamous Stonewall Riots, a former sex worker, and a survivor of Dannemora Prison and Bellevue Hospital’s “queen tank.” Her global legacy of activism is rooted in her own experiences, and she continues her work to uplift transgender women of color, particularly those who have survived incarceration and police brutality.

Lunch 12pm

Conference Workshops 1:00pm

Reframing Humanism: Inclusive Events and Conversations

Organizing for Change: Choosing a Winnable Issue

Presented by Alicia Johnson

Building communities where all people can believe as we choose and live as ourselves, and where laws don’t allow anyone to use their religious beliefs to harm others, requires organizing for and advocating for change. But often as activists we have so many ideas that it’s hard to know where to start. In this workshop, participants will be invited to reflect on ways to create change in their communities and learn how organizers can narrow in on a winnable issue.

There Are No Shortcuts to Leadership

Presented by Dr. Darrel Ray

Conference Workshops 2:00pm

Street Epistemology - How to Have Better Conversations

Presented by Pierce Watkins

My presentation, 'Street Epistemology - How to have better conversations' directly aligns with this year's theme, 'Cultivating Curiosity: Nurturing Minds, Igniting Change.' Through the lens of Street Epistemology, a method focused on encouraging open and reflective conversations about beliefs, this workshop aims to ignite a passion for inquiry and critical thinking among students. We'll explore how this approach can be a powerful catalyst for change, particularly in discussions surrounding beliefs in gods, the separation of religion and government and other secular concerns. By teaching participants to engage in respectful, thought-provoking dialogues, we not only nurture minds but also foster an environment where curiosity leads to substantial, positive transformations within campuses, communities, and future political leaders. The session will be interactive, with exercises designed to practice these techniques in real-world scenarios, thereby equipping our future leaders with the skills to effectively express their priorities and drive societal progress.

Shaping the Future: Your Voice, Our Vision

Join us for a dynamic session at this year's student conference where your voice will directly shape the future of the national organization! As part of our strategic planning efforts, we are eager to hear from you—our vibrant community of secular students. This is a pivotal opportunity to influence our SSA national mission, vision, and strategic objectives for the next 3 to 5 years.

Whether you're passionate about advocacy, community building, or promoting secular values, your input is crucial in setting a course for sustained impact and activism. This session will be interactive and collaborative, designed not only to gather your valuable feedback but also to spark discussions that inspire and challenge our collective goals. We look forward to your unique insights. Let's create something extraordinary together!

Using The Media To Spark Change In Your Community

Break 3pm

Conference Workshops 3:15pm

Straight Outta Mass Effect: Activism and Coalition Building in Red Craighead County

Combating LGBTQ+ Discrimination on Campus

Presented by Henry Bard

Combating LGBTQ+ Discrimination on Campus will focus on non-violent strategies students can deploy on their campuses to prevent and stop discrimination of their LGBTQ+ peers. The workshop will focus on methods that have had success in Henry's school as well as proposed methods and solutions to problems experienced by other schools and students. The workshop aims to give students a toolkit of strategies to stop discrimination at its root and weed out the problems at a meaningful level, in a meaningful way.

How to Reach Rational Americans About Abortion Rights

Presented by Ben Bayer

With the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the future of reproductive freedom depends on persuading ordinary Americans at the state level to repeal anti-abortion laws. This is possible, even in traditional "red states," as referenda in Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio have demonstrated. But what rhetoric and what ideas can motivate Republican voters to vote for abortion rights? In this talk I'll outline the ideas these voters find appealing--and for good reason--because they appeal to core American values of individual freedom. I'll also indicate how the same principle can be used to answer ordinary objections to abortion rights.

Saturday Afternoon Plenary 4:15pm

Ending Christian Nationalism: Defending Democracy through Local Action :: with Devin Withrow
How Project 2025 Will Impact Your Life :: with Anne Nelson

Dinner

Saturday Night Plenary 6:30pm

Documentary Screening: BAD FAITH reveals how Christian Nationalist leaders have spread fear and anger for decades, distorting political issues into Biblical battles between good and evil. Financed through the secretive Council for National Policy, Christian Nationalists have succeeded in taking over the Republican Party, turning it into a powerful weapon to demolish democracy from within. Discover the origins of this organized grasp for power and the grassroots coalition of secular and interfaith leaders bravely confronting the unholy forces threatening democracy.

Sunday, June 16

Breakfast 8am

Residence Hall Check Out

If your travel plans have you leaving on Sunday afternoon, Residence Hall checkout is between noon-2pm.

Sunday Opening Plenary 9am

The Satanic Temple's After School Satan Club :: with June Everett
Podcaster Panel :: Conversations About Difficult Topics

Conference Workshops 10am

Leadership Development and Transitions: Rising Through The Ranks

Presented by Hayden Miller

Organizations that do good work need strong leaders, and it is possible for you to grow into that role. I feel that my experience as the leader of a group or organization, as well as someone that has worked my way through the ranks of many of them, gives me insight I would love to share. We will be discussing how to overcome introversion as a leader, how to build others around you into leadership roles, how to pick the best leadership roles to have in your organization early and how to grow your goals effectively from there, as well as how to handle the weight of this process.

Discovering and Leveraging Your Leadership Story

Presented by Hilary Trudell

There are few tools as effective in evoking empathy as storytelling. In this engaging workshop, participants will learn the elements of an effective story. Participants will explore their core values and begin to build their leadership stories around these values. The workshop will culminate with participants sharing the beginning of their stories with partners or small groups. This workshop is intended to build trust and understanding among group members and empower individuals to use their voices for causes they believe in.