2026 Student Summit Agenda
The Student Summit will take place during the Eradicate Hate Global Summit 2026 on Monday, September 14, in the Main Ballroom. Meet our speakers, explore the topics that will be addressed, and see the full schedule below.
The agenda is tentative and subject to change.
Monday, September 14
Arrival / Pre-Program Optional Activities
8:00 am - 9:30 am | Ballroom
- Schools arriving before 8:30: Watch the 37-min film Repairing the World in the Main Ballroom. The film begins at 8:30 a.m.
- Schools arriving after 8:30: Enjoy refreshments, connect with other schools, and visit the Community Partner Expo. Please wait until 9:15 a.m. to enter the ballroom to avoid disrupting the film.
- All schools: Enter the ballroom at 9:15 a.m. and find your table. The formal program begins at 9:30.
Welcome and Introductions
9:30 am - 9:45 am | Ballroom
- Why are we here?
- What activities will we engage in?
- What is our call to action?
INSPIRE
How are we all connected?
9:45 am - 10:35 am | Ballroom
“Repairing the World” film talkback and survivor conversations facilitated by Not In Our Town
- Who or what did you identify with in the film?
- How did the film help you understand the connections between different types of hate?
How are schools transforming remembrance into action?
10:35 am - 11:00 am | Ballroom
- What are schools doing in our region to create safer, kinder school communities?
- Will any of the project examples be successful in your school community, too?
PREPARE
What change do you wish to see in your school community?
11:00 am - 11:30 am | Ballroom
- How do you spot the warning signs of hate-fueled violence, and how can you take small, actionable, daily steps to create safer, kinder school communities?
- What resources and opportunities are available to you because you’re here today?
- What would you like to accomplish this school year, and how can you create a plan to help you succeed, maybe even with help from students in other high schools?
EMPOWER
“Working Lunch” – Student “Idea Sprint” / Chaperone Professional Development
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Students – Ballroom
- Collect your lunch outside the ballroom and return to your seat.
- Select a “facilitator” to keep the “Idea Sprint” discussion focused and on-schedule.
- Select a “recorder” to complete one copy of the “Idea Sprint” that you’ll leave with us.
- Tasks: Eat lunch while completing the “Idea Sprint” activity together, and meet survivors.
Chaperones – Room 301/302
- Collect a lunch just outside this room and report to 301-302 to share a meal with educators and community partners while learning about resources and opportunities
How will you bring this work back to your school community?
12:30 pm - 12:50 pm | Ballroom
- With your chaperones and maybe students from other schools, finish your “Idea Sprint” activity.
Group Sharing Opportunity
12:50 pm - 1:15 pm | Ballroom
- What’s one big idea or next-step that you’re willing to share with the room? (30-45 seconds)
Conclusion and Dismissal
1:15 pm - 1:30 pm | Ballroom
- Closing remarks, group photo, and Student Summit Questionnaire (please scan the QR Code on the paper agenda)
Departure / Post-Program Activities
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
- Inside the ballroom: Continue collaborating, planning, networking, etc.
- Outside the ballroom: Visit the Partner Expo, network with other schools, and take group photos.
- Whenever you need to leave, you’re free to go. Please take the survey. Thank you for attending!
Eradicate Hate Student Summit 2026
The annual Eradicate Hate Student Summit in Pittsburgh is a one-day event occurring concurrently with the annual Global Summit that brings together high school students and educators to catalyze youth-led efforts to prevent hate-fueled violence. Coordinated by Eradicate Hate, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), the LIGHT Education Initiative of The Tree of Life, the Student Summit empowers students to eradicate hate in their schools and communities by connecting them with survivors, providing access to youth-serving organizations, and launching student-led, peer-to-peer projects that continue throughout the school year.
Notably, the Student Summit is the only event in southwestern PA that brings school districts together in collaboration, rather than in competition with one another. This 2026 Student Summit will take place on September 14.
Student Summit Reconvening
Every spring, schools that participated in the most recent Student Summit are invited to gather together again. While the initial Student Summit focuses on inspiring, preparing, and empowering students to take action, the annual Reconvening event celebrates student-led initiatives to eradicate hate and connects students to resources and to one another to further boost the reach and impact of their work.
The next Reconvening will take place on April 12, 2027, at Acrisure Stadium.
Rapid Growth of the Student Summit
The Student Summit has grown exponentially since its inception in 2022, with a total of 950 student attendees over the past 3 years.
- 2023: 150 attendees from 14 schools across 13 AIU school districts
- 2024: 350 attendees from 29 schools, including all 14 schools returning from 2023
- 2025: 450 attendees from 35 schools, with the same 14 original schools returning plus 15 new districts across Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, Butler County, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and a school from Pasadena, TX
Partners




