Schedule 2026
INSPIRE 2026 Schedule
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2026
WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY
486 Chandler Street, Worcester, MA 01602
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST (Sheehan Hall)
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM OPENING GENERAL SESSION (Sullivan Academic Center, Eager Auditorium)
HOST: Dee-1 Award-Winning Rapper, Educator and Activist
Max Page, President, Massachusetts Teachers Association
Deb McCarthy, Vice President, Massachusetts Teachers Association
Rick Rendon, Founder, Empower Peace
FEATURED SPEAKER: Chrissy Lynch, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS 1
Defining Your Leadership Style (Student Center, Blue Lounge, 1st Floor)
Advocacy and Taking Action on Issues You Care About (Student Center, Fallon Room, 3rd Floor)
Truth in the Feed: Tackling Misinformation and Using Social Media for Social Change
(Sullivan Academic Center, Eager Auditorium, 1st Floor)
Public Speaking: Tips and Techniques for Effective Public Speaking (Sullivan Auditorium)
MORNING SESSION: Building Stronger Communities: The Power of Community Schools in Shaping Our Future (Student Center, North Conference Room, 1st Floor)
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM GENERAL SESSION: LUNCH and ACTION FAIR (Sheehan Hall)
Grab some lunch and then head over to the Action Fair! Get inspired by these incredible change-making organizations. Learn about the issues central to their missions and the actions they take to make a difference. Don’t forget to get your action fair card stamped for a chance to win great prizes!
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS 2
Defining Your Leadership Style (Student Center, Blue Lounge, 1st Floor)
Advocacy and Taking Action on Issues You Care About (Student Center, Fallon Room, 3rd Floor)
Truth in the Feed: Tackling Misinformation and Using Social Media for Social Change (Sullivan Academic Center, Eager Auditorium, 1st Floor)
Public Speaking: Tips and Techniques for Effective Public Speaking (Sullivan Auditorium)
AFTERNOON SESSION: Understanding the Economy Today: How Wealth Inequality Shapes Our Schools and Communities (Student Center, North Conference Room, 1st Floor)
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM PANEL DISCUSSION: From Awareness to Action (Sullivan Auditorium)
Hear directly from young people who are actively organizing and fighting for social justice in their communities. This dynamic panel brings together student leaders and youth advocates who will share their experiences, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and how you can take action on the issues that matter to you. Explore how leadership shows up in everyday decisions, collective effort, and the courage to act — even when the path forward isn’t clear. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of agency and purpose as you begin developing your own action plan.
3:15 PM – 4:00 PM ACTION PLAN REVIEW (Sullivan Auditorium)
Rick Rendon, Founder, Empower Peace
TEAM HARMONY ZAKIM AWARDS & CELEBRATION
4:00 PM PROGRAM CONCLUDES
Join us for INSPIRE and take the first step towards empowering your students to become leaders in their communities. Registration is now open for high schools across Massachusetts. We invite you to register a team of four student leaders and one teacher who will serve as their coach. Each school can register up to three teams.