The Alma Partners Student Leadership Conference: Supporting Young People to Connect and Lead
What is a Student Leadership Conference?
The first Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) took place in 1993 at the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference (NAIS PoCC). Co-initiated by Randolph Carter, an Alma Partners co-founder and founder of East Ed, the goals of the conference were to offer Students of Color a place to see themselves reflected, articulate their concerns, and identify opportunities to increase equity within their schools, and for White students to learn more about themselves and develop tools for engaging in anti-racism and anti-bias work.
Since 1993, Randolph and East Ed have facilitated Student Diversity Leadership Conferences at hundreds of schools across the United States, helping thousands of students (along with faculty participants) develop skills to tackle difficult conversations with honesty and empathy, develop leadership capacity, and make positive change in their school communities.
In collaboration with Randolph, Alma Partners launched our own Student Leadership Conference (SLC) program in the 2024-25 school year.
Why Offer a Student Leadership Conference?
In a time of political division, climate emergency, and rising rates of mental-health crisis among teens, we urgently need spaces where young people feel connected, inspired, and empowered. The Alma Partners SLC:
Creates a space where student leaders can dialogue honestly across differences and adult supporters can model engaged, responsive leadership
Builds students’ confidence, sense of belonging, facilitation skills, and leadership capacity
Develops cross-school networks that empower youth and center their voices.
A Recent Example
On March 15, 2025, we were very proud to co-lead the Inaugural San Francisco SLC, which convened nearly 100 young people and adults from 10 high schools across the Bay Area and from as far away as Santa Rosa and Sacramento. Hosted and sponsored by San Francisco Waldorf High School in collaboration with Alma Partners, the conference was designed and led by students, faculty, and staff from the school, with student and adult facilitators from Alma Partners. Participants gathered to build connections across schools, facilitate community conversations on inclusion and belonging, and hear keynote speaker Dr. Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton of Stanford University.
Entitled Not All Speed is Movement: Redefining Community Through Action, the conference offered a vision of hope and connection, serving as an antidote to the prevailing national atmosphere. Two student leaders from the conference said, “California urgently needs spaces like this—spaces where young people can explore what justice looks like beyond the veneer of tokenistic inclusivity, where they can find the courage and tools to challenge systems of oppression with intention and care.”
San Francisco Waldorf High School plans to run the conference again in 2026 and 2027, as part of a three-year commitment. Middle schools are invited to attend next year. Contact us if your school is located in or near San Francisco and wants to join us!
What Next?
Host SLC in your community in the 2025-26 school year! We typically book in Spring/Summer and begin working with the host school in the Fall for a Winter/Spring conference. In collaboration with teacher mentors/faculty advisors, we collaborate with a student group to decide the conference theme, title, and program; support the host school to promote the conference and bring in other schools as sponsors and/or participants; provide templates and materials; train a student facilitation team; co-host and co-lead on the day of the conference; and engage in sustained follow-up to ensure the work of the conference lasts beyond a one-day gathering.
Get in touch to talk about bringing this unique opportunity to your school community.
Alma Partners colleague Renita LiVolsi (far left) visiting Alma Partners adult and student facilitators (from L: Randolph Carter, Olivia Delgado, Vicki Larson, and Masumi Hayashi-Smith) at the 2025 San Francisco SLC (Alma Partners photo)
Affinity Space at the 2025 San Francisco SLC (Photo by Zachary Fineberg)
Keynote speaker Dr. Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton at the 2025 San Francisco SLC (Photo by Zachary Fineberg)
Conference Banner at the 2025 San Francisco SLC (Photo by Zachary Fineberg)