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39th Annual SLS High School Conference

March 14-15, 2026

(Pre-Conference March 13, 2026)

Shanty Creek Resort

Who should attend? All high school student leaders, SLS chapter members, and advisors who want to strengthen their leadership skills with dynamic speakers, interactive workshops, health education and safety programs to challenge and inspire in this 100% student-led conference!

Workshop Topics
Power of Kindness; Team Building; Bullying & Mental Health; Building Bridges; Being Your Best Self and more!
The "Big" Dance
SLS "The Musical"
CONFERENCE TRADITIONS
Door Decoration Contest, Awards, Celebrations, Conference Photo, "Happy" and "Perky" SLS Mascots
Group Activities
Team Building Activities, Team Meetings, Action Planning, Student Presentations, Advisor Networking

Workshops-Conference 2026

đŸ”„ Are Your Pants on Fire? The Truth Behind the Lies đŸ”„ Everyone lies that’s not an accusation, it’s reality. The real conversation isn’t whether we lie, but why. What are we trying to protect, avoid, or gain when we bend the truth, leave out details, tell “harmless” white lies, or say something completely untrue? This session digs into the psychology behind lying and the many motivations that drive it. Participants will explore how even small untruths can shape relationships, influence decision‑making, and create long‑term consequences we rarely consider in the moment. It’s an honest look at dishonesty, without judgment, without shame, and without pretending we’re above it. Promise
 no lies.
Presented by Ann Colwell-JohnsonSLS Program Specialist
🎉 Bite‑Sized Fun! Quick Ways to Energize Any Meeting🎉 When time is tight, fun doesn’t have to be. This workshop is packed with fast, engaging activities you can use to spark connection, boost energy, and bring a little joy to your group no matter how short the meeting. You’ll walk away with a toolkit of bite‑sized ideas you can use anytime!
Presented by Marcia PartinSLS Prevention Specialist
🌟 The Power of Kindness: Reconnecting Through Compassion 🌟 In a world that often feels rushed and disconnected, it’s easy to overlook the impact of simple acts of kindness. This interactive workshop invites participants to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with their natural capacity for compassion. Together, we’ll explore how small gestures can create big ripples bringing light, warmth, and connection to our daily lives. Through engaging activities and thoughtful discussions, participants will: Reflect on the meaning and value of kindness; Discover how compassion strengthens relationships and communities; Practice strategies to lead with empathy and intention; Experience the joy that kindness brings to others and to ourselves. Let’s unlock our potential for kindness and build a culture of care, one moment at a time.
Presented by Zacur HarrellClarenceville High School
💖 To Love Without Limits: Self-Love Tool Kit 💖 This empowering, youth-led workshop invites participants to explore the journey of self-love, personal growth, and inner resilience. Through interactive activities and heartfelt reflection, students will: Celebrate their unique strengths, values, and lived experiences; Learn practical tools to boost self-esteem and self-acceptance; Set meaningful goals and build a vision for personal growth; Develop strategies to navigate challenges with confidence and clarity. A’niyah brings passion, authenticity, and leadership to this session creating a safe space for students to connect, grow, and shine.
Presented by A’niyah DanielsClarenceville High School
🌟 Want to make your school safer and be a better leader while doing it? 🌟 Your voice matters and so does how you use it. Join our interactive MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) workshop designed for students who want to lead by example and create real change in their school. You’ll learn from preventionists how to be an effective bystander leader—someone who knows how to step in, speak up, and stop bullying, sexual harassment, and unhealthy relationship behaviors before they escalate. Through real talk, role-playing, and group discussion, you’ll practice what to say, how to intervene safely, and how to challenge harmful norms, together, across genders and cultures. Lead with courage. Build a safer school climate. Help bring MVP to your school. Don’t just watch while bad things happen, be the leader who makes change happen.
Presented by Jeanine Kaltz and Jenn Pavlak, Preventionists Hope Shores Alliance in Northeast Michigan.
🧾 Bridge Builders 🧾 This creative and heart-centered workshop uses teddy bears as a playful yet powerful tool to explore different perspectives and personal challenges. Through interactive activities and thoughtful discussion, students will learn how to build bridges between kindness and acceptance, strengthening their ability to connect, understand, and uplift one another.
Presented by Kaley LongTaylor High School
😮 YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE 😮 This high-energy, interactive workshop is all about shaking off hesitation and stepping into connection. Through creative team-building activities and group challenges, participants will break out of their shells, build trust, and discover the power of showing up fully awake and engaged. Come ready to move, laugh, and lead because when it comes to student voice and teamwork, you snooze, you lose!
Presented by Myah RandolphBrighton High School
đŸ’„ Real Talk: Bullying & Mental Health đŸ’„ A hands-on workshop exploring how bullying affects mental health and how to rise above it. In this interactive session, students will dive into the real impact of bullying: physical, verbal, mental, and cyber, and how it connects to mental health. Through creative activities, group discussion, and a few laughs (hello, silly name game!), students will learn about awareness, empathy, and action. Students will leave with a better understanding of themselves, their peers, and how to build a kinder, more resilient school culture.
Presented by Marvin MillsMarion Jr/Sr High School
🌟 Becoming a Relatable Leader! Great leaders aren’t just respected they’re relatable. In this interactive and engaging workshop, Becoming a Relatable Leader challenges high school student leaders to rethink what leadership really looks like in today’s schools, teams, and communities. Students will explore the idea that leadership isn’t about titles, popularity, or having all the answers. Instead, it’s about connection, authenticity, and influence. Through discussion and real-life examples, participants will learn how self-awareness, empathy, and clear communication build trust and strengthen their impact as leaders—both in and out of the classroom.
Presented by Jesse ColeAuthor and Motivational Speaker
Mind-Body Power: Who’s Really in Charge? đŸ§ đŸ’„ Ever notice your heart racing before a test? Or your body freaking out before you even start a presentation? That’s not random — it’s your brain and body teaming up. In this workshop, you’ll learn how your thoughts can secretly turn stress on (or off), why your body reacts before you think, and how anxiety actually works. And you won’t just sit there. You’ll try fast, science-backed exercises that calm your nerves, sharpen focus, and boost confidence — right when pressure hits. Learn how to stop stress before it takes over and messes with your performance.
Presented by Nicole KingMind-Body Practitioner & Holistic Life Coach.
Advisor Workshop: Keeping the Record: Documenting Projects, Decisions, and Lessons to Carry Work Forward: SLS work doesn’t happen in a single meeting or a single year—it builds over time. But without clear documentation, hard-won progress can disappear as students graduate, leadership turns over, or details fade. We’ll explore why documentation matters-- not just for accountability, but for reflection and growth. From tracking decisions and project outcomes to capturing lessons learned and challenges faced, good records help programs evolve instead of starting over.
Allie SeibertAuthor, Historian and Educator
Interested in presenting? Email dmf@SLStoday.org to request Workshop Proposal Form (if slots are available)

Conference 2026 Speakers and Entertainment

SLS Student Advisory Board

Established in 1986, the Student Advisory Board (SAB) are highly trained to be the student face and voice of the SLS organization. The SAB trains SLS Chapters to replicate proven effective peer-led strategies using SLS validated standards. This process elevates students’ success with
Executive Functioning Skills that prepare them for their future.  SAB focus on student issues that they and their peers want to influence in their schools and the State of Michigan. SAB, with their award-winning skills, creates a Vision for SLS Chapters.

 

Jesse Cole is an author, leadership & empowerment coach, and
acclaimed speaker. A former college basketball player turned
educator, he is best known for his ability to weave together practical stories with transformational principles.

He is the author of 6 books, including his most recent release, Young, Hungry, Ambitious: Imagine What Could Happen If You Decided to Be the Leader You Were Created to Be.

 

 

Allie Seibert – Historian & True Crime Writer

Join us for a captivating session with Allie Seibert, former Michigan educator turned historian and acclaimed historical true crime writer. Allie specializes in uncovering Michigan stories lost to time from unsolved mysteries to overlooked moments that shaped our state’s legacy.

With a teacher’s heart and a detective’s curiosity, Allie brings history to life through gripping narratives, unexpected twists, and deep dives into the people and places behind Michigan’s most haunting tales.

Allie Seibert
Sgt K

Sergeant Kendall Kretzschmer has dedicated eighteen years to serving the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office. In his current role, he leads the Community Outreach Unit and oversees the School Resource Officers, working at the intersection of public safety and youth engagement. His mission is rooted in building trust, strengthening community relationships, and empowering young people to make informed, responsible choices. Through educational policing and open dialogue, Sergeant Kretzschmer strives to create safer environments and inspire positive decision‑making across the county.

“The Game With No Winners”
Sgt. K will break down the hard truth about impaired driving — not the myths, not the excuses, and definitely not the versions teens hear from friends or social media. He’ll explain why driving drunk or high isn’t just risky but life‑altering, and how the idea that “it won’t happen to me” is one of the most dangerous beliefs out there.

Through real stories, clear facts, and straight talk, Sgt. K will show why impaired driving is a game where no one walks away a winner.

When Students Lead: The Power of Peer Prevention 
Jeanine Kaltz and Jenn Pavlak, Preventionists with Hope Shores Alliance in Northeast Michigan, will share how students can strengthen their leadership skills and make their schools safer through Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP),a nationally recognized, peer-led program that empowers young people to be active bystanders who prevent bullying, harassment, and relationship violence. 

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SLS Award Nominations Open!

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Student of the Year Application Link
SLS Awards Application Link
Award Application Document Download

CONFERENCE COSTS

REGISTRATION MATERIALS 2026

REGISTRATION FORMS
AGENDA OVERVIEW

Memories of Conference 2025

WHAT TO KNOW AND BRING TO CONFERENCE 2026

Congratulations SLS Award Winners 2025

  • Student of the Year:
    Kalee Knickerbocker, Atherton HS
  • Advisor of the Year:       
    Susan DeWolf, Clarenceville 
  • Chapter of the Year:
    Atherton HS
  • Most Improved Chapter: Hillman HS

Apply to the Student Advisory Board (SAB)

Established in 1986, we train each passionate group of emerging leaders to lead and teach their peers and younger students. They work with our team and member schools to promote youth involvement, networking and stakeholder partnerships. The Student Advisory Board (SAB) develops and leads conferences, assemblies and workshops. These students are dedicated to creating healthy, safe and inclusive schools and communities across Michigan and we are proud to help them do this important work!

 Applications for 2026-2027 will open in March 2026. 

Applications for the 2025-2026 SAB are closed.

Questions email Dawn at dmf@SLStoday.orgÂ