A sneak peek...

What’s in store at this year’s International Conference? Here’s a sneak peek:

Saturday Morning Pre-Conference Sessions

Even before the conference officially kicks off, we’ll have two in-depth sessions on the morning of Saturday, July 14th. Make sure to get to DC in time! These are open to all registered conference attendees.

A Morning with Marianne Williamson – Join a conversation with author and lecturer Marianne Williamson as part of her ongoing national tour. As Marianne says, “Like any relationship, our relationship to democracy cannot be taken for granted; it must be tended to. We have as much responsibility to it as it has to us.” Learn more.

Running for Office: A Look Behind the Curtain – The first part of our new election track, this morning session will give you a chance to hear from people who have run for office at both a local and national level, and then join a hands-on workshop looking at what it takes to run your own campaign. Learn more about the election track.

Plenaries and Workshops

Join a series of plenary sessions and choose from 20+ workshops. Here are just a few:

Film Screening and Special Appearance from Heather Booth

Plenary

Filmmaker Lilly Rivlin calls Heather Booth “the most influential person you’ve never heard of.” Saturday evening of the conference, we’ll have a screening of the new documentary Heather Booth: Changing the World. Then the next morning, we’ll be joined by Heather herself for a plenary conversation and organizing training. Learn more.

Advocacy and the Midterm Elections

Conference Track

The upcoming midterm elections are poised to dominate media coverage and the national conversation. What if you could build relationships with candidates early, learn how to make poverty a campaign issue, and master new skills to use at campaign events? Through a series of skills workshops and plenaries, we’ll tackle these opportunities and more. Conference attendees will hear from veteran journalists, former members of Congress, and those who’ve worked on political campaigns for both major parties. Learn more.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Understanding the Link Between Housing and Racial Wealth Inequality

Issue Workshop

In 2016, white households had 10 times more wealth than black households and 8 times more wealth than Hispanic households. While homeownership remains a major path to build wealth in America, the U.S. is facing an affordable housing crisis that exacerbates the racial wealth divide. This workshop will examine how U.S. housing policy impacts racial wealth inequality.

Getting Your Letter to the Editor Published

Skills Workshop

Ready to see your name in print? Want to use the media to move your member of Congress to act? We’ll talk through best practices for writing letters to the editor, what it takes to get them published, and how to use them for advocacy. Together we’ll look for news “hooks” and start putting pen to paper.

What else?

Hear from world-class Speakers

We have an incredible lineup of speakers, including H.E. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, MomsRising Co-Founder, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, Tishaura O. Jones, Treasurer of the City of St. Louis, Yolanda Gordon, RESULTS Expert on Poverty, and many more. Check out the growing lineup.

Get Face-to-Face with Congress

The final day of the conference, we head to Capitol Hill. In this fraught political moment, millions of people across the country are marching and taking action. We’re going to take that energy and go inside the halls of Congress. Don’t miss the chance for your member of Congress to see your face, hear your voice, and listen to what you have to say.

And much more…

• Dance the night away at the Sunday conference party
• Join fellow advocates from your area at a regional networking session
• Run the annual “Everyday Heroes” 5k on the national mall
• Meet people from all 50 states and 20+ countries working together to end poverty