Secular Student Alliance 2025 National Conference

Presented by Jake Via American Humanist Association

Play isn’t just for kids. It’s a fundamental part of how all mammals learn, connect, and thrive. Yet, somewhere along the way, society tells us to "grow up" and leave play behind. In this highly interactive session, we’ll rediscover the joy and purpose of play, exploring its deep roots in neuroscience, its power to build strong communities, and its surprising role in conflict resolution. When we play together, the same parts of our brain associated with empathy light up! Come ready to move, laugh, and experience firsthand why play is a lifelong superpower that brings your community together.

Presented by Colin Wulff Columbia University

Secularity is widely associated with the use of reason, the advancement of science, and the pursuit of worldly justice. Principles in line with these worthy projects are often the primary basis of secular affinity. But community also exists and develops in the time and space between efforts at mobilization, education, and advocacy. A resolute rationalism does not mean the absence or rejection of other important dimensions of human experience, such as fantasy, artistry, and play. These can all serve as critical connective tissue in coalition and community building, even for initiatives devoted to factual truth or practical policy measures.

This workshop encourages participants to consider and embody, with simple movement, how their secular identities interact with their creative impulses and recreational interests. The workshop will also facilitate discussion on how these elements can inform structures and programming in secular groups.

How do our political or intellectual commitments relate to our aesthetic and collaborative preferences, or to our inner imaginative lives? How might a secular awareness affect our fascinations with or aversions to different types of ritual, rhetoric, or narrative? How does all this influence our openness or hesitation with respect to group formation and governance, or in response to cultural customs? What exceptions are we willing to grant? In social, artistic, or other elective contexts, what are the assumptions, predispositions, or resistances that come with a commitment to secular ideas? Which among those assumptions accurately and consistently represent our attitudes and desires? Within dedicated secular assemblies, how variable or adjustable are these intersecting inclinations, individually and collectively?

A series of prompts on these themes will be provided, mostly taking the form of opinionated assertions or hypothetical scenarios. Participants will be invited to join or depart from a communal hub area, depending on how those prompts may personally resonate with them positively, negatively, or ambivalently. Short opportunities for open reflection in small groups will be given at intervals.

Presented by Jasmine Banks Co-Founder Generation Common Good

This training offers an introduction to people-powered organizing rooted in the vision of Jasmine Banks and Generation Common Good. In a time of rising authoritarianism, climate crisis, and structural inequality, we’ll explore how to build multiracial, intergenerational coalitions capable of reclaiming democracy and advancing justice. Participants will learn the foundations of grassroots strategy, how to organize within key institutions like schools and other community centers, and how to activate everyday people into skilled, action-ready leaders. Whether you’re new to organizing or looking to deepen your practice, this session will help you build lasting power for the fights ahead.

Presented by Student Leader River Gallagher



Many queer and trans people are fleeing their home states to escape dangerous, draconian restrictions to their ability to survive. These laws and policies are overwhelmingly driven by Christian nationalism. It's one thing to understand the threat, but it's wholly another to understand the real, personal impacts of these efforts on the lives of the people living under these conditions.

Presented by Sasha Sagan

Why do we do things the way we do them? We take on customs from our ancestors, then teach them to the next generation, often without thinking. But when we take a step back, they can seem bizarre, arbitrary...and sometimes, profoundly beautiful.



Join Sasha Sagan, author of "For Small Creatures Such as We," in uncovering just how weirdly wonderful we Earthlings can be. Maybe even develop a ritual or two of your own!

Presented by Fish Stark Executive Director American Humanist Association

Why do people join groups?

It's not because of beautifully-designed posters or celebrity guest speakers. (I mean, those don't hurt.)

It's because they're looking for something to belong to and believe in.

For decades, humanistic psychologists have studied how our search for meaning, purpose, and identity in life drives our behavior.

As a result: there's a lot of data about what we can do as leaders to get people excited about joining groups and taking part in activism, if we step into their shoes.

In this session, you'll learn the basic principles of humanistic psychology and specific tactics for increasing group membership and commitment, illustrated by real-life stories about how leaders in the student and secular movements are using these tactics successfully.



Fish Stark is the Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. Prior to that, he was an executive at a tech startup that built apps to improve children's mental health, and the Director of Programs at Peace First, a nonprofit that provided training and grants to student activists in 140+ countries. He studied psychology at Yale and Harvard.

Presented by Willie Cartwright Secular Student Alliance Board Member

In this workshop, we acknowledge that “Nones” are not a monolithic group. Students may find themselves identifying as spiritual but not religious, culturally religious, humanist, disillusioned, exploratory, or somewhere in between — and often, in more than one category at the same time. Belief and identity are deeply personal, constantly evolving, and rarely fit neatly into a single label.

Through guided one-on-one conversations, students will engage with thoughtful questions around core beliefs, personal history, sources of meaning, and their relationship to community and identity.

This exercise is not about categorization - it’s about curiosity, connection, and creating space for students to better understand

themselves and one another within the broad and beautiful spectrum of the Nones.

The hope is that students leave this experience with new language, deeper clarity, and practical tools they can take back to their campuses to spark similar conversations in their own communities.

Presented by Paul Golin Executive Director Society for Humanistic Judaism

The white Christian Nationalist authors of “Project 2025” published a corollary plan before the election

called “Project Esther,” providing a blueprint for the government to use antisemitism as the excuse for

sweeping attacks against academia. That plan is currently being enacted today. Most American Jews do

not believe the administration’s policies will make them safer, even as many Jewish college students

report experiencing antisemitism and hate crimes have increased, including the recent murder of a

young couple in D.C. attending a Jewish event. Bringing the best of our humanistic values of empathy,

civil dialogue, and reason, we will together unpack some of today’s most complicated issues, including

the impact of the Israel/Palestine conflict on American campuses, the government’s weaponization of

antisemitism against many universities, allyship for minority communities, and the potential role for

secular people to serve as bridgebuilders and peacemakers.

Presented by Sean Rivera Community Organizer and SSA Alumni

Not all activism moves the needle. In this student-centered workshop, Sean Rivera—a seasoned community organizer and SSA alum—leads a conversation on how to distinguish performative gestures from intentional, impactful organizing. Drawing from over a decade of experience in secular and political movements, Sean will guide students through real-world strategies for assessing campus and community action before jumping into discussion. You’ll leave with practical tools to ask the right questions, build real power, and organize with purpose.

Presented by Sarah Henry, SSA Alum and Florida House Candidate

What happens when secular values become political ammunition? Sarah Henry, an SSA alum and recent candidate for Florida’s House District 38, knows firsthand. Throughout her campaign, Sarah faced a wave of attack ads attempting to weaponize her nonreligious identity—misrepresenting her values and painting her commitment to separation of church and state as something extreme.

In this timely and practical workshop, Sarah shares what she learned from the campaign trail: how to stay grounded in your values, how to respond to misinformation without getting derailed, and how to lead unapologetically as a secular advocate. Students will explore real-life strategies for running for office, shaping public narratives, and defending themselves and others from bad-faith attacks—whether online, on campus, or in their own communities.

This session is essential for any student considering a future in leadership, advocacy, or public life.

Presented by Josh CruverKibi PA Nonbelievers

Street Epistemology is a conversational approach to help foster understanding between different views, as well as a way of helping someone explore and understand their beliefs. It is a modern version of the Socratic method. Street Epistemology is a clever way to help someone explore their poorly understood or explored beliefs and ideas. The technique creates peaceful discourse and allows space for autonomy.

Presented by Alicia Johnson & Andy Beyer Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Advocating for secular issues–and winning–requires strong relationships and coalitions to build the power we need for the change we want, but forming and maintaining those relationships is not always easy. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll look at practical approaches to and examples of coalition building on campus, brainstorm how to do outreach in your communities, and practice relationship building as a key skill for activists.

Presented by Evan Clark Atheists United

Building a just future requires vibrant, thriving, and engaged communities. This workshop equips students with the practical skills to host dynamic and inclusive campus events that foster connection and spark action. Learn how to transform group gatherings from routine meetings to powerful community-building spaces, all while having fun doing it.

Presented by Rep. Mickey Dollens Freedom from Religion Foundation

Want to make a real impact but don’t know where to start? In this interactive session, Freedom From Religion Foundation's Regional Government Affairs Manager and current Oklahoma state legislator Mickey Dollens will break down how students can effectively lobby elected officials, influence policy, and advocate for secular values. You’ll learn insider strategies for crafting compelling messages, getting lawmakers to listen, and mobilizing support to push real change forward.

This session ties directly into the conference theme, “Inspiring Hope, Igniting Action: Secular Vision for a Just Future,” by equipping students with practical, actionable skills to engage their campuses and communities in defending the separation of religion and government. Attendees will walk away with a clear roadmap for turning their passion into political power.

Presented by Arden Hart

This hands-on workshop builds on Arden Hart’s powerful plenary session by giving students practical tools to confront transphobia in their communities. Participants will engage in interactive roleplay exercises—modeled after canvassing training—to practice responding to harmful rhetoric both within student orgs and across the broader secular movement. From navigating harmful “debate” inspired by figures like Dawkins to pushing back against inappropriate comments from older skeptics, this session equips students with the language, confidence, and values-driven framework to defend trans lives and ensure their campus spaces remain safe and inclusive for all.

Nick Girard, Author of IN THE BEGINNING

Have a book idea but don’t know where to start? Join author Nick Girard for a practical, student-friendly guide to turning your creative spark into a published work. In this two-part workshop, Nick shares his journey of writing IN THE BEGINNING and breaks down the entire process—from how to generate original ideas and commit to a writing routine, to what it really takes to get your book into readers’ hands.

The first half focuses on the creative process: how to begin writing, why your story matters, and how to stay motivated through editing and revision. In the second half, Nick offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at both traditional and self-publishing paths. He’ll provide real-world resources including a list of literary agents and PR firms, sample query letters, royalty breakdowns, marketing expenses, and more—based entirely on his own experience navigating the publishing world.

Whether you’re dreaming up your first chapter or wondering how to market your finished manuscript, this workshop will give you the tools—and the receipts—to take the next step with confidence.

Presented by Forrest Valkai

Science and skepticism are more than just tools for understanding the universe. Properly applied, they are tools for compassion, progress, and unity as well. In this presentation, biologist and a science communicator Forrest Valkai introduces several lessons in biology, their implications for skepticism and society, and how they preclude the kind of thinking that hinders social progress.

Presented By David Condo and Jen Scott

This session will provide practical guidance on how to keep yourself and your community safe during demonstrations, rallies, and direct actions. We’ll cover protest planning basics, including permit navigation, coordination with local officials, safety roles, and de-escalation strategies. You’ll also learn how to assess risks, document threats or incidents, and report them to local law enforcement. An extended Q&A will address common concerns about engaging with police, protecting your rights, and staying safe while showing up for justice.

Presented by Emily Shine Student Board Member

Building a strong SSA chapter doesn’t have to mean doing more—it can mean doing things differently. In this session, we’ll explore how creating space for peer support within your group can help grow your chapter while keeping your team grounded and connected. We’ll talk about how to integrate resources into your programming to build community, reduce burnout, and make your chapter a place where students feel supported and seen.

Presented by Bart Campolo, Humanist Chaplain Student Board Member

Veteran community builder Bart Campolo has brought people together in meaningful ways - and taught others to do the same - in many, very different situations, from inner-city soup kitchens in Philadelphia to the campus of USC in Los Angeles, where he served as that school's first humanist chaplain. Drawing on those experiences and some surprising scientific data, Bart will offer a handful of simple strategies for transforming your chapter into a genuine community that effectively draws and keeps good people.

Presented by Joseph Farkas Humanist Chaplain and Combat Medic

College-aged individuals are statistically more susceptible to certain traumatic events, including gun violence, vehicular accidents, and increasingly physical threats during 1st amendment activity. Implementing this training equips students with practical skills to address emergencies, fostering a safer campus environment and promoting proactive citizenship.

Civilian intervention is a profound expression of humanist values, as it empowers individuals to save lives irrespective of personal biases. Join Humanist Chaplain and Army Medic Joe Farkas in a hands on session that teaches students how to control bleeding in emergency situations until professional medical help arrives.