Annual Conference
2026 SHECP Annual Conference
July 30th – August 1st at Marymount University
The SHECP Annual Conference is designed to place the interns' individual experiences into broader anti-poverty policy, research, and organizational efforts and to situate it within their undergraduate education. The conference also provides professional development opportunities for the staff and faculty of member institutions and community partners who are able to attend. The 2026 SHECP Annual Conference is being co-hosted by Marymount University and is made possible by the generous support of the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation.
SHECP provides funding for all interns and for a representative from each Member School to participate in the Annual Conference. The conference is free and open to the larger community. For individuals interested in attending Saturday's events, please email the SHECP Office to let us know you are coming!
Land Acknowledgment: Marymount University is located on the homelands of the Manahoac, Doeg, Nacotchtank, and Piscataway peoples, who are the original inhabitants of Arlington County and the greater D.C. metropolitan area. We acknowledge that Marymount was founded in 1950 on land that the Indigenous peoples of this region nurtured for millennia, and we extend our gratitude and respect to them, their descendants, and all who continue to lead the way in the most essential environmental justice work of our time.
Conference Schedule of Events
Thursday, July 30th
3:00 – 5:00 PM: SHECP Governing Board Work Session
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Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
Friday, July 31st
9:00 – 11:00 AM: SHECP Council Meeting
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Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
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Light snacks provided
12:00 – 5:00 PM: Time to Explore!
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Conference attendees are encouraged to spend some time exploring the area. You can join a group activity or plan your own adventure! Interns, please use the GroupMe for any day-of coordination.
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Self-guided Marymount PATH Tour
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The PATH project at Marymount is an educational tool and call to action that centers Indigenous worldviews, movements, artists, authors, and histories.
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Begin the tour at the Contemplative Garden, and visit a total of six locations that offer opportunities to discover ways you can take action to build community, advance racial justice, and protect the Earth.
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5:00 – 8:00 PM: SHECP Welcome Dinner (menu details here)
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Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
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Dinner is co-hosted by the 2026 Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Interns and will include short reflections from each of the interns and "Crafts, Questions & Conversation." Additionally, the evening will include opportunities to reconnect with fellow interns, and time to consider what comes next.
Saturday, August 1st
8:30 AM: Optional Grab-and-Go Breakfast (menu details here)
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Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
9:15 AM: SHECP Group Photo
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Ballston Center, 1st Floor Lobby
9:30 AM: Welcome Address & Award Presentation
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Ballston Center, Auditorium
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Welcome from Co-host, Marymount University
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2026 Harlan R. Beckley Award
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Presentation and remarks by Tiffanie Spencer, Chair of SHECP Governing Board
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10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Research & Policy Speaker Sessions
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Ballston Center, Auditorium
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"Beyond Hunger: Moving Toward Whole-Person Care in Washington, DC," Jim Palmer, Director of Community Engagement at So Others Might Eat (SOME) (website)
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"Reimagining Rural: A National Perspective," Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution and host of Reimagine Rural podcast (bio)
12:30 PM: Lunch (menu details here)
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Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
1:30 – 4:15 PM: SHECP Summer Intern Reflection Panels
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Ballston Center, Rooms 5012, 5018, 5024, 5030
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During these concurrent panels, students will reflect on their own internship and discuss how their internship experience might inform their future paths.
4:15 – 5:30 PM: Final Gathering
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Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
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Light snacks provided (menu details here)
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This final event is not required, but we strongly encourage you to attend! However, we understand that some individuals will need to leave to make their travel connections.