Walk into a Congressperson's office. Lead the meeting.
NAC is an advocacy conference, but what students actually walk away with is leadership: the confidence to run a room, the poise to make an ask, and the relationship-building skills that outlast the trip to Capitol Hill.
The skills you can't get from a classroom
Advocating for STEM funding is the mission. But getting a student ready to lead a Congressional meeting means teaching public speaking, negotiation, and team leadership under real pressure — skills that show up again in scholarship interviews, job interviews, and back home on the team.
Lead a delegation
Own the pitch
Think on your feet
Build relationships that last
“Students gain a tremendous amount of self-confidence and public speaking ability as they learn, prepare, and lead meetings with Senators, Representatives, and their staff.”
Reserve your spot
Rates are per participant, due in full upon confirmation, and rise as the conference gets closer — register early to lock in the lowest rate.
🎓 Every registration includes a one-year SASA membership — no separate sign-up needed.
| Price tier | Member | Non-member | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bird Rate | $295 | $325 | Through 3/1/27 |
| Standard Rate | $325 | $355 | After 3/1/27 |
| Late Rate | $350 | $380 | As the conference approaches |
Current SASA members: register through the separate member link to get the member rate. Don’t have it? Email [email protected] and we’ll send it to you.
🏨 Hotel rooms are booked separately — but our link gets you SASA’s discounted rate at the Omni Shoreham. Reserve your room →
What's included in registration
- Digital briefing booklet of relevant materials
- Breakfast and lunch on Monday
- Refreshments at Tuesday’s Congressional reception
- Guide, contacts, and instructions to schedule your Congressional meetings
- A day and a half of hands-on advocacy training
- A one-year SASA membership
Registering as a group
Reach the SASA team any time at [email protected].
Three days, from training to the Hill
Sunday
- 8:00 – 11:00 AMEvent check-in
- 9:00 – 11:00 AMFirst-timers sessionoptional
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PMLunch on your own
- 1:00 – 5:00 PMMain session, day 1Government overview · Authorizing legislation · Appropriations 101
- 6:30 PMPhoto at the Capitol
- 8:00 PMDinner on your own
Monday
- 7:00 – 8:00 AMBreakfast
- 8:00 AM – 12:00 PMMain session, day 2Legislative briefs · What’s happening in DC
- 12:00 – 1:00 PMLunch
- 1:00 – 5:30 PMMain session continuedEffective meetings · Capitol logistics · Panel Q&A · State breakout practice
- 6:30 PMRain-date photo at the Capitol
Tuesday
- 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMHill meetingsBased on your team/state schedule
- 5:00 – 7:00 PMCongressional receptionConference adjournment
Preparation & materials
What to bring
- Business cards (at least 10)
- A one-page handout on your team or school district (at least 10 copies)
- Umbrella or raincoat, just in case
- Your team’s shirt, to represent your team at the conference
- Dress clothes — see below
What to wear
Sunday & Monday: Team uniforms and comfortable shoes.
Tuesday: Business professional attire for Hill meetings. Pro tip — wear two pairs of socks with dress shoes to avoid blisters from all the walking.
Scheduling your meetings
We’ll reach out to you as the conference approaches to help schedule your Congressional meetings.
The details, filed by topic
Everything you’d normally dig for in an FAQ, organized like a briefing book instead — pull whichever folder you need.
Cost & what's included
Registration covers a day and a half of advocacy training, breakfast and lunch on Monday, and the Congressional reception Tuesday evening. It does not include your hotel room — rooms at the Omni Shoreham are booked separately, and our booking link gets you SASA’s discounted rate. Rates climb as the conference approaches, so early registrants pay the least.
Team size & attending solo
Groups of any size are welcome, as are students who come entirely on their own. If your team can’t make the trip, you’re welcome to register individually; we’ll pair you with an experienced attendee or nearby team so you’re never navigating Capitol Hill alone. Please submit one registration per group; for groups larger than 10, contact SASA staff to coordinate.
Who can attend
NAC is open to students from any STEM program or activity who want to advocate for STEM education. Programming is built around a high-school-aged experience, but younger students have attended in past years too — we leave the call on whether NAC is the right fit up to the parents and mentors who know their students best.
Parents & mentors
Parents and mentors are welcome — and encouraged — to register alongside their students. Anyone participating in the training and meals (breakfast and lunch Monday, the Tuesday reception) needs to register and pay like any other attendee. If a parent just wants to join for meals without sitting through training, a separate meal-only ticket is available during registration.
Refunds & financial aid
Registrations are refundable through May 16, 2027 — after that, plans are locked in. You can swap the name on a registration any time before the event at no cost, so a last-minute lineup change won’t cost you anything. At this time, SASA does not offer financial aid toward NAC registration.
Hotel & logistics
The conference is held at the Omni Shoreham, but hotel rooms are booked separately from conference registration — reserve your room here for SASA’s discounted rate. We’ll share meeting-scheduling logistics as the conference approaches.