High School & College Students at SXSW EDU 2024

Whether you’re a freshman in high school or a senior in college, being a student is more than a full-time job. Amidst all the chaos, you might also be starting to plan for the future, one with academic achievement, career preparation, financial independence, and more.

In the face of pressure, competition for opportunities, and learning to balance your mental health with time management, your goals can evolve many times throughout your academic career as you gain new insights and experiences.

The SXSW EDU community understands that your challenges as a student are diverse and multifaceted. Join us in March to build your network, learn new skills, and get advice from education professionals - and other students - from around the world.

Top Sessions to Attend for Students

Learn to build the mindsets, skills, and networks to design your own creative hustle in the Workshop Creative Hustle: Blaze Your Own Path, Make Work That Matters.

Participate in a dialogue facilitated by writing prompts and discussions on the necessity of collaboration and knowledge of self as tools of social responsibility in the Performance Knowledge of Self: Poetry Performance, Workshop, & Open Mic.

The Panel Sustainable Bites: How Ur Campus Meal Fights Climate Change, explores how universities can act as living labs, driving scalable solutions to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.

Discuss the trauma narratives and the potential consequences of affirmative action bans on college essays in the Solo Storytelling in College Essays Post Affirmative Action.

Mentors to Meet for Students

Meet with mentors who are leaders in their field to receive advice and insight on academic achievement, career planning, and so much more:

• Ashlee Carter - talk to Ashlee about pursuing a doctorate or terminal degree for your professional development and more.
• Barbara Bray - talk to Barbara about empowering learner agency by transforming teaching and learning and more.
• Chloe Koo - talk to Chloe about design careers, resume or portfolio review, and more.
• Cole Wilson - talk to Cole about connecting policy, advocacy, and workforce requirements with postsecondary opportunities and more.
• Elyse Klaidman - talk to Elyse about the animation industry, storytelling, and more.
• Jane Singleton - talk to Jane about building executive functioning skills with postsecondary and career transition in mind and more.
• Jessica Gomez - talk to Jessica about the neurodiversity of leadership and more.
• Jessica White - talk to Jessica about career advice and guidance for people with disabilities entering the workforce and more.
• Kayla Jimenez - talk to Kayla about interviewing and networking for reporting and more.
• Kimberly Robinson - talk to Kimberly about the science of learning and development and more.
• Magdalin Swanson - talk to Magdalin about active learning, student engagement, and more.
• Michael Cassens - talk to Michael elevating student voices within a college and more.
• Stephanie Campbell - talk to Stephanie about educational gaming and more.
• Suchitra Gururaj - talk to Suchitra about how to navigate the higher education sector and more.

Roundtable Discussions to Join for Students

Meet with mentors and peers in a group discussion setting:

• Designing EdTech for Educators & Students
• Leading DEI Efforts
• Mentoring Women of Color for Leadership Roles
• Supporting Early Career Teachers

Get Inspired by High School Student Trailblazers

Watch high school student leaders share what they are doing to improve facets of society — and be prepared to be equal parts impressed and inspired. Through projects and solutions they have developed to address social, economic, and environmental issues, they will compete and pitch their idea in the inaugural Student Impact Challenge.

Then, enjoy some ice cream, network, and celebrate the finalists and semifinalists while the judges deliberate at the Student Impact Ice Cream Social. Be sure to stick around for the winner announcement!

Connect With Your Peers at Interactive Meet Ups

Discuss if older students are being forgotten in today’s reading wars, what steps districts are taking to support older readers, and if we are doing enough in the Meet Up Beyond the Reading Wars: Bridging the Gap for Older Students.

Become a member of the STEM sisterhood and discuss the importance of mentorship, representation, and inclusive education in creating a sustainable and diverse STEM community in the Meet Up Building the STEM Sisterhood.

Join experts and peers in a brainstorm for burnout prevention strategies, facilitated by a therapist specializing in translating burnout prevention concepts into actionable strategies that support broader systems of self-care in the Meet Up Burnout Prevention For Changemakers.

Enter the future where student-centered learning is the norm and assessment and accountability systems have been radically redesigned from the ground up with heavy community input in the Meet Up Class of 2034 Graduation Party.

As a student, your voice is an integral part to finding solutions for the future of teaching and learning — and the community wants to hear from more students! Learn how to submit your own session idea for SXSW EDU 2025 by attending the PanelPicker & More: Engaging at SXSW EDU 2025 Meet Up. Connect with SXSW EDU staff to help you develop ideas and answer your questions.

Student Press Room

Interested in getting journalistic experience as a student? We are extremely excited to announce our first-ever Student Press Room at SXSW EDU 2024. This unique opportunity allows students to immerse themselves in the world of education, innovation, and thought leadership. Students who are interested in covering the conference are invited to use this exclusive space for collaborative brainstorming, networking with like-minded peers, and as an interview space. Join us this March to cover a multitude of topics including the Arts, Equity & Justice, Leadership, and more. Don’t miss out on the chance to be a part of the first-ever student press room at SXSW EDU – where your voice matters!

Want to Explore More Content for Students?

Explore More Programming Opportunities:

• Can Young People Solve the Post-Pandemic Learning Equation?
• Exploring Avenues for Impact in Post-Pandemic Education
• HBCUs & Black Higher Ed’s Post Affirmative Action
• How America Will End Legacy Admissions
• How Will 2024 Elections Impact Education & Workforce Policy?
• Making Black History Visible: From the U.S. to the U.K.
• Ranked - A Musical of Identity, Pressure & Self-Worth
• School Boards Don’t Have to Be Terrible & You Can Help
• Transforming Education by Elevating Youth in R&D

Browse the Full Schedule

Browse These Tags:

Community College | Competition | Creativity | EdTech | Employability & Talent Development | Experiential Learning | Gaming | Mental Health | Neurodiversity | Online Education | Personalized Learning | Professional Development | Project Based Learning | SEL | Social Justice | Standards & Assessment | STEM & STEAM | Storytelling | Student Voice | Virtual Learning | Wellness

Browse These Tracks:

Arts & Storytelling | Future of Tech | Health & Wellbeing | Leadership for Tomorrow | Teaching & Learning

Join Your Community of Students

At SXSW EDU, students convene from all over the world. Join your peers who are already registered to attend in March from the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Chicago, Lake Forest High School, Kaufman High School, and many more. Once you register, you can see who else is attending and start to make connections through EDU Social.

How to Save on Attending SXSW EDU 2024

As a currently enrolled student, you can access an exclusive discounted rate. Act fast, as a limited number of Student Discount Registrations will be made available while they last. Register early to save before the rate goes up.

Don’t Miss Out On SXSW EDU 2024

Register and book your hotel today to break new ground in education through compelling sessions, in-depth workshops, mentorship, film screenings, trailblazing competitions, a dynamic expo, networking opportunities, and so much more at SXSW EDU from March 4-7, 2024.

Be the first to know of any information leading up to the event through Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and our newsletter.

Photo by Will Blake