You Do Not Have to Wait: The Student Presenter Slot at the 2026 #IAmSahraBulle Conference
There is a common assumption in conference culture that young people belong in the audience. That they need a few more years — more credentials, more distance from their own experience, more institutional legitimacy — before they have something worth presenting.
The Sahra Bulle Foundation does not share that assumption.
The 4th Annual #IAmSahraBulle Conference, taking place November 26, 2026, at Vanier Hall, University of Windsor, includes a dedicated student presenter slot in its program. It is not an additional, optional add-on. It is a protected space — guaranteed in the program, valued equally alongside every other session — because youth voice is not a supplement to this work. It is part of its foundation.
What the Student Presenter Slot Is
The student presenter slot is a 15-to-30-minute session designed for, and led by, young people. The format can be a spoken word piece, a presentation, a performance, or a facilitated discussion. What it cannot be is a passive lecture — like every session in this conference, it is designed to engage the people in the room.
This slot exists because the #IAmSahraBulle Conference centres action. "From Awareness to Action: Ending Violence in Our Homes, Schools, and Communities" is the 2026 theme — and that action is not generational. It does not begin at 25 or 30 or after you have finished your degree. It begins when someone understands why silence is not protection and decides to say so out loud.
Who Should Apply
The student presenter slot is open to:
High school and post-secondary students currently enrolled in a Windsor-Essex or Ontario institution
Student groups and advocacy organizations working on gender-based violence, community safety, equity, or related issues
Youth advocates under 25 who are working with a community organization, whether or not they are currently enrolled in school
You do not need to be a polished speaker. You do not need prior conference experience. You do not need academic credentials or a formal institutional affiliation. You need something genuine to say — and the commitment to say it in a way that respects the people in the room who may carry their own experiences of gender-based violence.
The Foundation's program team provides a preparation call for every presenter, including students. No one who is accepted to this program prepares alone.
The Simplified Submission Process
The student submission process is designed to remove the barriers that stop young people from applying. Here is what we ask for:
Your name, school or organization, and grade or year of study
What you want to present — in plain language, two to three sentences
Why this topic matters to you and to the people who will be in the room
What format you are thinking of: spoken word, presentation, performance, or facilitated discussion
That is the full application.
Email your proposal to info@sahrabullefoundation.ca with the subject line: Student CFP 2026 — [Your Name]. The deadline is July 15, 2026. Presenter notification goes out August 15, 2026.
A Note to Educators and Community Workers
If you work with students — in schools, youth organizations, community programs, or advocacy groups — we ask you to share this call directly with the young people you work with. You know who has something to say. You know who has been waiting for a space to say it.
The student presenter slot exists because the next generation of advocates in this work deserves a platform, not just a seat. Send this to the students in your circle.
Learn more and submit at sahrabullefoundation.ca or reach us directly at info@sahrabullefoundation.ca.
This call is open to all students and youth advocates working to end gender-based violence in their communities.
Conference date: November 26, 2026 — Vanier Hall, University of Windsor.
Free for all attendees. Education. Accountability. Community. #IAmSahraBulle
Education. Accountability. Community.
#IAmSahraBulle