Sample Conference Schedules
Know your weekend before you get there.
Hour-by-hour schedules from last year's conferences, so you can see what a day really looks like. The schedule changes very little from year to year.
The basics
What a conference feels like
Every conference follows the same arc, whether it is one day in Providence or four in Albany.
- Arrive and get oriented. Check in with your delegation, get your badge, and hear how the weekend works at orientation and the Opening Session.
- Committees. Your bill gets its first hearing. You present it, answer questions, debate amendments, and the committee ranks which bills move on.
- The Capitol. The big day. You debate in the real chambers and hearing rooms where state lawmakers work, starting with the youth Governor's State of the State.
- Elections. Candidates give speeches and delegates elect next year's youth officers.
- The celebration. An evening with your delegation and everyone you met: karaoke, games, a movie, and a quiet room if you need one.
- Closing Session. The youth Governor signs or vetoes the bills that passed, awards are given, and you head home with new friends from across the state.
Schedules barely change
Times and rooms shift a little each year, but the shape of the weekend stays the same. If you know last year's schedule, you know this year's. The final version is printed in each year's bill book and sent to advisors before the conference.
Packing list, dress code and rules: Conference guide.
New York Middle School
Middle School Conference, grades 6 to 8
Three days, two nights. Delegates are split into Yellow and Blue chambers.
Example: Nov 23 to 25, 2025, at The Desmond, Albany. Next: Nov 22 to 24, 2026.
Sunday: arrive, committees
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 pm | Registration and check-in | King Street Ballroom |
| 4:00 pm | Delegate orientation (all delegates) | King Street Ballroom |
| 4:15 pm | Adult meeting (students supervised) | Town Hall |
| 5:00 pm | Opening Session (all delegates and adults) | King Street Ballroom |
| 5:45 to 8:45 pm | Committees hear every bill, with a dinner break in shifts | Ten committee rooms |
| 9:00 pm | Closing session for the day | King Street Ballroom |
| 9:15 pm | Delegation meetings | |
| 9:45 pm | Curfew, students in rooms |
Monday: Capitol day
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 to 8:00 am | Breakfast | Fort Orange Courtyard |
| 8:00 am | State of the State | King Street Ballroom |
| 8:15 am to about 4:30 pm | The Capitol: debate in the Assembly and Senate chambers and hearing rooms, a Capitol tour, and lunch. Groups rotate (see below). | NYS Capitol |
| 5:00 to 6:00 pm | Break and change clothes | |
| 6:00 to 7:00 pm | Dinner | Fort Orange Courtyard |
| 7:00 pm | Delegation meeting | King Street Ballroom |
| 7:15 to 9:15 pm | Delegation celebration: movie, karaoke, games and crafts, bingo and trivia, and a quiet room | Around the hotel |
| 9:15 pm | Closing session for the day | King Street Ballroom |
| 10:00 pm | Curfew, students in rooms |
Monday at the Capitol: how the groups rotate
Simplified from the 15-minute grid in the bill book. Every group gets a turn in a real chamber, a hearing room, a tour and lunch.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | Yellow Assembly | Yellow Senate | Blue Assembly | Blue Senate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am | State of the State | State of the State | State of the State | State of the State |
| 8:15 am | Buses | Buses | Hotel | Hotel |
| 9:00 am | Assembly Chamber | Senate Chamber | Buses and security | Buses and security |
| 9:30 am | Assembly Chamber | Senate Chamber | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B |
| 10:00 am | Assembly Chamber | Tour | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B |
| 10:30 am | Tour | Assembly Chamber | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B |
| 11:00 am | Senate Chamber | Assembly Chamber | Lunch | Hearing Room B |
| 11:45 am | Senate Chamber | Assembly Chamber | Assembly Chamber | Lunch |
| 12:30 pm | Lunch | Lunch | Assembly Chamber | Senate Chamber |
| 1:15 pm | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B | Assembly Chamber | Senate Chamber |
| 2:00 pm | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B | Tour | Tour |
| 2:45 pm | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B | Senate Chamber | Assembly Chamber |
| 3:45 pm | Depart for hotel | Depart for hotel | Senate Chamber | Assembly Chamber |
| 4:30 pm | Hotel | Hotel | Depart for hotel | Depart for hotel |
Tuesday: wrap up
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 to 8:30 am | Breakfast | Fort Orange Courtyard |
| 8:30 to 11:30 am | Closing Session: the Governor's vetoes and closing speech, and awards | King Street Ballroom |
New York High School
High School Conference, grades 9 to 12
Thursday is for the leadership team only. Most delegates arrive Friday at midday and leave Sunday at noon.
Example: Mar 19 to 22, 2026, at The Desmond, Albany. Next: Apr 2 to 4, 2027.
Thursday: leadership team only
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30 pm | Leadership check-in | The Desmond |
| 3:00 to 4:00 pm | Orientation for all leadership teens | Town Hall |
| 4:00 to 6:00 pm | Team training: committee chairs, justices, Cabinet, Press Corps, presiding officers and advisors | Training rooms |
| 6:00 to 7:30 pm | Alumni and Leadership Dinner | King Street Ballroom |
| 7:30 to 10:30 pm | More training; presiding officers rehearse | Training rooms |
| 11:15 pm | Curfew |
Friday: everyone arrives
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am to 12:15 pm | Leadership breakfast, training and lunch; the Cabinet sets up registration | |
| 12:30 pm | Registration opens | Fort Orange Atrium |
| 1:00 pm | Candidate meeting | |
| 1:30 pm | Opening Session and orientation | King Street Ballroom |
| 2:30 pm | Legislative committees hear every bill; judicial teams review their cases | Committee rooms |
| 3:00 pm | Adult meeting | |
| 4:30 pm | Civic Engagement General Assembly | King Street Ballroom |
| 5:45 pm | Delegation caucus: room keys, luggage to rooms | |
| 6:30 to 9:30 pm | Joint legislative sessions, with dinner in shifts; judicial training for judicial delegates | Chamber rooms |
| 9:30 pm | Cabinet closing thoughts and announcements | King Street Ballroom |
| 10:00 pm | Delegation meetings | |
| 10:30 pm | Curfew, all delegates in their own room |
Saturday: Capitol day
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 to 7:30 am | Breakfast | Fort Orange Ballroom |
| 7:30 am | State of the State, then buses to the Capitol in two waves | King Street Ballroom |
| 8:30 am to about 4:30 pm | Chambers at the Capitol: each chamber rotates through the Assembly Chamber, the Assembly Parlor and hearing rooms, with lunch. Judicial delegates spend the day at the courthouse. | NYS Capitol |
| 5:45 to 6:45 pm | General Elections | King Street Ballroom |
| 6:45 to 8:15 pm | Dinner and change clothes | Fort Orange Ballroom |
| 8:15 pm | Delegate Celebration: karaoke and talent show, games and crafts, voter registration, photo station, a movie, bingo and trivia, and a quiet study room | Around the hotel |
| 9:45 pm | Closing thoughts from the presiding officers | King Street Ballroom |
| 10:15 pm | Delegation meetings | |
| 10:45 pm | Curfew |
Saturday at the Capitol: how the chambers rotate
Simplified from the 15-minute grid in the bill book. Lunch times are staggered by chamber.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | Assembly Liberty | Senate Liberty | Assembly Freedom | Senate Freedom | Assembly Excelsior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 am | Buses | Buses | State of the State | State of the State | State of the State |
| 8:30 am | Assembly Chamber | Assembly Chamber | Buses and security | Buses and security | Buses and security |
| 9:00 am | Assembly Chamber | Assembly Parlor | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B | Hearing Room C |
| 10:30 am | Assembly Parlor | Assembly Chamber | Hearing Room A | Hearing Room B | Hearing Room C |
| 12:15 pm | Lunch | Lunch | Assembly Chamber | Assembly Parlor | Hearing Room C |
| 1:00 pm | Hearing Room C | Hearing Room A | Assembly Chamber | Assembly Parlor | Lunch |
| 1:30 pm | Hearing Room C | Hearing Room A | Assembly Parlor | Assembly Chamber | Hearing Room B |
| 3:00 pm | Hearing Room C | Hearing Room A | Assembly Parlor | Hearing Room B | Assembly Chamber |
| 4:00 pm | Depart for hotel | Depart for hotel | Assembly Parlor | Hearing Room B | Assembly Chamber |
| 4:45 pm | Hotel | Hotel | Depart for hotel | Depart for hotel | Depart for hotel |
Sunday: final sessions
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 to 8:15 am | Breakfast | |
| 8:30 am | Final chamber and judicial sessions | Chamber rooms |
| 10:00 am | Closing Session | King Street Ballroom |
| 12:00 pm | Adjournment |
Connecticut
State Conference, grades 5 to 12
Three days, two nights, with Friday at the State Capitol in Hartford.
Example: Mar 5 to 7, 2026, at the Marriott Hartford/Windsor Airport. Next: Mar 4 to 6, 2027.
Thursday: arrive, committees
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 pm | Registration and check-in | Windsor Ballroom |
| 4:30 pm | Committee chair training | Hartford Room |
| 5:00 pm | Delegate orientation (all delegates) | Windsor Ballroom |
| 5:30 pm | Opening Session (all delegates and adults) | Windsor Ballroom |
| 6:00 pm | Legislative committees; adult meeting (at least one adult per delegation) | |
| 7:00 pm | Dinner | Windsor Ballroom |
| 7:45 pm | Legislative committees continue | |
| 9:15 pm | Closing session for the day | Windsor Ballroom |
| 9:45 pm | Delegation meetings | |
| 10:00 pm | Curfew, students in rooms |
Friday: the State Capitol
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 to 9:00 am | Breakfast | Windsor Ballroom |
| 9:00 am | Gather for buses (bring everything you need for the day) | Windsor Ballroom |
| 10:00 am | Opening Session | House Chamber |
| 10:30 am to 4:30 pm | High school debate in the House and Senate chambers, with lunch in shifts. Middle school debates in the Legislative Office Building, then joins the high school chambers. Youth in Law runs at the same time. | State Capitol and LOB |
| 4:45 pm | Closing session | House Chamber |
| 5:15 pm | Travel back to the hotel | |
| 6:00 to 6:45 pm | Election speeches | Windsor Ballroom |
| 6:45 to 8:00 pm | Dinner and change clothes | Windsor Ballroom |
| 8:15 to 9:45 pm | Delegate celebration: movie, karaoke and a quiet room | Windsor Ballroom |
| 10:15 pm | Curfew, students in rooms |
Saturday: wrap up
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 to 8:45 am | Breakfast | Windsor Ballroom |
| 8:30 am | Youth in Law final | |
| 9:00 to 11:00 am | Closing Session and awards | Windsor Ballroom |
Rhode Island
State House Day, grades 9 to 12
One day at the State House, after Committee Day at a host high school. No hotel nights.
Example: Saturday, Mar 14, 2026, at the Rhode Island State House, Providence. Next: Saturday, Mar 13, 2027.
State House Day
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 to 9:00 am | Arrival | |
| 9:00 am | Opening Session: a welcome from the Rhode Island Secretary of State and the Governor's State of the State | House Chamber |
| 9:30 am | Chamber debate | House and Senate chambers |
| 11:45 am | Lunch break (pizza provided) | Bell area |
| 12:30 pm | Chamber debate | House and Senate chambers |
| 2:30 pm | Closing Session: elections and awards | House Chamber |