The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) recognize the importance of the role that youth play in creating lasting, positive changes concerning tobacco prevention and control.
To this end, the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University designs the Say What! Texas Tobacco-Free Conference to be the most engaging, fun, and effective experience in helping youth and adults find their passion for tobacco prevention.
2023 Say What! Conference Video
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The Say What! Conference offers a variety of opportunities for all youth groups working on tobacco prevention related issues, tobacco-free policies, and other projects that may be occurring in the school or community.
Youth participants are able to attend a variety of breakout sessions that are led by the Say What! Teen Ambassadors, program staff, Say What! youth groups, and experts from diverse fields discussing a range of tobacco and vaping prevention topics. Youth groups also choose a project to plan while at conference to help educate and empower their peers and community members to live life nicotine-free.
Sponsors and other adult participants are able to attend specialized sessions that focus on developing teen leaders, maximizing a youth group’s efforts, challenges and successes from other group sponsors, emerging products, and more. Adults who are new to the Say What! program are also able to attend an information session to learn more about the program, resources offered, and the best way to get involved in the movement.
Day 1 - Sunday
Conference Check-In & Games
Opening Session
Dinner & Hotel Check-In
Evening Session & Activities
Breakfast
Morning Session & Track Breakouts
Lunch
Afternoon Session & Skills Building Breakouts
Project Planning
Dinner
Evening Session
Evening Games & Activities
Breakfast
Closing Session & Activities
Conference Ends
Boxed Lunches To Go
1 - 4pm
4 - 5:30pm
5:30 - 7:30pm
7:30 - 10pm
8 - 9am
9am - 12pm
12 - 1pm
1 - 4:30pm
4:30 - 5:30pm
6 - 7pm
7:15 - 8:15pm
8:15 - 10pm
8 - 9am
9am - 12pm
12pm
Day 2 - Monday
Day 3 - Tuesday
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Registration for middle school and high school-aged youth groups to attend the Say What! Conference is $425 per person and includes conference fees, lodging, all meals and snacks, access to hotel amenities, parking, a conference t-shirt, and conference materials and supplies.
For adult participants who are interested in attending the conference without a youth group, please contact staff to confirm space is available as well as the conference registration fee.
Each participant from a youth group must complete a registration form and submit a signed copy of the Liability and Medical Release Form. Registration closes May 31, 2025.
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Group scholarships to attend conference for free are available for school and community-based youth groups. Scholarships cover the costs associated with conference registration, lodging, all meals and snacks, access to hotel amenities, parking, and conference t-shirts, materials, and supplies.
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Only the Lead Adult Sponsor for the group should submit an application.
To apply for a scholarship, the following requirements must be met:
• Must be a youth group with both youth and adults
• Youth must be going into 6th-12th grade for the next school year
• Everyone must reside in Texas
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Applications are due by May 1, 2025. Notifications will be emailed by May 15, 2025.
Conference staff work with hotel staff to arrange lodgings for all registered conference participants. Lodging arrangements for the conference is multiple occupancy rooming. Youth groups can expect to lodge together and be placed on the same floor directly across or next to each other. Adults attending with a youth can expect to share a room with another adult of the same gender from their group. Youth can expect to share a room with 2-4 other students of the same gender from their group. Adults who attend without a youth group can also expect to share a room with another adult of the same gender.
If you have any questions about lodging arrangements, please contact staff at TxSayWhat@txstate.edu.
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If you need to cancel your registration, contact staff at TxSayWhat@txstate.edu.
A $50 processing fee will be applied for any cancellations after June 30, 2025, and no refunds will be processed after July 3, 2025.
Same gender substitutions will be accepted at any time; however, different gender substitutions must be made by Friday, June 13, 2025.
If a group has any no-shows without same gender substitutions, the group will be billed $100 per no-show.
If you have any questions, contact us at
877-304-2727 or TxSayWhat@txstate.edu
Phone
512.245.8082
Mailing Address
Texas School Safety Center
ATTN: Say What Program
Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666
Say What! was created and designed by young people from across Texas and connects students interested in eliminating tobacco from their schools and communities. The Say What! movement is funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services through a contract with the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University.
