About Culture Jam
Culture Jam is an annual student-led and produced conference focused on diversity, designed to empower students to engage in courageous conversations alongside their peers. The event offers a safe, inclusive space for high school students to explore identity, reflect on lived experiences, and discuss equity-related issues present in schools, the Pittsburgh region, and the broader global community.
Centered on personal narratives and the many dimensions of identity—including race, gender, religion, sexuality, socio-economic status, family structure, and more—Culture Jam provides students with a unique opportunity to connect, build understanding, and envision authentic change. Organized and helmed by The Ellis School’s Student Diversity League, Culture Jam 2026 will mark the 22nd year of this Ellis tradition.
This year’s theme, Walk a Mile in My Shoes, focuses on the power of connecting through our identities while celebrating the differences that shape us. The theme invites participants to share personal stories, explore the parallels across experiences, and acknowledge the uniqueness each person brings to their community.
Culture Jam serves as a space for individuals to examine their struggles, find support, and access resources—including affinity spaces that foster honest expression and deeper understanding. Our goal is for attendees to leave with a strengthened sense of empathy, acceptance, and appreciation for both the similarities and differences that influence who we are.
Key Ideas
List of 4 items.
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Cultivating Compassion
Building empathy, understanding, and acceptance -
Finding Common Ground
Recognizing our similarities through our differences -
Honoring Every Voice
Celebrating individual identities and lived experiences -
Stories That Unite Us
Bringing people together through personal stories
2026 Culture Jam Schedule
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Time
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Activity
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Location
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7:30–8:10 a.m.
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Registration & Music
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Paw Shop &
Janet’s Gym |
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8:10–8:20 a.m.
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Welcome & Introduction
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Janet’s Gym
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8:20–8:30 a.m.
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Step In Activity
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Janet’s Gym
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8:30-9:00 p.m.
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Spectrum
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Janet's Gym
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9:00-9:20 a.m.
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Snack
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Janet’s Gym or Field (Weather Permitting)
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9:20–9:45 a.m.
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Activity
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Janet’s Gym
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9:45-10:00 a.m.
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Break
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Janet's Gym, Courtyard, or Auditorium
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10:05–11:05 a.m.
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SungBeats
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Auditorium |
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11:10–11:50 a.m.
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Affinity Groups
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Various Locations
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11:55–12:25 p.m.
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Workshop Block 1
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Various Locations
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12:30-1:00 p.m.
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Workshop Block 2
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Various Locations
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1:00–1:55 p.m.
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Lunch
*Cafeteria closes at 1:30 p.m. |
Alumnae Hall
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2:00–2:30 p.m.
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Workshop Block 3
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Various Locations
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2:35–2:45 p.m.
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Closing Remarks
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Various Locations
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2:45-3:10 p.m.
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Line Dances
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Janet's Gym
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3:10 p.m.
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Dismissal
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Back Lot
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*Please note: Schedule is subject to change.
Culture Jam Attendee Pledge
To help make Culture Jam a safe and productive experience for everyone here, I pledge to:
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Listen, and keep an open mind to learning from someone new.
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Speak, and help educate others about my personal experiences with diversity and judgment.
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Care, by being sensitive, respectful, and understanding of others.
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Try, by being courageous and patient, and engaging with difficult topics maturely.
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Act, by finding a way, great or small, to work against the culture of judgment in my school and community.
2026 Guest Speaker
List of 1 items.
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SungBeats
SungBeats is a one-of-a-kind performer, beatbox looping champion, and viral creator from New York City. Using only his voice and a loop station, he builds full, live music in real time—mixing beatboxing, vocal effects, and technology into a performance that’s as fun as it is mesmerizing.
Sung has been recognized for his extraordinary talent, including winning the 2018 American Loopstation Beatbox Championship and Apollo Night (Season 2014) at the iconic Apollo Theater. His popular series, Making Beats for Strangers, has delighted millions around the world, racking up over 800 million views.
With more than a decade in music and entertainment, Sung has collaborated with major brands like Forbes, AT&T, and M&M’s. But above all, he continues to inspire audiences everywhere, sharing the joy of music and the magic of creativity.
About the Student Diversity League
List of 3 items.
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2026 Student Diversity League Members
Akiera King, Alaya Sullivan, Amelia Balet, Angelina Jones, Anna Morowitz, Avery Cynkar, Avery Mills, Bailey Nolan, Diya Mahtani, Eve Kilgore;
Fiona Teufel, Kate Habershaw, La’Nyiah Richards, Maddie Yen, Molly Rosenson, Naima Karuga, Naomi Teter, Nikki Williams, Ona Mogotsi, Penny Yajko;Poppy Seif, Sara Akbarian, Selah Cyrus, Shamael Rahamani, Simone Boyiadzis, Sidney Morris, Sol Sundquist, Sunny Pham, Sydney Curd, Talia Dubowitz -
About the Student Diversity League
The goal of the Student Diversity League at The Ellis School is to provide opportunities for students to learn, dialogue, connect with each other, and take action about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion both within the Ellis community and the larger world outside Ellis. -
Student Diversity League Mission
Members of the Student Diversity League (SDL) are committed to raising awareness about current diversity-related topics in an effort to emphasize the value and beauty of diversity. They encourage open and honest discussion where disagreement is allowed but acceptance is the final destination.
