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Never Too Soon to Make Your Mark
Sage Engage is a free, half-day conference for high school students, where you’ll learn how to turn your ideas for making an impact in your school or community into action.
Russell Sage College is a premier college for Engaged Learning and community service and builds those opportunities into its general education curriculum. Hear from Russell Sage College faculty, students, and community partners about how they work together to incite change, make the world around them better, and live the college motto: Be. Know. Do.
ABOUT SAGE ENGAGE 2026
We’re so excited to welcome you to Russell Sage College, where you’ll begin thinking about using your gifts and putting your big ideas into action in your schools and community. You’ll hear stories from members of our Russell Sage faculty, students, and staff about how they’ve built connections and made an impact, have an opportunity to workshop your own ideas with our faculty and community partners, and leave inspired (and with lots of fun RSC swag!)
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
9-9:30 a.m.: Registration
9:30-9:45 a.m.: Welcome
10-10:30 a.m.: Session 1
10:45-11:15 a.m.: Session 2
11:30 a.m.-noon: Session 3
12:15-12:45 p.m.: Session 4
1-2 p.m.: Lunch with speaker
Location: Russell Sage College, Albany campus, Armory Building, 130 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY.
Parking info: If you’re arriving by car, please park in any of the available spaces, we’ve reserved the areas closest to the Armory Building for you. If you’re arriving by school bus, please follow the signs to direct you to parking and drop-off sites.
SAMPLE SESSION DESCRIPTIONS (CHOOSE 4):
| Session Title | Brief Description |
| Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR) | Learn more about and do an activity related to the Every Campus a Refuge movement, in which colleges and universities provide direct support to refugee families. In 2021, Russell Sage became the first ECAR chapter in New York, and we have hosted seven families (46 individuals, including 19 children). |
| A Mile in Their Shoes: Voices of Social Justice in Theatre | The shared audience experience provides a great launching space for increasing awareness and empathy for artists and viewers. This session with our Theatre Department explores titles and authors that bring relevance and understanding of current social justice issues. |
| Promoting a Healthy You and a Healthy Society | Learn about the pillars of lifestyle medicine and Thrive@Russell Sage’s commitment to student health promotion/wellness, as well as the Physical Therapy department’s commitment to addressing the population health needs of the Rensselaer County community. Hear about how students got involved with the Joy of Troy Health Fair community partnership event, and get inspired in your own efforts! |
| Art + Good Mental Health = Your Best Self | Explore how the expressive arts can be used to foster increased and sustained mental health practices for both students and in the greater community. Led by the Expressive Arts in Mental Health (EMH) program at Russell Sage, this will be a hands-on session with take-home items to help foster continued growth and well-being. |
| Fuel to the Finish | Want to be a leader on your athletic team? Learn how to fuel your body for optimal health and performance, including nutrition and mindful eating. Explore with our Nutrition faculty how the things we say impact others’ ability to be mindful, how to navigate triggers regarding our body and health, and how to be a leader for your peers in these areas. |
| Your Idea Can Change a Life (or Many) | Hear about how Strong Through Every Mile, a nonprofit that uses a running program to empower survivors of DV and interpersonal abuse, started as just a nagging idea but has grown to serve hundreds of survivors, transforming their lives and the lives of those around them. Get inspired to take that little idea you’ve always had and turn it into something big and impactful. |
| Peer-to-Peer Prevention Education: Lead Positive Change in Your Community | We all deserve to be in healthy relationships, but rarely are we shown how. And many of us don’t know how to identify red flags before they escalate to abuse. Research shows that the first person most teens and young adults talk to is a friend. Learn how you can make a difference at your school and beyond by leading a peer-to-peer prevention education program (using the curriculum from the One Love Foundation). |
| Making Thriving and Tapping into the 8 Dimensions of Wellness Contagious | Explore what it means to thrive via the 8 Dimensions of Wellness. Get inspired, through some examples from the Occupational Therapy Department, to extend health promotion efforts beyond your own schools and into the local and international communities! |
| Kindness, Self-Compassion & Connection | Can kindness be contagious? Researchers in the field of Positive Psychology say “yes,” and in this workshop, you will learn about the science of kindness and how those connected to you might stand to benefit. Create your own kindness action plan, and see how practicing kindness and self-compassion can impact your well-being and your community. |
| Service Learning and People Who Have Experienced a Loss of Communication | Communication is a basic human right, but for millions of people who have had a stroke, brain injury, or other neurologic change, this right is compromised. Regardless of the profession you choose to pursue, your ability to learn supportive communication techniques will be essential. In this session with the Speech-Language Pathology Department, you’ll learn how to advocate for others and be part of the change! |
| 3 Keys to a Meaningful and Thriving Life | Shelley Fritz, a Positive Educator and experienced community organizer, will reveal three keys to thriving while helping the world be a better place for all. These keys derive from lived and learned experience. Reflect on your own passion for contributing to your communities, encourage self-care, and live an impactful and thriving life in the process. |
| Blackout Poetry | Blackout Poetry is a form of creative expression that involves erasing words from an existing text and framing the results on the page as a poem. It can be used to express personal and political themes, revealing resonant words and phrases unique to each session. Join us in this fun adventure into Blackout poetry as you create a unique piece (or two) that reflects your values and experiences. |