March Leaders of Tomorrow Conference

CT Speech & Action's most recent event was the 2026 Leaders of Tomorrow Conference on March 28th. The event took place at the New Haven Free Public Library. At the event, students engaged in workshops to enhance their pitching skills, networking abilities, and learn strategies to be a more engaging speaker. Rotarians gave inspiring speeches about the importance of being active community members and working towards an improved society.

However, this event was extra special. CT Speech & Action came full circle. For context, CTSA was started by a group of high schoolers nearly four years ago—high schoolers who grew tired of competing at expensive debate tournaments that only focused on speech—never action. They decided to form CTSA to make speech more accessible and to work on social action projects with students to help develop the leaders of tomorrow—this generation's confident speakers. Because, we, the young ones, will shape the future.

During the 2026 event, panelists spoke to younger middle and high school students about starting and navigating passion projects. Some of them were Shepard Fisher, the 80th Youth Governor of CT, and CTSA's founder, Chloe Wang, a current senior at Hopkins School. Chloe Wang must have once been a young teen, looking up to high schoolers heading off to college, dreaming of starting something like CTSA. In March, at the conference, as Chloe explained the nonprofit's past and encouraged the leaders of tomorrow to do what they love to better society, I couldn't help but find myself in the shoes of a younger, motivated, Chloe. Indeed, I felt inspired and sure that if she could do it, so can I. I was not the only one with such feelings.

But just as much as the insight students gained, attendees enjoyed matcha, mango passionfruit drinks, and Chipotle. The only complaint about the event was not being able to be there for longer. Thank you Rotary for your support!

Perhaps this is your calling to join CTSA. Because if a few teenage girls four years ago could make a change and inspire hundreds today, so can you. Subscribe, and email us if you'd like to be part of an upcoming event or take part in a social action project. We're currently in the process of brainstorming and are looking forward to doing something big this summer.

Finally, thank you to every young person out there for being you.

Written by Ishanvi Mohapatra on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Pictures from the conference: https://canva.link/bg2ap4vycj9d4r0