Saturday, October 25, 2026
Harvard-Westlake School is excited to host its ninth annual Pollyanna Conference! We hope you will join us. As always, the day promises to be exciting and informative.
The mission of Pollyanna is to create a platform "where groups of people can explore together diversity, inclusion, and equity and share ideas, experiences and knowledge in order to become change agents in their immediate communities. The conference model is a dynamic, focused and interactive program that provides guidance and training for community leaders. The goal is to improve inclusion within communities and the understanding that racial, socioeconomic, religious and sexual diversity enhances all elements of the community."
Pollyanna is structured a bit differently than other conferences. Each school will be represented as a School POD – with approximately 15 individuals who play a role in advancing the diversity discussion at your school. We ask that you send two members from each of the following constituent groups, if possible, with the exception of your head of school: head of school, administrators, alumni, diversity coordinators, faculty, parents, students (6th through 12th grade), and trustees. We will ask for a list of your school POD members in early September 2025.
In 2023, we added a more focused elementary school component and because this addition has been a resounding success, we will continue to include our elementary school colleagues.
EVENT DETAILS
The morning will begin with brief opening remarks and a special keynote speaker. The balance of the morning will be dedicated to workshops broken down by constituent groups, each individually facilitated. After a break for lunch, there will be a dynamic student presentation. This year we will feature a breakout session that will speak specifically to the experience of elementary/middle school students in addition to our traditional high school panel. Each school will then reunite with its members for afternoon workshops, which will focus on discussions of next steps for each school. The day will end with a closing share-out session.
LOCATION
Harvard-Westlake Middle School, 700 North Faring Road, Los Angeles, 90077
REGISTRATION
Registration will open on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. The conference will accommodate the first 28 schools that register. The cost for each school POD to attend is $1,700 before June 30, 2025 and $2,000 after July 1, 2025. Please be in touch if the cost is prohibitive for your school.
For additional information, please email jjones@hw.com.