• The Up to Us Convening will be held at the Royal Sonesta Washington DC Capitol Hill:
  20 Massachusetts Ave NW,
  Washington, DC 20001
  
  

• Campus Compact will book rooms for all convening participants by April 3, 2026 (so please be sure you register by then!). Campus Compact is also covering the room expenses for the nights of May 27th and 28th. Campus Compact assigns roommates to the best of our ability based on gender identity and compatibility. 
  
  

• If you are staying extra nights outside of May 27th and 28th (due to travel plans for example), there will be an extra cost of $279.00 (plus tax) per night. Please mark in registration that you are staying extra nights. If you are requesting a single room, there will be an extra cost of $139.50 (plus tax) per night. In both cases, you will receive a credit card authorization link prior to arrival. This authorization will secure payment for a single room or any additional nights directly with the hotel. Make sure to complete the authorization promptly to avoid any delays during check-in.
  
  

• Check-in time is 4:00 pm, and checkout time is 11:00 AM. Should you stop by the hotel prior to the convening on May 27th, the hotel can store your luggage at the front desk if your room is not ready.
  
  

• Please see the map below for navigating the meeting space, Level 12 - Penthouse Level (PH button in the elevator), during the convening:

Campus Compact will be providing the following meals during the convening (students and institutions will not have to pay for these meals):

• Dinner on Wednesday, May 27th
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Thursday, May 28th
• Breakfast and Lunch on Friday, May 29th

Campus Compact will also be providing coffee and tea throughout the convening.

If you have dietary restrictions or food allergies, please specify that in your registration.

We highly recommend that you bring a reusable water bottle with you to DC. The hotel will have water available during meal and snack times, and the hotel will have multiple water sources to fill up your water bottle.
 

• If you are staying at the Royal Sonesta Washington DC Capitol Hill, overnight parking is $65 per night with unlimited in/out privileges. If you are driving in each day, the parking is $30 for valet.
   
• Airfare to DC is paid for students by the program. Students will receive an invitation through Navan.com after registering on this page with parameters on flights to book for the convening.
   
• Getting from the airport to the hotel:
  • Metro from DCA:  $2-3 each way ($5 round trip)
  • Lyft/Uber from DCA: Average $18-$30
     
• For ground transportation when you get to DC, please use your Divvy card. If you do not have a Divvy card for travel expenses set up yet, please reach out to Soniy Alamdari (salamdari@compact.org) by Friday, April 10th to set up a Divvy card for your Convening travel expenses. 
   
• Students who have not spent all of their $300 in travel support funds on their Divvy card are expected to first use those funds to cover their travel to/from the airport. If in the event you do not have enough funding leftover to cover your transportation, please reach out to Will Brummett (wbrummett@compact.org) and Soniy Alamdari (salamdari@compact.org) who can assist you. 

Dress Code:

• Attire is not strictly enforced. Still, we recommend business casual (no formal ties or suits needed): just pants or nice shorts and a shirt or top. We want you to be comfortable, but don't wear gym clothes or pajamas in the workshop sessions. We will take a group picture on Thursday, May 28, but participants will be wearing their Up to Us t-shirts mainly during the day (t-shirts will be distributed when you check in). 
• Check out the weather in DC to help you for what to pack
• Please know, we are very casual at Campus Compact and the most important thing is for you to feel comfortable and confident. The idea of "professionalism" (including workplace dress codes) are rooted in problematic and outdated thinking.
• Check out the 2025 Newman Civic Fellows Convening pictures to get a sense of what students wear to an event like this.

Packing List:

Documents & Essentials:

• Photo ID (for hotel check-in and any travel needs)
• Conference confirmation email
• Personal health information (insurance card, emergency contact info)
• Mobile phone and charger
• Notebook, pens, or tablet for taking notes during workshops
• Business cards (if available, for networking)
• Any travel tickets (plane, bus, or train) or itinerary details
• Neck pillow or blanket (for travel if needed)
• Download Uber/Lyft App or Ventra App

Clothing:

• Business casual attire for conference sessions and networking events (e.g., slacks, blouses, dress shirts, blazers, modest dresses)
• Comfortable shoes for walking around the conference venue and DC group adventure
• Evening casual wear for dinner and the mocktail networking happy hour
• Weather-appropriate outerwear 
• Workout or lounge wear (optional, for downtime or relaxing in the hotel)

Personal Items:

• Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.)
• Haircare items and makeup (if needed)
• Travel-size hand sanitizer and tissues
• Water bottle (optional, but helpful for staying hydrated during long sessions)
• Snacks (for breaks between sessions)
• Medications (any prescriptions or over-the-counter meds)

Other Helpful Items:

• Laptop or tablet (if you'll be taking electronic notes or checking in on work)
• Portable phone charger or power bank
• Earbuds or headphones
• Small backpack or tote bag for carrying items during the day
• Light reading material or something for relaxation during travel
• Extra cash or cards for any personal expenses
• Padfolio/Notepad/ Pens

Safety & Travel Updates:

We know that national news and current events can raise questions about safety while traveling. Please know that Campus Compact is actively monitoring conditions in DC and staying in close contact with our hotel partners.

The Royal Sonesta has shared the following key information:

DHS is not allowed to go beyond the lobby of the hotel, without producing a search warrant that Sonesta Corporate validates. ICE usually do not have the proper warrant to go beyond the lobby of the hotel.
 

COVID-19:

• If anyone wishes to wear a mask at all during the convening, you are welcome to do so and we ask that everyone be respectful of each other's comfort level when it comes to in-person space sharing. We will be providing social contact stickers (green = hugs ok, yellow = handshakes ok, red = distance please) that will be placed on name tags to ensure everyone is respecting one another's boundaries. We encourage all cohort memebers to take precautions as necessary to stay safe and healthy. Follow the CDC prevention guidelines for further information. 
• We will also have KN95 masks available throughout the convening. 
• If able, please take a COVID-19 rapid test before you leave for the Convening, and if you have a positive test or strong sickness symptoms, please stay home. Your health is the first priority. We will work with any student who has to miss due to sickness. 

Photo Consent:

We have already noted those who have chosen to opt-out of photos. We will have a professional photographer at the convening taking pictures throughout our time together. We will provide special lanyards to those who do not wish to have their picture taken.

Code of Conduct:

Campus Compact is dedicated to providing a harassment-free and inclusive network for everyone regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disabilities, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, nationality, race, age, religion, veteran status, or other protected category. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Campus Compact takes violations of our policy seriously and will respond appropriately. View the full Code of Conduct here.​

Wifi:

• Network: Sonesta Conference 
• Password: sonesta26

Social Media:

• Connect on social media using #FiscalLeadershipLab
• Tag us on Insta @Campus_Compact

During the conference, Campus Compact will be producing a series of promotional videos to highlight the work we’re doing across the country, and we need your help! In the videos, we’ll feature the voices of The Up to Us Leadership civic leaders cohort to tell the story of the program, the impact our students have in their communities, and the importance of supporting this work. We invite you to participate by sharing your unique story with us.

If you choose to participate, Compact staff will interview you about your participation in the program, the social issues that matter to you, and the importance of learning about fiscal policy. By sharing your story, you will help us spread awareness about Campus Compact’s mission and impact, allowing us to raise critical funds and grow our impact for years to come.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit compact.org.