Thank you!

The Take Action Institute Conference is Back!

History into Action

Through the power of testimonies and lessons from the Holocaust, the institute produces curriculum, conferences and training engaging high school and college students to develop and build necessary skills and attitudes to be confident changemakers.

OCTOBER 21, 2023
8:00AM-8:00PM
The Orlando Hilton
6001 Destination Parkway

The Take Action Institute Conference is Back!

History into Action

Through the power of testimonies and lessons from the Holocaust, the institute produces curriculum, conferences and training engaging high school and college students to develop and build necessary skills and attitudes to be confident changemakers.

OCTOBER 21, 2023
8:00AM-8:00PM
The Orlando Hilton
6001 Destination Parkway

The Take Action Institute Conference is Back!

History into Action

Through the power of testimonies and lessons from the Holocaust, the institute produces curriculum, conferences and training engaging high school and college students to develop and build necessary skills and attitudes to be confident changemakers.

OCTOBER 21, 2023
8:00AM-8:00PM
The Orlando Hilton
6001 Destination Parkway

2023 Take Action Conference Pillars

Bias and Bigotry Reduction

Education and Youth Empowerment

Civic and Citizenship Engagement

Historical Culture and Identity

Bias and Bigotry Reduction

Education and Youth Empowerment

Civic and Citizenship Engagement

Historical Culture and Identity

2023 Conference Agenda

Morning

8:00 am

Registration/Breakfast

Session Speakers Welcome

Florida Ballroom

9:00 am - 10:15 am

Breakfast Keynote

Orange Ballroom
(Luc Bernard)

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Breakout Sessions

afternoon

12:15 pm - 1:45 pm

Lunch Keynote

Orange Ballroom
(Trisha Prabhu)

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Breakout Sessions

3:30 pm - 4:45 pm

Energy Hour

4:45 pm

Doors Open for Dinner

evening

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Dinner Keynote

Orange Ballroom
(Melissa Eccles)

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Networking Opportunity

8:00 pm

Event Ends

keynote speakers

Luc Bernard

Pillar: Historical Culture and Identity

Born in France, director Luc Bernard is known for his groundbreaking work on The Light in the Darkness, the first commercial-level video game about the Holocaust. Prioritizing empathy, it humanizes the victims, gaining acclaim worldwide and pioneering awareness in the Middle East.

Trisha Prabhu

Pillar: Education and Youth Empowerment

At only thirteen, Trisha invented Rethink™, a cyberbullying prevention tool. TED speaker, winner of numerous prestigious awards, Harvard graduate, current Rhodes Scholar, and a published author, she continues to champion online safety through global work.

Melissa Eccles

Pillar: Citizenship and Civic Engagement

Emmy-nominated Creative Director, Writer, and Producer, Eccles specializes in immersive storytelling at the nexus of technology and neuropsychology. Her work spans film, TV, advertising, including projects for HBO and Warner Bros. She is passionate about creating and pushing boundaries.

BREAKOUT SPEAKERS

Justin Brozanski

Professor Brozanski is a Course Director in the Creative Writing Department of Full Sail University. He specializes in Transmedia Storytelling. He also operates Brozanski for Cats, a nonprofit which seeks to leave “no cat left outside.”

Anna Eskamani

From Orlando, Representative Anna V. Eskamani of House District 42 has committed her life to advocating in support of Florida’s hardworking families. Tough, authentic and unafraid, Anna has proven herself as a leader who works hard, delivers results, and gets things done.

Shawn Welcome

Serving the community one poem at a time, Shawn Welcome – Poet Laureate for the City of Orlando has a goal to use his gift with words to inspire, entertain, encourage, and educate the world around him.

KC Hampton

KC Hampton is a novelist, poet, activist, and believer in hope, love, and kindness in just the simplest of smiles. She is a woman, young adult, and mental health activist who channels her storytelling abilities to spread topics that must be heard over the noise lost in media.

Suzanne Schneider

Suzanne Schneider, born in 1937 in Zbarazh, Poland, faced extreme hardships during the Soviet and German invasions, leading to her and her family’s confinement in the Zbarazh ghetto. Due to her father’s medical expertise, a woman offered to hide Suzanne and her family in a chicken coop for a year. They were eventually liberated by the Soviets and lived displaced until they settled in the United States.

Ginsburg Incubator
Panel Awardees

Jessica Brown
Full Sail University

Ben Mack Jackson
Rollins College

Jaelyn Jenkins
University of Central Florida

Liam King
Rollins College

Wanya Allen
Seminole State College

Victoria Ramon
Stetson University

Keep on Giving Panel

Sendy Sejourne
University of South Florida

Taylor Hibel
Stetson University

Akheem Mitchell
Rollins College

Skye Cronje
Stetson University

New Perspectives Panel

Sam Bernbaum

Isabel Cesar

Andre Graves

Luc Bernard

Born in France, director Luc Bernard is known for his groundbreaking work on The Light in the Darkness, the first commercial-level video game about the Holocaust. Prioritizing empathy, it humanizes the victims, gaining acclaim worldwide and pioneering awareness in the Middle East.

A Central Position

The Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida is well-positioned to engage with today’s youth on enduring social issues. As we grow into a new, state of the art museum in the heart of downtown Orlando, our institution will be centrally located as a place of dialogue and action, especially on issues of discrimination, prejudice, and antisemitism.

We promote strong communities across Central Florida by focusing on the change each person can make around them and within themselves.

Impact Focused

Our students are compassionate changemakers. They value respect, kindness and are enthusiastic about their communities.

Community Connections

Our students are compassionate changemakers. They value respect, kindness and are enthusiastic about their communities. We are proud to partner with a variety of groups and organizations who understand and live our values.

Join us in becoming a community connections partner here.

Community & Student Focused

We are proud to partner with a variety of groups and organizations who understand and live our values.

Our Partners

Thank you to our corporate and education partners for supporting the Take Action Institute.

We invite you to take action and support the 2023 Take Action Institute Conference. With your generosity, student leaders and many others can expand their impact and create a more inclusive society. View sponsorship opportunities here, become a sponsor here or contact Taylor Warner-Valdez  for more information.

Scholarship

 

Michael Soll (individual)

Stephanie Adler-Paindiris (individual)

Rick Schell (individual)

Signature

 

Orlando Magic

Keynote Breakfast

 
  
Nemours Children's Health        

United Way Logo

Contributor 

Scholar


Platinum

 

UCF

 

Presenting

Our Story

A more equitable society emerges when we join together. The Take Action Institute Conference is a site of collaboration to advance change for our communities and to find like-minded change agents to work with!

TAI Conference's Mission

The Take Action Institute Conference brings together a collaborative community of youth and organizational partners to address issues important to them.

We are guided by the lessons of The Holocaust, especially the role that ordinary people can play in bringing about extraordinary change.

Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida's Mission

We use the history and lessons of the Holocaust to build a just and caring community free of antisemitism and all forms of prejudice and bigotry.

Through our extensive outreach of educational and cultural programs and exhibits, we use the lessons of the Holocaust as a tool. We teach the principles of good citizenship to thousands of people of all ages, religions, races, sexual orientations, abilities and backgrounds each year.

Inspirational

We work for justice and compassion in the world, and we are passionate about bringing people together to make it happen.

Bold

We unapologetically use the tools of historical inquiry to ask tough questions about the roots of ongoing social issues and challenging problems.

Confident

We provide tools and resources to enable everyone to walk confidently into their life experiences knowing they have the ability to make a difference.