Student Leadership Drive-In

Drive-In Schedule

Schedule of Events:

8:30 AM: Registration & Breakfast
Check in at the registration desk and enjoy a buffet breakfast, available until 9:30 AM.

9:30 – 10:15 AM: Welcome & Keynote Address
The day begins with a warm welcome and an inspiring keynote session.

10:15 – 10:30 AM: Transition Time
Move to your next session location.

10:30 – 11:15 AM: Session Block I
Choose from five program sessions designed to inform and inspire.

11:15 – 11:30 AM: Transition Time
Move to your next session location.

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: Session Block II
Select from another round of dynamic program offerings.

12:15 – 12:30 PM: Transition Time
Move to your next session location.

12:30 – 1:45 PM: Lunch & Optional Tours
Enjoy lunch and take part in an optional tour of the campus Reynolds Coliseum.

1:45 – 2:00 PM: Transition Time
Move to your next session location.

2:00 – 2:45 PM: Session Block III
Engage in your choice of sessions to continue the learning.

2:45 – 3:00 PM: Transition Time
Move to your next session location.

3:00 – 3:45 PM: Session Block IV
One final round of program sessions before closing activities.

3:45 – 4:00 PM – Swag Exchange Set-Up
The ballroom will be arranged for the popular swag exchange.

4:00 – 4:30 PM: Swag Exchange
Students are invited to gather and swap swag items around the ballroom perimeter.

4:30 – 5:15 PM: Awards & Closing Celebration
The conference concludes with awards, closing remarks, and a heartfelt thank you to all participants.

Parking Information:

All participants will be able to park for free on campus beginning Friday, April 3, 2026 at 5:00pm. Because it is the weekend, we encourage all participants to park in either the Coliseum Parking Deck or the parking lot next to Reynolds Coliseum. 

Parking Deck Address: 201 Jensen Dr. Raleigh, NC 27606

For further directions, please visit our Student Centers website. 

Check-In Information:

The Conference Check-In will take place from 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. And will take place in our Talley Student Union, on the second floor. 

Talley Student Union Information:

1. Visitor parking is available at the Coliseum Parking Deck.
   1. Parking & Directions
   1. Directions to Talley

Dining Information:

Breakfast will be served buffet-style in the Grand Ballroom and will include a selection of eggs, bacon, potatoes, yogurt, biscuits and gravy, coffee cake, fresh fruit, juices, coffee, and water.  Lunch will also be offered buffet-style in the Grand Ballroom on the second floor of Talley Student Union.  A coffee bar will be available throughout the entire day.

Registration Information

Register here! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/student-leadership-drive-in–2026 

• Early Registration  ($55 per person):  November 3, 2025 – February 1, 2026
• Regular Registration  ($65 per person) :  February 2, 2026 – March 8, 2026
• Late Registration  ($75 per person) :  March 9, 2026 – March 27, 2026
• Registration closes 3/27/2026

Please contact studentleaderdrivein@ncho.org with any questions.

Cancellation Policy

• Registration cancellations on or prior to Feb. 14, 2026 will receive a 100% refund.
• Registration cancellations between Feb. 15, 2026 and Feb. 28th, 2026 will receive a 50% refund.
• Refunds will not be given for any registration cancellations after Mar. 9th, 2026
• Cancellation requests must be received via email to business@ncho.org

Scholarship Opportunities

NCHO will be providing scholarship opportunities for institutions to attend the drive-in. The application should be completed by one advisor on behalf of their delegation. The scholarship may cover partial or full registration coverage of the delegation to attend. The deadline to be considered is January 25, 2026.

SL Drive-In Scholarship Form

• The form asks for the advisor’s contact information, answers to 2 essay questions, and to indicate SHO approval for attending.
• The essay questions ask the following:
  • Please describe the impact attending this type of opportunity will have on your delegation and how your delegation will apply what they learn in the future. (500 words or less)
  • Please describe the make up of your undergraduate student delegation

Call for Program Proposals

Program Categories:

Professional and Leadership Development

Building essential skills and preparing student leaders for future roles. Using reflection to refine leadership skills.

• Potential Topic Areas:
  • Networking 101: Connecting with campus leaders and beyond.
  • Translating residence life experiences into LinkedIn profiles and resumes.
  • Finding mentors and becoming one.
  • Building professional confidence through campus involvement.
  • Transferable skills for careers and leadership roles.
  • Time management and balancing responsibilities.
  • Public speaking and interpersonal communication.
  • Conflict resolution and managing tough conversations.
  • Personal finance tips for student leaders managing scholarships, jobs, and expenses.
  • Normalizing failure as part of the leadership journey.

Navigating Leadership

Exploring how personal experiences shape leadership approaches and practices.

• Potential Topic Areas
  • Leading authentically: Balancing roles and responsibilities
  • Addressing imposter syndrome in student leadership
  • Exploring leadership styles
  • Mentoring and supporting new student leaders
  • Building peer leadership teams
  • Identifying and developing potential leaders
  • The art of coaching and offering constructive feedback
  • Staying professional in the face of challenges

Engagement and Community Building

Strategies for fostering active participation and strong connections in residence halls.

• Potential Topic Areas
  • Programming that sparks interest and involvement.
  • Retaining engagement over the academic year.
  • Creating opportunities for all residents to connect and participate.
  • Strategies for bringing residents together across different groups.
  • Peer mentoring and leadership pipelines.

Leadership Through a Wellness Lens

Helping leaders balance the demands of the role with their personal well-being.

• Potential Topic Areas:
  • Mindfulness practices for student leaders.
  • Prioritizing mental, physical, and emotional health while in leadership roles.
  • Identifying signs of stress or burnout in yourself and others.
  • Encouraging wellness-focused initiatives in residence halls.
  • Finding time for self-care in a busy schedule.
  • Setting healthy boundaries between personal and professional life.
  • Peer support groups for shared stress management.
  • Utilizing campus resources for personal and team wellness.
  • Addressing when the line between friend and leader is blurred.

The Art of Collaboration

Strengthening partnerships and teamwork skills.

• Potential Topic Areas:
  • Building strong RA and Residence Hall Association (RHA) collaborations.
  • Partnering with campus organizations for successful programming.
  • Working with Faculty, Living Learning Communities, etc.
  • Effective team-building strategies for leadership groups.
  • Navigating group dynamics and resolving team conflicts.
  • Leveraging digital tools for team collaboration.
  • Securing and managing funding from student organizations or external sources.
  • Collaborative problem-solving in leadership teams.

Brick by Brick: Building Your Best Program Proposal Sessions:

• November 14th, 2025, 11am-12pm on Zoom
• December 10th, 2025, 2-3pm on Zoom
• January 26th, 11am-12pm on Zoom

Program Proposal Timeline:

• Program Proposal form opens November 3rd, 2025
• Program Proposal form closes February 8th, 2026
• Program Proposal status notifications will be sent by 5 p.m. on February 13th, 2026 
• Presenters will have until 11:59 p.m. on February 22nd, 2026 to accept or decline their presentation acceptance

Program Proposal Form: https://go.ncsu.edu/legoleadership 

Student Leadership Drive-In Awards

We are excited to continue the tradition of further recognizing the great work of our student leaders at the Student Leadership Drive-In awards. 

During the closing ceremony we will announce the “Day of” awards:

• The Best Program
• Most Spirited Student, Delegation, and Advisor
• Best Roll Call
• Best Banner

NCHO Student Leader Drive-In Awards include: 

• Distinguished Emerging Leader Award
• Distinguished Student Leader Award
• Advisor of the Year Award
• Program of the Year Award
• Dan Wooten Award

We encourage institutions to submit at least one submission per award, but institutions may submit more than one for the same award. The deadline to submit is Sunday, March 1, 2026

To view the different award categories and to submit award nominations, please click this link.

*Award nominees are not required to attend the Student Leadership Drive-In, but we strongly encourage them to attend.

Student Leadership Drive-In Spirit

Come out to the drive-in decked out with spirit for your institution! One institution will be awarded “Most Spirited” and receive the spirit stick to hold onto until the next drive-in.

SWAG Swap: This is an opportunity for delegations to bring promotion items or “swag” from their institution that they can trade with other institutions. Pretty much anything branded to your institution can be traded. Examples include shirts, hats, pens, stress relief balls, lanyards, you name it! If it has your school’s name on it, please bring it to trade!

Clothes pins: Delegations are encouraged to decorate clothes pins with your institution’s colors to trade throughout the day. This is a great icebreaker as you meet new people during the drive-in. Delegations should plan to create about 10 clothes pins per delegate, but the more the better! Click here to get some ideas.

Banners: The Student Leadership Drive-In Banner Competition is an opportunity for delegations to create a tangible pillow case banner that ties in their school spirit and the theme of the conference. Banners should not exceed the size of a King Size pillow case (20”x36”). Banners should be fastened to a pole to carry the banner on. This can be a doll rod, pvc tube, etc. These will be due the day of the conference and will be evaluated by our Spirit Judges.

Cheers and Chants: Each institution will be given up to 30 seconds during the Opening Ceremonies to show off their cheer or chant. These can be ones your institution already does or a unique one created just for the Student Leadership Drive-In.