All of us at SYF look forward to welcoming you to the 2025 SYF National Educator Conference back home in Indianapolis at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing.

 

The purpose of the National Educator Conference is for academy leaders, node leaders, and educators to come together to connect, share resources, and take powerful tools back to their academies. This is a valuable opportunity to network with colleagues who are facing the same issues. The theme for the 2025 National Educator Conference is Still, We Rise. Each year, educators face many challenges, obstacles, and moments of adversity. However, through it all, educators rise above those challenges and play a pivotal role in helping their students cross the stage and onto the next phase of their lives.  

 

With that, our conference will focus on our most valuable resource, our educators.  From the keynote to the breakout sessions, the content will be provided mostly by our educators to address the needs you all may have. As is our tradition, we will also honor the milestones and achievements of our Academies and Academy staff. Through highlighting graduation milestones, Administrator and Teacher of the Year awards, and various other achievements, we aim to showcase just how much our educators have risen above the daily challenges they face.

The Conference Dates and Location:

This year, we will be back home in Indianapolis, at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing! The conference will kick off with registration and a Welcoming Reception on Wednesday, October 22nd, and close with the Awards Dinner on Friday evening, October 24th. Departures have been scheduled for Saturday, October 25th.

 

Additional Conference Information

All conference information can be found on the conference app. If you don’t already have the Yapp app on your mobile device, please download it from the link below so you don’t miss a thing! 

https://my.yapp.us/SYF25

The Conference App will be your primary resource for all up-to-date information on sessions, events, and even some surprises! Review the schedule, sessions, and speaker line-up, find answers to frequently asked questions, participate in our scavenger hunt, and see who else is attending the Conference, all within the App. 

To Download the App from your Mobile Device:

• Open your preferred internet browser.

• Type https://my.yapp.us/SYF25 into the URL bar. 

• Click ‘download.’ 

• From there, you will be asked to install Yapp from the App Store; follow the prompts to install the app as you would any other app.  

• Once your download is complete, click ‘open.’ 

• Type ‘SYF25’ into the Yapp ID Code box. 

• From there, you will be prompted to create your account. Please ensure the email address you enter is one you can access from your phone.  You will need to enter a verification code or click a link sent to your email to access Conference information.  

• Once you have verified your email, open the Yapp App and tap the SYF 2025 Conference Image! 

 

After you have successfully installed the YAPP App, we encourage you to add a photo and turn on notifications, so you don’t miss any important updates throughout the conference!

 

To Turn on Notifications on your iPhone:  

• Open your phone settings 

• Tap ‘notification center’ 

• Select ‘Yapp’ 

• Tap ‘banners’ 

• Toggle ‘show in lock screen’ 

 

To Turn on Notifications on your Android:  

• Swipe down from the top of your screen to reveal the Notification Shade. 

• Tap on the Settings button in the top right corner (looks like a gear). 

• Tap on the Notifications button (you may have to scroll down to see this button). 

• Toggle the slider of Yapp to the right to turn notifications on.  

Agenda – Overview

The agenda below is meant to provide a general overview of conference activities.  Additional details will be provided as they are finalized.

 

Registration – Hotel & Conference

Hotel – Full-service registration will be located in the foyer of the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel.

Conference – Please check in at the SYF registration table outside of Suite 16.

• Wednesday, October 22, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Pick up your conference badge that will help you make the most of this exciting professional development conference.  

A welcome reception will follow, starting at 6 pm.  

Registration Tiers –

Tier 1 attendees will not incur any charges for travel, hotel accommodations, or conference activities. Tier 1 air travelers will be responsible for their travel to and from the airport. Travelers will be reimbursed by SYF for transportation to and from the airport according to the guidelines for a maximum reimbursement of $110 round-trip after submitting the attached reimbursement form to SYF Payables e: syfpayables@simon.com. Costs above this amount will not be reimbursed by SYF.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 attendees are responsible for their travel, hotel accommodation, and transportation to and from the conference and will not be reimbursed for shuttle, transportation services, or any other travel expenses (including baggage fees). Tier 2 and 3 attendees can pay for their conference prices on the SYF Payment Site.

Please note: The link provided navigates to the SYF Donation Page; however, your payment is not a donation and will not be tax-deductible. Your payment will only apply to the cost of the conference and nothing else.

 

Hotel Contact Information

The 2025 National Educator conference will take place at:

Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing

8787 Keystone Crossing

Indianapolis, IN 46240

(317) 846-2700

 

Getting to the Hotel

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is located approximately 30 miles (between 35-45 minutes) from the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel.  Attached to this email, you will find a map of the hotel meeting spaces.  Additionally, this link directs you to the hotel site to view additional amenities the hotel has to offer.  

• Tier 1 air travelers will be reimbursed by SYF for transportation to and from the airport according to the guidelines for a maximum reimbursement of $110 round-trip after submitting the attached reimbursement form to SYF Payables e: syfpayables@simon.com. Costs above this amount will not be reimbursed by SYF. 
• All other travelers are responsible for their transportation to and from the conference and will not be reimbursed for shuttle, parking, transportation services, or any other travel expenses (including baggage fees). 

Parking at the Hotel

Complimentary garage and surface parking is available at the hotel for all Conference attendees at no charge. Please note that valet parking will not be reimbursed. 

Wi-Fi at the Hotel

During your stay at the conference, complimentary Wi-Fi will be available to you, which can be accessed from your room.   

Local Site Visits

When you arrive in Indianapolis, you will have the opportunity to visit three local academies. If you plan to visit an academy, please email Raven Harvey – Coordinator, Program Services at Raven.Harvey@Simon.com no later than October 15th so that we can inform the Academy Leaders. Participating academies are:  

1. Simon Youth Academy at Avon – Avon, IN 

• • Academy Leader: Kellie Rodkey 

• • • Contact: krrodkey@avon-schools.org   

• • • 7203 East U.S. Highway 36, Avon, IN 46123  

• • Tours at 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm: no students onsite

2. Simon Youth Academy at Options Noblesville – Noblesville, IN  

• • Academy Leader: Adam Barr 

• • • Contact:(317) 773-8659 

• • • 9945 Cumberland Pointe Blvd, Noblesville, IN 46060 

• • 8:30 am – 12 pm: students onsite  

• • 12 pm – 3 pm: staff only onsite  

3. Simon Youth True North Academy – Indianapolis, IN  

• • Academy Leader: Suzanne Zybert 

• • • Contact: 317-446-3468 

• • • 8401 Westfield Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46240 

• • 9 am – 11 am: students onsite  

• • 1 pm – 2 pm: students onsite   

Travel Information

Travel for Academy and Node Leaders will be booked through Fox Travel from Friday, July 18th, to Wednesday, August 20th. After completion of the registration survey, you will need to contact Fox Travel to book your trip. Below is the information you will need to book your travel.

Group Name: Simon Youth Foundation National Educators Conference
Company Name: Simon Property Group (C16SPG)
Group Code: 01FXO054

 

Fox Group Reservation Center Hours: Monday-Friday 700am-730pm CST
Fox Group Reservation Center Line : 920-236-8024 or 888-363-9539 OPTION 4 (Group Air Travel)
Fox Group Air (Agent team) email: foxgroupair@foxworldtravel.com

To control costs, when you make your travel arrangements through Fox Travel, SYF will cover the cost to make one change to your itinerary up to $35.  You will be responsible for subsequent change fees payable directly to Fox Travel.  The fee is separate from any airline fees that might be associated with the change. If you cancel your trip, you will be required to cover the expense. For travel questions, please contact Raven Harvey, Coordinator-Administration, Program Services, at raven.harvey@simon.com or Sherri Scrogham, Director of Finance, at sherri.scrogham@simon.com.

For Tier 2 and 3 attendees, travel and hotel accommodation are your responsibility.

Delayed or Running Late

If your travels cause you to be delayed (coming in a day later than planned or very late in the evening), please notify SYF. 

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET – Contact Raven Harvey at 317-879-6724 or raven.harvey@simon.com   
• All other times – Contact Kimb Stewart at 317-332-3353 or kimb.stewart@simon.com 

If your travel was booked with Fox World Travel, please contact them for travel assistance at: 920-236-8024 or 888-363-9539 Option 4 (Group Air Travel).  

What to Pack

You can expect October temperatures in Indianapolis to range between the average high of 66°F and the average low of 41°F. The extended forecast for our conference dates currently predicts daily highs in the 60-67°F range, but we encourage you to check the local forecast as conference approaches.  

Attire for the conference is casual, and jeans are accepted for all sessions and events except Friday’s dinner. We recommend bringing a light sweater for meeting rooms and a jacket for cooler evening temperatures.

• Wednesday, October 22: Our only event on Wednesday is the Welcome Reception.  Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.  SYF attire is always appropriate.
  

• Thursday, October 23: We have a full day of conference activities planned.  Wear comfortable shoes and your favorite SYF logo gear or anything orange.  

 

• Friday, October 24: We have planned another full day of conference activities and a twilight surprise.  Dress in one of the 3 E’s: Enrollment, Enlistment, Employment: your favorite university swag, military gear, or uniform from your first or favorite job. Please no jeans for the Dinner and AOTY & TOTY Awards Presentation.  

Student and Alumni Artwork

For those bringing student or alumni artwork to be showcased in the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, please drop off artwork and title cards at the registration table or to Jessica Lowery, no later than Friday, October 24th. Ensure the title card includes the following information: 

• Artist Name: 
• Title of Piece: 
• Media:  
• Size:  
• QR Code or handle (to purchase piece):  
• Artist Academy Name:    

Share Your Experience

We encourage you to share your favorite moments from the conference on social media! Keep up with SYF’s posts during the conference by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag SYF in your posts, and use the hashtags #SYFmeansGraduation, #SYFConference2025, and #StillWeRise. 

Again, thank you for your decision to attend the SYF 2025 Annual National Educator Conference! The SYF staff are excited for you to experience the wide-ranging agenda we have put together, featuring comprehensive sessions, networking opportunities, and fun activities!  

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or needs leading up to your arrival at the conference.  

SYF looks forward to seeing you soon!