Safe & Healthy Schools Conference
Safe & Healthy Schools Conference | February 18, 2027 | University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
Keeping a school community safe and healthy takes planning, partnership, and people who know the work. The VAIS Safe & Healthy Schools Conference brings together school counselors, safety and security professionals, nurses, health educators, and athletics educators from across the Commonwealth for a day of practical learning on the University of Richmond campus.
Hear from record-setting adventurer and author Jennifer Pharr Davis, then choose from workshops and small-group discussions across three tracks: Safety & Security; Health & Physical Wellness; and Social, Emotional, & Academic Support. You will leave with strategies you can put to work at your school right away.
Registration opens October 30.
Register for Safe & Healthy Schools Conference
Members and non-members are invited to join us on February 18 at the University of Richmond.
Member: $325
Non-member: $650
Registration opens October 30 and closes February 1.
Book your room for Safe & Healthy Schools Conference
We have reserved a room block at The Westin for attendees.
Keynote: Health and Safety for the Long Haul
Trail-Tested Strategies for Strengthening School Wellness Through Preparation, Adaptability, and Support
Jennifer Pharr Davis is a record-setting adventurer, author, and independent school alumna who knows that going the distance requires far more than determination. Through compelling stories from the trail, Jennifer explores what it takes to sustain ourselves—and support others—through demanding seasons and changing environments. She shares practical lessons for preparing for challenges, recognizing when to adjust course, building physical and mental resilience, caring for ourselves and our communities, and understanding that rest and recovery are essential parts of the journey. Drawing connections between the trail and school environments, Jennifer offers an inspiring framework for creating healthier, more resilient individuals and communities equipped not simply to endure challenges, but to navigate them with strength, adaptability, and purpose.
About Jennifer Pharr Davis
Jennifer Pharr Davis is an internationally recognized speaker, author of Becoming Odyssa, and award-winning entrepreneur. She has covered more than 14,000 miles of trails across six continents. In 2011, Jennifer set the overall fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail, completing the 2,185-mile path in just 46 days—an average of 47 miles per day. Since then, she has continued to push boundaries, backpacking 700 miles while pregnant, walking 1,100 miles across North Carolina with her newborn son, and hiking in all 50 states with her two-year-old daughter. Jennifer has been named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, received the Governor of North Carolina’s Laurel Wreath Award, and has served on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.
Sessions
Workshops and small-group discussions run across three tracks: Safety & Security; Health & Physical Wellness; and Social, Emotional, & Academic Support. More sessions coming soon. Sessions are subject to change.
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Beyond the Plan: Lived Lessons in School Emergency Leadership
Marc Brake, Head of Security, and J. Michael Drude, Head of School, Miller School of Albemarle
Track: Safety & SecurityA crisis is the worst time to determine who is in charge, what steps to take, or how to communicate. This practical workshop will help independent school leaders strengthen their readiness before an emergency occurs. Drawing on Miller School of Albemarle’s crisis management framework, participants will explore how to build a streamlined Crisis Management Team, clarify leadership and operational roles, establish an incident-management structure, and coordinate effectively with local first responders. The session will also address timely communication through the 15–20–60–90 framework, crisis documentation, recovery planning, tabletop exercises, and after-action reviews. Participants will leave with concrete strategies they can adapt to their own school’s size, staffing, campus, and community partnerships.
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Wellness Without Rules: Building a School-Wide Culture of Healthy Decision-Making
FLIK Independent School Dining
Track: Health & Physical WellnessThis interactive panel will explore how independent schools can support student wellness through practical, inclusive dining experiences that reach all students, not just athletes or students already focused on nutrition. The discussion will focus on how schools can move away from restrictive “good food/bad food” messaging and instead create daily opportunities for students to build confidence, try new foods, and make balanced choices.
FLIK Independent School Dining will share how dining programs can support a school-wide culture of wellness through everyday exposure, student feedback, low-pressure engagement, and strong coordination across dining, student life, health services, and school leadership.
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Weight Management for Children and Adolescents
Dr. Michelle Hemming, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD)
Track: Health & Physical WellnessSession description coming soon.
Sessions
Workshops and small-group discussions run across three tracks: Safety & Security; Health & Physical Wellness; and Social, Emotional, & Academic Support. More sessions coming soon. Sessions are subject to change.