77th Annual
District Educational Conference
March 27 - 29, 2026
Springfield, Massachsetts
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Hotel Information
All attendees will stay in the conference hotel:
Sheraton at Monarch Place
1 Monarch Place
Springfield, MA 01144
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All attendees must sleep in their assigned room. Only students of the same gender can share a hotel room. Male and female students can not be in the same hotel room or suite unless accompanied by adult chaperone(s).
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Parking
Parking is available on-site for attendees at the Sheraton's parking garage.
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Please contact District Administrator Will Bradford if you need to make arrangements for school bus parking.
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Public Transportation
Please contact District Administrator Will Bradford if you plan to travel by public transportation and will need to be picked up from Springfield Union Station.
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Amtrak and CT Rail
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From Points North: St. Albans, VT; Essex Junction, VT; Waterbury, VT; Montpelier, VT; Randolph, CT; White River Junction, VT; Windsor, VT; Claremont, NH; Bellows Falls, VT; Brattleboro, VT; Greenfield, MA; Northampton, MA; Holyoke, MA.
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From Points South: Windsor Locks, CT; Windsor, CT; Hartford, CT; Berlin, CT; Meriden, CT; Wallingford, CT; New Haven, CT.
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Keynote Speaker: Vera Jo Bustos
Ready to level up your mindset? Coach Vera Jo “VJ” Bustos is bringing energy and motivation to the 2026 Key Club District Educational Conference.
Coach VJ knows what it’s like to grind, compete and push through challenges — even when the odds are against you. She used that grit to become a two-time college All-American basketball player, and she played professionally in Greece before coaching at the college level.
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She wasn’t the tallest, fastest or strongest, but she found her edge through mental toughness. At DECON, she’ll teach Key Club members how to do the same. (Added bonus: She was a Key Club member in high school!)
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Through her company, Mentality Solutions LLC, Coach VJ has trained athletes, business professionals, military veterans, surgeons and high performers of all kinds. She’s also the author of “A Mindful Journey: An Adventure of Discovery & Transformation.”
Don’t miss out. Come away with strategies for building the mindset of a champion.
Service Fair
At the Service Fair, Key clubs showcase a service project their club participated in. This service project can be an original creation or a fundraiser for the many organizations that Key Club supports.
Standard tri-fold presentation boards are encouraged. One or two members of your Key Club need to be at the table during the Service Fair to explain the project to attendees.
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Sign up for the Service Fair here.
Registration Cost
Early Bird Rates (by February 13, 2026):
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Registration: TBD per person
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Hotel Rooms: TBD per room per night
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The per-person cost of registration and room combined is:
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Four per room: TBD
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Three per room: TBD
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Two per room: TBD
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One per room: TBD
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Regular Rates (by February 25, 2026):
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Registration: TBD per person
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Hotel Rooms: TBD per room per night
The per-person cost of registration and room combined is:
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Four per room: TBD
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Three per room: TBD
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Two per room: TBD
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One per room: TBD
No late registrations will be accepted after February 25, 2026.
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Per Key Club International policy, all attendees must stay on site at the convention hotel for both nights.
Students generally room 3 or 4 per room. For schools that have fewer than 3 or 4 students in a room, a "Roommate Finder" tool will be sent to all Key Club advisors with the instructions for the registration system to assist in sharing rooms to reduce costs.
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The price is the same for adult chaperones.
Adult Chaperones
It is mandatory that there be at least one advisor/chaperone in attendance at the conference for every 10 Key Clubbers.
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Criminal History Background Checks and Chaperone Training
Pursuant to Kiwanis International Youth Protection Policies, all adult chaperones attending the District Educational Conference must have completed a criminal history background check conducted by Kiwanis International. The Key Club District will facilitate a background check through Safe Hiring Solutions (Kiwanis International’s vendor) for all adults who do not have a current Kiwanis International background check. Each adult who does not have a current Kiwanis background check will receive an email with a form to fill out at least one month before DECON.
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In addition, all adult chaperones must complete an online chaperone training from Kiwanis International.
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Any adult who does not complete this process or does not have a clean background check will not be permitted to attend DECON.