Add to Your Calendar:
FAST Conference 2026
- Fri, Nov 06–Sat, Nov 07, 2026
Calvin University
Here’s some of what you can look forward to:
- Learn from expert speakers and presenters with diverse backgrounds
- Connect with peers who are passionate about sustainability
- Attain practical knowledge and skills to use in your community
- Integrate your faith with sustainability action
- Network with professionals in the field
- Create an action plan to put in place at your school
- Gain inspiration and hope for the work ahead
Pricing
- College Students: $50
- Calvin Students: $20 (with discount code CSTUDENT40)
- High School Students: $20 (with discount code HSTUDENT30)
- Lodging and meals are included for all attendees.
Group Discounts
Groups of 4 or more students from universities other than Calvin will receive a 25% discount for the entire group. The discount will be given as a reimbursement upon arrival.
Registration deadline: November 2, 2026
Schedule
Programming begins on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 7 p.m. and ends Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 6 p.m.
Friday, November 6, 2026
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:00-8:00 PM | Welcome & Keynote |
| 8:00-9:00 PM | Debrief/Mixer |
| 9:00-11:00 PM | After Party @ Bunker |
Saturday, November 7, 2026
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:00-8:45 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00-10:00 AM | Breakout Session 1 |
| 10:00-10:30 AM | Exhibit |
| 10:30-11:30 AM | Breakout Session 2 |
| 11:30 AM-12:00 PM | Exhibit |
| 12:00-12:45 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00-2:00 PM | Breakout Session 3 |
| 2:00-3:30 PM | Recess |
| 3:30-4:30 PM | SEY What |
| 4:30-5:30 PM | Action Planning |
| 5:30-6:00 PM | Benediction & Farewell |
Breakout Sessions: Choose your own path! Breakout sessions will give students a few different speakers and presenters to choose from, and will allow students to have an experience more tailored to their individual interests.
Exhibit time: Students will be invited to connect with and learn more about local organizations related to sustainability at their tables in the exhibit hall, as well as grab a quick snack.
SEY What: Be inspired by your peers! SEY What is a session of student-led presentations where passionate individuals can share their personal sustainability projects and passions.
Contact:
Keynote Speaker: Maggie Styf
Maggie Styf graduated from Calvin University in 2025, where she earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a certification in Geographic Information Sciences. It was here that she developed a strong foundation that helped shape her faith-based perspective on creation and care for the environment. Alongside her studies, she spent summers serving in a variety of different roles such as a camp counselor, gardener, and an environmental educator. In her senior year, she felt called to further discover how her knowledge of the environment could be used to encourage faithful stewardship of creation. Currently, Maggie is pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, where she specializes in Behavior, Education, and Communication and aims to become an effective environmental communicator. Throughout her academic and community experiences, she has cultivated skills in leadership, research, and engagement that continue to inform her graduate work. Guided by a growing interest in the intersection of faith and environmental stewardship, Maggie is excited to explore how sustainability can be communicated in ways that resonate deeply and encourage meaningful care for God’s creation.
What is the FAST Conference about?
“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
This quote from the 1987 United Nations Brundtland Commission is one of the earliest and best-known definitions of sustainability as we think of it today. How does it mesh with these other quotes?
- The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. — Genesis 2:15
- Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. — Leviticus 25:24
- The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it. — Psalm 24:1
- Love the LORD your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength... Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. — Mark 12:30-31
At Calvin, we view the call to achieving sustainability not as one that originates from any person or group, but from the Creator of the universe. To meet these needs of today and tomorrow, we know that there are things we must stop doing, and there are things we need to do quickly. We need to fast, and to be fast.