Lake Forest Academy’s annual Fostering Intercultural Respect & Engagement (FIRE) Conference will take place on January 23, 2026 on LFA’s campus. The FIRE Conference is open to all LFA students as well as other high school students from the Chicagoland area. Run by EPIC prefects Helena Secrest ’26 and Austin Ewing ‘26, the FIRE Conference creates a safe space for the community to converse about underdiscussed topics regarding diversity, equality and cultural awareness.
Inaugurated in 2017, the FIRE Conference was created as a time for students, teachers and people outside of the LFA community to gather together and discuss topics rarely discussed in classes or an everyday setting. The primary goal was to foster safety and awareness by openly talking, listening and learning from each other.
EPIC Prefect Helena Secrest ‘26 helps host the event and gives an opening speech at the start of the FIRE Conference. Head of School Tom Johnson speaks as well and then the participants are guided in discussion throughout the day.
The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and consists of three student- and faculty-led dialogue sessions. Each year, the FIRE conference introduces a new theme reflecting recent challenges students encounter. This year’s theme is “Bridging Barriers: Forging Connections in a Divided World.” It will be paired with a keynote address, “The Neuroscience of Belonging,” delivered by Dr. Pascal Losambe, Director of Diversity and Community Life at Columbus Academy. The change from last year’s theme, “Igniting the Future: Building Bridges Towards Collective Growth” reflects on how simple emotional safety could present a deeper examination through science.
The theme for this year’s FIRE Conference was deliberately chosen to foster unity. Secrest said, “With how divided the world feels right now, we wanted to emphasize that this conference is a space for learning from one another and building genuine connections.” On a more personal level, Secrest explained the significance of this conference to her, “The idea of “bridging barriers” is really important to me because, at the end of the day, everyone is human. We don’t want personal identity politics or differences to get in the way of connecting with each other. Instead, we want people to focus on understanding, empathy, and shared humanity.”
For freshman and new community members thinking of participating in the FIRE Conference, Secrest said, “There are opportunities for students to either attend workshops or host them. For students attending, we really want them to participate in meaningful discussions, stay open-minded, and truly listen to what others are saying. It’s important to take in different perspectives because what you might think is “normal” or “standard” isn’t always the same for everyone. For workshop hosts, we encourage them to come in with essential questions that help guide the conversation. The topics should be meaningful to their identity or experiences, so the discussions feel authentic and engaging.”
Dean of EPIC Lusanda Mayikana has overseen LFA’s FIRE conference since 2017. She emphasized the importance of this conference in the current changing society. She explained that the conference “provides a vital framework for discourse across difference in an era of increasing polarization.” According to Mayikana, the conference is not only relevant to global issues but also crucial for students living in a rapidly changing world.
“By prioritizing civil dialogue, the program equips students with the cultural fluency needed to bridge ideological divides and navigate today’s complex political landscape, all while strengthening the fabric of inclusive school communities,” Mayikana said.
Mayikana emphasized the intentionality behind the program and when asked what makes the FIRE conference special, she pointed to the careful planning that allowed students to learn to listen respectfully and engage thoughtfully with participants from schools such as Illinois Math and Science Academy, Adlai Stevenson High School, Beacon Academy and Carmel Catholic High School.
Repudiating concerns over the FIRE Conference simply spreading awareness, Secrest stated that it constructs meaningful intercultural engagement, “You’re not just learning about concepts—you’re hearing real stories directly from people. We encourage participants to use “I” statements and speak from personal experience. You can never fully live in someone else’s shoes, so the best way to understand their experiences is by listening to their stories. That’s what makes the FIRE Conference so powerful—it helps people understand different perspectives and life experiences in a personal, human way.”
Especially in a boarding school, the FIRE Conference is needed in creating a safe institution with a diverse student body. As students come from all over the world, and many have lived in multiple countries or cultures, feeling a sense of belonging can be difficult according to Secrest. She said, “It’s not always easy—or comfortable—to talk about those things in casual conversations. The FIRE Conference creates a safe space where people can talk about deeper or more sensitive topics without worrying about how they’re being perceived.”
LFA’s FIRE Conference is about understanding the larger effects of being intercultural, especially in spaces where one’s culture is not the dominant one. It is a safe space where open discussion about issues of discrimination noticed or experienced can be shared; new connections are made and underexplored perspectives are shared.
