Teen Participation at IC

IC is for every Jewish teen around the world—members, elected leaders, BBYO summer program alumni, and any teen interested in joining BBYO. IC is open to teens in 9th through 12th grade who are current members* of BBYO, regardless of prerequisite experience or level of involvement.

We’re expecting a record number of Alephs and BBGs in Baltimore. IC 2026 hosted 3,400 teen delegates representing over 50 countries. We anticipate IC 2027 will set new records in attendance, with a waitlist anticipated, so be prepared to register on launch night: Wednesday, September 30!

*Teens based in the U.S. and Canada must be registered BBYO members before signing up for IC. Prospective members in the U.S. can sign up here, and prospective members in Canada should reach out to their regional offices or contact us to sign up.‍

Adult Participation at IC

There are many opportunities for alumni, parents, partners, supporters, and friends to experience the magic of IC. These include an annual gathering of communal leaders enthusiastic about Jewish teen life, an immersive experience for BBYO's stakeholders and supporters, volunteer and partnership opportunities, and a series of alumni events throughout the weekend.

If you are a local community advocate for BBYO, a parent, and/or an alum who would like to attend or staff IC, you can learn about these opportunities through our Host Region or IC Adult Experience pages.

Many partner agencies also hold concurrent events at IC throughout the weekend. If you’re interested in partnering with us for IC 2027, please contact BBYO’s Partnership Outreach Director, Ariel Rosen, at [email protected].

IC 2027 Standard Package (Thursday–Monday):  $1,524 USD

IC 2027 Standard Package + February Executives Conference (Wednesday–Monday):  $1,789 USD

IC 2027 Standard Package + Global Ambassadors Week (Wednesday–Monday):  $1,789 USD

IC 2027 Standard Package + IC Advance (Wednesday–Monday):  $1,789 USD

We are grateful to BBYO's generous supporters who have made it possible to keep our rates close to those of IC 2026 while increasing scholarship opportunities for delegates. Pricing reflects the full IC experience, including but not limited to hotel, meals, giveaways, access to all events, concert tickets, transportation to offsite programs, and more. Program cost does not include transportation to/from Baltimore.

Yes! We offer need-based scholarships for IC. Information can be found on our Scholarship page. 

This website will be updated regularly with information about registration, scholarship, travel, program announcements, and all the details about IC you’ll need to know. You can also follow updates on Facebook,  TikTok, and Instagram with the hashtag #AZABBGIC2027.

For members of the BBYO family across Northern Region East (NRE), including parents, alumni, and community members, you can find opportunities to host, volunteer, partner, and more on the IC Host Region page.

If you have additional questions, please email IC Customer Service at [email protected] at any time.

Priority registration for eligible teens will go live on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and general registration will go live on Wednesday, September 30 (and will remain open until we are sold out or no later than January 13, 2027; we do anticipate selling out on launch night). Spots are available to all BBYO members in 9th–12th grade who are in good standing. For a detailed explanation on how teen priority and general registration and waitlists will work for IC 2027, please review our IC 2026 Registration & Waitlist Policies document.
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Delegates who register for IC are required to pay a minimum $250 deposit (although they may pay more when they register), which is fully refundable through Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Here are options for registration:

• You Can Register Online: If you have an issue registering online, you can submit a request for help by emailing the IC Customer Service Team.

• You Can Register in Person: See if your community is hosting an IC registration party. Grab a friend, your laptop, and a method of payment, and head over to your local launch party this fall!

• You Can Register (and Get Help) by Phone: Call centers are set up across North America to help with any registration challenges. The IC hotline for assistance is +1 (202) 507-7266. There may be a waiting period, but BBYO professionals and volunteers will be standing by to help as quickly as possible.

Please Note: IC registration is not done through myBBYO. You will be able to register for IC here.

Please email the IC Customer Service Team at [email protected] or call us at +1 (202) 507-7266 with any questions about registration.

We anticipate BBYO International Convention (IC) 2027 being sold out.  A waitlist may exist and it is possible that every teen who wishes to participate in IC 2027 may not be able to do so.  

Teens on the waitlist will be eligible to register for IC as space becomes available and in accordance with our IC Registration and Waitlist Policies.

Please email the IC Customer Service Team at [email protected] or call us at +1 (202) 507-7266 with any questions about waitlist policies for IC.

You can modify your registration and submit additional payment and travel information in the IC Registration System once you have registered. Please keep your registration confirmation email as it includes your IC Confirmation Number. Balance payments can be made via credit card or e-check. All credit card charges will incur a 3% processing fee.

After a participant makes their initial $250 deposit, they will have the option to pay the outstanding funds by credit card or e-check. All credit card charges will incur a 3% processing fee. This fee is non-refundable, even if a participant cancels their registration. 

To modify or cancel your registration, email the IC Customer Service Team at [email protected].

To cancel your registration, email the IC Customer Service Team at [email protected].

During IC, teens have a few opportunities to pre-select activities of their choosing:

• Friday: LEADS (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Advocacy, Direct Service, and Sports), where delegates go offsite for hands-on Leadership Labs to gain real-world skills, do community service, network, and get active and learn about sports and wellness.

• Saturday: Amplifier sessions, where teens hear from some of our highest-profile guests.

• Sunday: AZA & BBG Elections or Sightseeing & Adventures, where teens go offsite all around the Baltimore and Washington, DC, area to explore local sites and activities. Some activities require an additional participant fee and/or waiver, which are noted in the option descriptions.

Sightseeing & Adventures activities are ranked during IC registration, and assignments will be announced the week of December 14. At the same time, teens will receive their Delegate Survey, which is where they will rank their choices for LEADS (as well as make their roommate requests), and assignments for LEADS will be announced the week of January 11.

Closer to IC, teens will also get to rank their choices for their Amplifier session.

For all teen-chosen activities, delegates select their top choices, ranked, and our team does our best to ensure teens receive one of their ranked activities. 

Activity assignments are complex and based on a variety of factors including:

• Your ranking

• Capacity of the venue and available transportation

• Additional participant fees (for Sunday)

• Your dietary restrictions

The following have no impact on activity assignments:

• The timing of your IC registration

• Leadership positions you’ve held

• Your grade level or BBYO Community

• Friends assigned to other tracks

Switches are rare, but will be considered on a limited basis such as in the case of medical need.

Bear in mind that throughout IC, teens are empowered to design their experience, with a multitude of sessions, activations, and pop-ups available in each time slot. Similarly themed activities are spaced out throughout the weekend, and all high-profile guests will speak from the mainstage to the full IC audience. We encourage delegates to download the IC app—which contains the full schedule of speakers and activities—in advance of arrival, to help guide their choices throughout the event. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work to ensure all teens have an incredible, memorable, and safe experience.

• Payment secures your spot. Failure to submit payment by the deadline in your assignment email will result in losing your reserved place, and we will assign you to any track that has room (with no waiver or payment requirement), regardless of your initial request.

• Payments are non-refundable. Once submitted, payments cannot be returned.

• A very limited number of Sightseeing & Adventures switches are allowed. You may request to transfer your assignment and payment to another track by the deadline shared in your assignment email if needed. Transfers are rare but will be considered on a limited basis, such as in cases of medical need.

Please note: Recipients of BBYO need-based scholarships are not eligible for fee-based activities. Any scholarship recipient who is assigned to or selects a fee-based activity will be removed and reassigned to a non-fee-based activity.

Teens will not be assigned to a track incompatible with the dietary restrictions listed in their registration.

If you've indicated that you require glatt kosher meals, a glatt kosher boxed lunch will be provided for you to take with you.

Unless otherwise specified in the activity description, lunch will include options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free meals. Cross-contamination may occur during preparation; if you need a gluten-free meal without the possibility of cross-contamination, please contact the IC Customer Service team for guidance at [email protected].

All information about travel by car, train, and plane—including insurance options—can be found on our Travel page.

Delegates will be staying at a hotel in Baltimore. For security purposes, the name of the hotel will not be released until a few days before IC.

Delegates will have the opportunity to go offsite for specific Friday and/or Sunday programming. All offsite activities will be supervised by IC staff. Delegates are not permitted to leave the hotel under any circumstances without supervision.

Use the packing information below to prepare for IC.

The Essentials:
You need enough clothing for 4–5 days, but please remember that you will be sharing a hotel room with others, and space is limited. It is highly recommended to label your belongings!

• Outerwear: Bring a coat or warm jacket for any outdoor activities

• T-Shirts: Bring 5–6 casual shirts and 1–2 nice shirts

• Pants/Shorts: For walking around and daily activities. We recommend enough to last 5–6 days

• Sweatshirt and Sweatpants: Hotel air conditioning could be cold

• Underwear and Socks: For 5–6 days

• Pajamas: For 5–6 days

• Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, soap, facewash, bodywash, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, razors, contact lenses, solution, eye drops, and case, feminine hygiene products, chapstick

• Footwear: Delegates will be on their feet a lot of the day and having comfortable shoes is important. Think about bringing running shoes and a pair of nice shoes for Friday

• Travel Documents: Be sure to bring and secure your photo ID if you are flying to IC. We recommend bringing two copies just in case you misplace anything, as well as a photo of your ID on your cell phone.

• Phone and Charger: Be sure to bring any needed chargers

• Prescription Glasses/Contact Lenses: If needed

• Medications: This can include EpiPen, inhaler, prescriptions, etc.

• Other: Kippah, Tallit, and Tefillin (if desired), AZA and BBG pins, money for cash concessions sold throughout convention

Day-Specific Recommendations:

• Thursday: Travel outfit, BBYO regional/council spirit clothing

• Friday: Casual clothing for during the day, bag to go offsite, workout/sports clothing, cleats/shin guards, sneakers (if participating in a sports activity for LEADS), and Shabbat clothing

• Saturday: Casual clothing during the day and State of the Order outfit

• Sunday: Casual clothing with comfortable shoes for offsite programming

• Monday: Travel clothing

• Specific to Baltimore: Baltimore and the hotel space could get cold or hot depending on the day so make sure to pack layers

• Items BBYO Does Not Recommend and is Not Responsible For: Luggage that is not easily carried, expensive jewelry or other valuables, and expensive electronics (speakers, laptops, iPads, and smartwatches). BBYO is not responsible for any valuables you choose to bring to IC. We recommend keeping a close eye on any product or technology you bring throughout the weekend.

You may bring food with you; however, homemade baked goods are prohibited. Bags will be checked upon arrival. Please do not bring any food products containing nuts or shellfish.

Note that drones and hoverboards are strictly prohibited from all BBYO programs.

Delegates will be mostly indoors, however, during specific programs, there is an opportunity for delegates to be outdoors. Casual clothing like jeans and t-shirts are appropriate for most of IC. Delegations will often dress in themed attire as they compete for the coveted Max F. Baer Spirit Gavel and the Anita M. Perlman Spirit Cup. Delegations will provide information if there is anything special a participant should bring with them to IC.

Proper attire at BBYO programs involves clothing that is neat, clean, and in good repair. We want you to be able to express yourself and be true to your individual style while adding to our environment of leadership, learning, and community. Clothing that detracts from that environment is not allowed.

General Guidelines for All Apparel

• No item of clothing may bear a logo or message that is antithetical to BBYO values or have any drug or alcohol words, pictures, or symbols.

• Shorts, skirts, and dresses must cover the rear end and must not expose any undergarments.

• All clothing must appropriately cover the midriff, back, and chest.

• Clothing may not reveal undergarments in any way (either because the clothing is sheer, it does not fit properly—i.e. too loose—or it does not meet the requirements noted above).

It is a tradition at IC to wear clothing on Friday night that is nicer than what we wear the rest of the weekend, as Shabbat is a special and sacred time. We encourage people to dress nicely in a way that helps them feel special and sacred over Shabbat. Some examples include:

• Khakis or dress jeans with no holes

• Button-down shirts or a similar nice top

• Long skirts or dresses

Please remember that it is important to dress respectfully for Shabbat each week—the general guidelines for dressing still apply. The dress code for Saturday, during the day, is casual. On Saturday night, during the State of the Order and Havdalah (when we end Shabbat), it is traditional to dress nicer than typical casual clothing.

At BBYO, we recognize and respect the diverse gender identities of our teens. We offer a gender-inclusive rooming option that is available to anyone who chooses to opt in, regardless of gender identity or sex assigned at birth, and with the permission of their parents.

By opting into gender-inclusive rooming, you/your teen may be assigned to a room with someone whose sex assigned at birth is different from their own.

All meals provided at IC are either vegetarian (containing dairy) or meat meals. All meat served at IC is kosher, and we don't mix milk and meat, however, the kitchen is not supervised. All meals are nut free. The following meals will be available in the dining room for any delegate who notes a dietary restriction in their IC registration:

• Dairy free

• Gluten free

• Vegetarian

• Vegan

• Glatt kosher

All meals must be picked up at a specific meal station in the dining room at the beginning of meals. If you have food concerns, please see a member of the special meals team at IC. 

If you have questions in advance of IC, email the IC Customer Service Team at [email protected].

BBYO has a minimum supervision ratio of 15 delegates to every adult. All of BBYO’s professional IC staff have had background checks and are trained to work with delegates and keep them safe. As a reminder, delegates have signed a Code of Conduct and Community Standards agreement upon registering for BBYO membership. This indicates their full understanding of BBYO’s behavioral expectations. Should a delegate choose to act outside of BBYO’s Code of Conduct, the incident will be addressed by the IC Participant Compliance Team. For a list of the most frequent Code of Conduct violations and their consequences see this document.

BBYO believes in a culture of respect. When it comes to relationships between participants, we require that all participants conduct themselves in a respectful manner and affirmative consent is required. For more on BBYO's policy on healthy relationships and what will happen in the event of an allegation of non-consensual touching or harassment please read our Healthy Relationships and Affirmative Consent policy.  

BBYO has a zero-tolerance approach to any violation of the Code of Conduct and Community Standards and any disciplinary matter that comes to the attention of IC staff. If a delegate is dismissed from IC for disciplinary reasons or Code of Conduct violations, parents or caregivers are expected to arrange travel home immediately, at the delegate’s expense and without a refund.

Enforcing the Code of Conduct requires the partnership and understanding of parents and caregivers. We ask that in the event that a teen violates the Code of Conduct, parents and caregivers follow the guidelines laid out and committed to by them in the Code of Conduct and Community Standards for Parents and Caregivers.

BBYO also maintains a Code of Conduct for all Adult Guests as well as for Speakers and Partners. Every member of the IC community is expected to conduct themselves in accordance with these policies and BBYO values.

The safety and security of our teens, staff, and guests at BBYO International Convention are our top priorities. Please visit our Safety and Security page to learn more about our arrangements.

If there is an emergency during IC, parents are encouraged to call the IC Hotline at +1 (202) 507-7266.

The IC office will be fully staffed from 8:00 AM through 10:00 PM ET every day. While our office team will be working until late at night, should you get our voicemail in the evening, please leave a message. We’ll be checking messages frequently and will get back to you as soon as possible.