BOOSTers! Are you ready for BOOST Conference 2025? TEAMBOOST wants to help you get ready by spotlighting workshops centered in support for LGBTQ+ Youth. Read on to learn more.
Workshops centering content on LGBTQ+ Youth are designed to create opportunities for program and personal discussion surrounding systems of support for youth who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as offering professional development for staff. Attendees interested in developing their program environments or themselves to better support youth are encouraged to add these workshops to their conference schedule. All registered attendees are welcome to attend and participate in these workshops.
Interested in learning more about this year’s BOOST Conference Workshops? Visit https://www.boostconference.org/workshops for descriptions and more information!
#iAmImpact Healing Circles (It Starts with Me
Nathan Houston, Founder/CEO, #iAmImpact, Sacramento, CA
BOOSTing Belonging: Empowering Inclusive School Environments for LGBTQ+ Youth
Basel Touchan, M.D., Learning and Development Consultant, History UnErased, Lowell, MA
Co-Creating Authentic & Resilient Intergenerational Leadership: Smartest Practices for Collective Growth and Belonging
Elliot A. Rivera, Resilient Leadership & Belonging Consultant, Providence, RI
The Connecting Adolescent Brain: Developmental Science Insights to Help Middle and High School Youth Thrive
Elise Brumbach, MPP, JD, Director of Policy and Practice; Natalie Saragosa-Harris, Ph.D., Research Associate, UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, Los Angeles, CA
Emotional First Response: Supporting Youth in Acute Distress through Resilience
Jamaal Williams, Assistant Director of Training; Gil Noam, Ed.D., Dr. Habil., Chair, Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR), Cambridge, MA
From Teens to Leaders: Empowering the Next Generation to Inspire and Lead
Tobie Pace, M.Ed., Senior Director of Extended Learning, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego, CA; Laurie Brooks, M.Ed., Client Partner, FranklinCovey Education, Vista, CA
Inclusive Policies & Gender Support Plans for Transgender & Non-Binary Youth
Ellen Kahn, MSS, Senior Vice President, HRC Equality Programs, Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC; Lisa Stanton, Development Director / Parent, Havaya Summer Programs / Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) Parents for Transgender Equality Council, Denver, CO
The Kids Are Ready: Play as a Tool for Social Change
Simone Gamble, MSW, Lead Consultant, OAAARS, New York, NY
Opening Doors: Fostering Inclusion in Expanded Learning Programs
Robert Hand II, Expanded Learning Program Manager, Oakland Unified School District, Oakland, CA
Out on the Field: Building Safe and Inclusive Sports Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth
Luis Vasquez, Co-Founder; Destiny Contreras, Sports Program Coordinator, Rainbow Labs, Los Angeles, CA
Project THRIVE: The Necessity of LGBTQ+ Inclusion
Moderator: Ellen Kahn, MSS, Senior Vice President, HRC Equality Programs, Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC Panelists: Anthony Brisson, Senior Policy Analyst and Program Specialist for the Center for Racial and Social Justice, National Education Association (NEA), Washington, DC; Dr. Janell Catlin, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, FIRST, Manchester, NH
Roots & Reflections: Exploring Identity Through Personal History Projects
Kimberly Robare, MSEd, Director of Programs; Jazmine Dowdley, Program Manager, Open Doors Academy, Cleveland, OH
Seeing the World through a Different Lens
Shannon Estrin, M.A., Special Education Teacher/Author/CEO, Ellenwood, GA
Strategies for an Equitable and Inclusive After-School Program
Mikala Royal, Site Coordinator; Marcel Nelson, Site Coordinator, Bay Area Community Resources, Oakland, CA
Unsilenced Spirits: Fostering Strength in Mental Health Journeys Kaden Mattinson, Executive Director/Motivational Speaker, Mending Minds Village, Springville, UT
Get ready for this one-of-a-kind professional development experience, where local, national, and global leaders gather to grow together, build community, and co-create a great world for kids. Together we INSPIRE YOUTH, INSPIRE LEARNING, and INSPIRE CHANGE.
Still need to register for BOOST 2025? Visit boostconference.org/registration for more information.
BOOSTers, we can’t wait to learn with you April 29 – May 2, 2025, in sunny Palm Springs!
Start planning your conference experience TODAY!