BOOST Conference 2025 is in a few short weeks, and TEAMBOOST is here to help you plan for your best conference experience EVER! Today, we are spotlighting BOOST 2025 Workshops with content from a Middle and High School context.
Middle and High School content offers opportunities for discussion that empower attendees to better support middle and high school students who participate in their program centers. All registered attendees are welcome to attend these workshops. Those who work directly with middle and high school students, or are interested in expanding program offerings to include adolescents, are encouraged to add these workshops to their BOOST Conference schedule!
Interested in attending these workshops and would like more information? Visit boostconference.org/workshops for descriptions!
Bridging the Gap: Promoting Well-Being Between Early Childhood and Adolescence Julee Brooks, Philip Steigman, MS, MPP, Brookline, MA; Carlos Santini, CEO, Mizzen Education, Los Angeles, CA
Building Organizational Culture through a Positive Youth Development Lens
Marc Fernandes, MS, Director, Youth INC, New York, NY
Building Resilience: The Role of Education and Expanded Learning in Supporting Youth Mental Health
Julee Brooks, MFA, CEO, Woodcraft Rangers, Los Angeles, CA
Coaching with Empathy
Marti Reed Love, Director of National Partnerships & DEI Programming Manager, Positive Coaching Alliance, Pasadena, CA
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
Connecting STEM to Career Pathways: Integrating Afterschool Programs with Workforce Development
Jamecca Marshall, MA, Deputy Executive Director; William Rochester, MA, Director of Programs, Los Angeles STEM Collaborative, Los Angeles, CA
Cultivating Youth Voice through Entrepreneurship!
Moderator: Katrena Perou, Executive Director, Inspiring Minds NYC, Brooklyn, NY Panelists: Kylie Richardson, CEO, Chucks Round Table, Brooklyn, NY; Arnold Ludd, CEO, Jiggabite Gloves Up Guns Downs, Brooklyn, NY; Sikirat Mustapha, CEO, Sikirat Tutors, Brooklyn, NY; Andrea Ishmael, CEO, Granny and Me, Brooklyn, NY; Joshua Applewhite, CEO, Japplejuice Productions, Brooklyn, NY
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
Empowering Tomorrow: Supporting Our Young Workforce
Cori Ove, MS, Project Specialist I, Expanded Learning, Sacramento County Office of Education, Sacramento, CA
Engaging Teens through School-Based Peer-to-Peer Wellness Programming
Sarah Martin, MPH, Chief Program & Evaluation Officer; Alexis Woodard, MBA, Associate Director of Southern California, HealthCorps, New York, NY
From Expanded Learning to Educator: Paid Pathways to Teaching
Moderator: Guillermo Castillo, MA, Senior Director Future Educator Support, Butte County Office of Education, Oroville, CA Panelists: Eduardo Caballero, Executive Director, EDMO, Berkeley, CA; Jaqueline Garcia Pelayo, M.A., Lead Instructor, Butte County Office of Education, Oroville, CA; Sera Hernandez, Ph.D., Department Chair, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
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
How to Utilize Distributive Leadership to Develop Student Leaders in Afterschool
Eddie Barragan, After School Coordinator, Vallejo City Unified School District, Vallejo, 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
Leading with Purpose: How Empowered Staff Drive Student Success
Ayodele Coker, M.Ed., Training and Development Specialists III, Think Together, Santa Ana, CA
Out on the Field: Building Safe and Inclusive Sports Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth
Luis Vasquez, Co-Founder, Rainbow Labs, Los Angeles, CA
Reimagining Career Exploration and Durable Skills Development for Youth
Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance, Boston, MA; Lexi Ortiz, Digital Partnerships Manager, Big Picture Learning, Providence, RI
Roots & Reflections: Exploring Identity Through Personal History Projects
Kimberly Robare, MSEd, Director of Programs; Jazmine Dowdley, Program Manager, Open Doors Academy, Cleveland, OH
Safeguarding the Rights of Undocumented Students and Educators
Aleah Rosario, Co-CEO, Partnership for Children and Youth, Sacramento, CA; Danny Salas, Chief Program Officer, Woodcraft Rangers, Los Angeles, CA; Nico Espíritu, Deputy Director, Legal; National Immigration Law Center, San Francisco, CA; Maria Ramirez, Sr. Program Manager, Partnership for Children and Youth, Sacramento, CA
SEL Starts with the Staff: Fostering Emotional Wellness Among Out-of- School Time Facilitators and Leaders
Dr. Robin Elliott, Associate Dean, School of Education and Director, Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY; Annie Middlemist, Leadership and Development Consultant/Social-Emotional Learning Implementation Specialist, Phoenix, AZ
Set Up for Your Step Up: Executive Coaching for Youth
Ruth Mercado-Zizzo, MFA, Vice-President, Programs and Equity; LaVonia Montoute, M.Ed., Senior Director, Career Pathways, EdVestors, Boston, MA; Muadi Dibinga, Life Coach, Muadi Dibinga Unlimited, Washington, DC
Strength and Restore
Bill Michener, MAC, CEO; Brandon McWilliams, MAC, Clifton StrengthFinders Coach, Lighthouse, Lincoln, NE
Summer Teen Late Night: Providing Safe Options for Teens through Collaboration
Sheryl Blessing, Youth Services Recreation Supervisor, Metro Parks Tacoma, Tacoma, WA
Take Back Their Brains! How to Fight Disconnection, Disinformation & Digital Addiction
Ryan McCarthy, Executive Director, Global Kindness Initiative, San Francisco, CA
Uncover Your Purpose: Discovering and Defining Your Why!
Dwayne Wiggins, Jr., Thought Leader & Motivational Coach, A Human. Being!, Philadelphia, PA
Unsilenced Spirits: Fostering Strength in Mental Health Journeys
Kaden Mattinson, Executive Director/Motivational Speaker, Mending Minds Village, Springville, UT
Using Boardgames to Foster Critical Thinking and Emotional Stability
Greg Thatcher, MSPH, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Fresno State University, Clovis, CA
Youth Development: The Anchor AND the Sail for the Future of the Workforce
Lupita Perez, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality; Leslye Lugo, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality; Bill Fennessy, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality, California AfterSchool Network, Sacramento, CA
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!