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 Student Civic Engagement context.
Student Civic Engagement content offers opportunities for discussion that empower attendees to foster environments where students can engage with their communities and create positive change. All registered attendees are welcome to attend these workshops. Those who work directly with student advocacy 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!
#AfterschoolWorks – Opportunities and Challenges in the Trump Administration
Jodi Grant, JD, Executive Director; Maria Rizo, Sr. Communications Associate, Afterschool Alliance, Washington DC; Lisa Lucheta, Principal, Torani/R. Torre & Co., San Leandro, CA
#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
Building Resilience: The Role of Education and Expanded Learning in Supporting Youth Mental Health
Julee Brooks, MFA, CEO, Woodcraft Rangers, Los Angeles, CA
Co-Creating Authentic & Resilient Intergenerational Leadership: Smartest Practices for Collective Growth and Belonging
Elliot A. Rivera, Resilient Leadership & Belonging Consultant, Providence, RI
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
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
Discovering Your Leadership Voice
Juan Alvarado, Founder and CEO, Raize The Bar LLC, Visalia, 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
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
Expanding Student Success: State of Expanded Learning in CA
Michael Funk, Director, Expanded Learning Division, California Department of Education (CDE), Sacramento, CA; Heather Williams, Director, Policy & Outreach, California AfterSchool Network, Sacramento, CA; Vanessa Hernandez, Senior Specialist, Policy & Outreach, California AfterSchool Network, Fresno, CA
Evolution of Out-of-School Programs: How to Tailor Your Programming to Fit the Needs of Your Students and Community
Theresa Maves, Sr. Director of Education Programs, Champions® Before- and After-School Programs, Portland, OR; Nicole Kooiker, Superintendent of Schools, Glenwood Community School District, Glenwood, IA
From Distraction to Action: Boosting Students’ Executive Functioning Skills
Sonia Toledo, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Dignity of Children, Inc., New York, NY
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
The Kids Are Ready: Play as a Tool for Social Change
Simone Gamble, MSW, Lead Consultant, OAAARS, New York, NY
Layers of Protection: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Prevent Peer-to-Peer Abuse
Lori Huggins McGary, MBA, National Director, Safety Training & Quality Assurance; Stacey Brooks, MS, National Director, Quality Assurance, BGCA, Atlanta, GA
Leading with Purpose: How Empowered Staff Drive Student Success
Ayodele Coker, M.Ed., Training and Development Specialist III, Think Together, Santa Ana, CA
Lights on Afterschool 101
Tiyana Glenn, MS, Project Manager; Maria Rizo, Sr. Communications Associate, Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC
Mind-Body Enrichment: Harnessing the Power of Group Rhythm
Johanna Unger, Lead Facilitator and Training, Rhythms of Life, Salt Lake City, UT
Mindfulness, STEAM & Art: Strategies to Center Community Voice
Daniel Hatcher, MPH, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Healthier Generation, Washington, DC
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
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
Storytelling for Advocacy
Mike de la Rocha, Co-Founder, Revolve Impact, Los Angeles, CA
Uncover Your Purpose: Discovering and Defining Your Why!
Dwayne Wiggins, Jr., Thought Leader & Motivational Coach, A Human. Being!, Philadelphia, PA
Using Boardgames to Foster Critical Thinking and Emotional Stability
Greg Thatcher, MSPH, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Fresno State University, Clovis, CA
Visioning Together: Build Program Buy-in From the Beginning
Brooklyn Joseph, MA, Lead Program Facilitator, Lead by Learning, Oakland, CA
WE>ME: How to Get Students, Caregivers, and Staff to Work as a Team
Lance Loya, MS, CEO, The Good Teammate Factory, Windermere, FL
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!