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 an Upper Level Administrator context.
Upper-Level Administrator content offers opportunities for discussion at organizational and system levels to support program operations, vision casting, and sustainability. All registered attendees are welcome to attend these workshops. Those who are interested in local and national governance, organizational growth, the state of education and expanded learning, or upper-level leadership opportunities 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
Adapting Evidence-Based Planning Practices to State and Local Contexts: What Works
Hillary Oravec, MA, Managing Partner, The Learning Agenda, Akron, OH; Nicole Miller, Executive Director, Vermont Afterschool, South Burlington, VT
Amplifying Employee Engagement: People-Centered Approaches to Boost Retention and Performance
Taylor Mayer, MA, Talent Development & Learning Manager; Lindsey Bynum, MA, Learning & Development Facilitator, Think Together, Santa Ana, CA
BOOSTing Belonging: Empowering Inclusive School Environments for LGBTQ+ Youth
Basel Touchan, M.D., Learning and Development Consultant, History UnErased, Lowell, MA
Building and Strengthening Developmental Relationships with Young People
Nanyamka Redmond, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN
Building Resilience: The Role of Education and Expanded Learning in Supporting Youth Mental Health
Julee Brooks, MFA, CEO, Woodcraft Rangers, 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 Ecosystems of Well-Being: Shaping the Strategic Design for Expanded Learning
Vanessa Hernandez, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality; Heather Williams, Director, Policy & Outreach, California AfterSchool Network, Sacramento, 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, Jiggabite Gloves Up Guns Downs, Brooklyn, NY; Sikirat Mustapha, CEO, Sikirat Tutors, Brooklyn, NY; Andrea Ishmawl, CEO, Granny and Me, Brooklyn, NY
Distributed Collective Leadership: Four Processes for Harnessing Disruption to Enable Collaborative Leadership
Jeff Poulin, Ma, MSc, Managing Director, Creative Generation, South Portland, ME
Divine Connections: Harnessing the Power of the Divine Nine for Revolutionary K-12 Family Engagement
Krystal Clemons, Ph.D., Founder/CEO, Our Village Consulting, LLC, Charlottesville, VA
An Ecosystem Approach to Environmental Learning
Moderator: Meg Ramey, MA, Senior Consultant, Education First, San Francisco, CA Panelists: Heather Rossetti, Senior Manager, Outdoor Access Initiatives, San Diego Foundation, San Diego, CA; Jeni Barajas, Director of Youth Programs, Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center, National City, CA; Samantha Wynns, Executive Director, EcoLogik Institute, San Diego, 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
EXL Pathways to Teaching and Education Careers
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
Expanding Student Success: State of Expanded Learning in CA
Michael Funk, Director, Expanded Learning Division, California Department of Education, 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 Maeves, Sr. Director of Education Programs, Champions® Before- and After-School Programs, Portland, OR; Nicole Kooiker, Superintendent of Schools, Glenwood Community School District, Glenwood, IA
Four Years & Counting: Making the Case for Continued Summer Enrichment Funding
Moderator: Dr. Ana Ponce, Executive Director, GPSN, Los Angeles, CA Panelists: Lisa Salazar, MA, Executive Director, City of Los Angeles Youth Development Department, Los Angeles, CA; Debe Loxton, M.A., Executive Director, LAUSD Beyond the Bell Branch, Los Angeles, CA
From Paper to Presentation Mode: Learn the Ins and Outs of the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Cohort 16 Request for Application (RFA)
Kelly Faustino, MA, Education Programs Consultant; Susie Morikawa, MA, Education Programs Consultant; Joshua Brady, MA, Program Administrator, California Department of Education, (CDE), Sacramento, CA
High Quality Facilitation: Staff Practices for Program Success
Nathaniel Hilliard, Director, Training & Program Implementation; Crystal Smith, Director, Teen Connection Project, Wyman Center, Inc., Eureka, MO
How to Create a Comprehensive Foster Youth Support Program
Jenna Mendez, MA, PPS, LPCC, District Foster Youth Counselor/Liaison; Kara McDonnell, MS, PPS, Intermediate School Counselor, Corona-Norco Unified School District, Norco, 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 / HRCF Parents for Transgender Equality Council, Denver, CO
It Takes a Village: The Story of Level Up SD and Successful Partnerships for Summer Learning in San Diego County
Moderator: Michelle Jaramillo, MS, Director, Education Initiatives, San Diego Foundation, San Diego, CA Panelists: Gerardo Jaimes Garcia, M.Ed., Senior Manager, Education Initiatives, San Diego Foundation, San Diego, CA; DeMilo Young, Founder & Executive Director, BIPOC Support Foundation, Escondido, CA; Tobie Pace, M.Ed., Senior Director Extended Learning Opportunities; Sara Guinn, Operations Specialist Extended Learning Opportunities, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego, CA
It Takes Two: Partners Who Innovate Together, Succeed Together
Jaclyn Aviles, Senior Strategist, Think Together, Santa Ana, CA; Brian Stevens, MFA, Director of Community Engagement, Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CA
Lead, Listen to, and Love Your People: 3 Guiding Principles for Great Leadership
Anne Laguzza, M.A., CEO, The Works Consulting, Long Beach, CA
Leading with Impact: Elevating School Leadership through Vision, Collaboration, and Innovation
Joshua De Weerd, Principal, Sonoran Schools, Tucson, AZ
Leveraging Funding & Partnerships for Equitable Family Engagement: Creating Accessible Weekend & Summer Programs
Jen Littleton-Bruno, PPS, Executive Director Expanded Learning; Nancy Zungia, MA, PPS, Assistant Director Expanded Learning, Pajaro Valley USD, Watsonville, CA
Lights on Afterschool 101
Tiyana Glenn, MS, Project Manager; Maria Rizo, Sr. Communications Associate, Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC
OST Shark Tank: Making the Case for Investing in the OST Workforce
Jill Richter, Ph.D., Senior Researcher; Arielle Lentz, Ph.D., Researcher, American Institutes for Research (AIR), Chicago, IL; Rebecca Goldberg, Impact Group Facilitator, Grantmakers for Education, San Francisco, CA; Aleah Rosario, Co-CEO, Partnership for Children & Youth, Sacramento, CA
Panel Discussion with District Partners and Innovators in Inclusive Practices
Karin Wu, M.Ed., SVP, Marketing, Learning & Development and Employee Experience/DEIB, Elevo, San Diego, CA
Pathways to Powerful Partnerships
LeAnn Binford, MM, MA, MBA, Senior Director, Consulting Services, Big Thought, Dallas, TX
Person-Centered Approach to Individual Needs: A Universal Design Framework
Helen Morales, Director of Outdoor Education and Camp Woodcraft, Woodcraft Rangers, 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; HK Gilbert, Training and Professional Development Manager, Camp Fire, Kansas City, MO
Reimagining SEL in School Sports
Christopher Reed, MBA, Director of National Partnerships; Pharlone Toussaint, Director of External Affairs, Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, (CHJS), Chicago, IL
Resources for Quality, A 360° Conversation for Staffing and Programs
Tiffany Gipson, Director, Equity & Quality; Lupita Perez, Senior Specialist, Equity & Quality; Troy Selvey, Manager, Equity & Quality, California AfterSchool Network, Sacramento, CA
Safeguarding the Rights of Undocumented Students and Educators
Aleah Rosario, Co-CEO, Partnership for Children and Youth, Sacramento, CA
School-Based Medical and Mental Health Care Partnerships… Who, What, Where, When, and How?
Linda Long, LMFT, School-Based Health Clinic Coordinator; Angela Windham, School-Based Health Clinic Assistant, USD #261, Haysville, KS
Sourcing and Partnership for Retention
Allison Lyon, Director of Talent Acquisition; Jessica Trujillo, Director of Talent Acquisition Strategic Initiatives, Think Together, Santa Ana, CA; Ruben Acevedo, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Operations, California Schools Talent Collaborative, Santa Ana, CA
Supporting the Whole Child: Developing Community Partnerships That Address Equity
Hamza Al Haidari, Chief Growth Officer, America Scores, San Francisco, CA; Georgia Tyrrell, M.Ed., Expanded Learning Program Director, Pajaro Valley Unified School District, (PVUSD), Watsonville, CA
Take on Tough Challenges with Data-informed Confidence
Sarah Cusey, MBA, Nexus Project Manager and Lead Trainer; Vicki Wodarczyk, Ed.D., Senior Director of Research and Evaluation, Monarch School Project, San Diego, CA
Transforming Academics with AI: Creating Interest-Driven, Real-World Learning Experiences for K-12 Students
Kenyatta Funderburk, MS, Executive Director, Community Change, Inc., Bronx, NY
Transforming Leadership: Elevate Team Performance and Foster Growth
Tennille Woodward, Ed.D., Lead Learner, GrowLeadEmpower, Muskegon, MI
Understanding and Mitigating Bullying: A Comprehensive Approach for School Personnel
Eric Landers, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Understanding the Foster Care System and the Shift from Mandated Reporter to Community Supporter
Michelle Lustig, Ed.D., Program Director; Mindy Corless, Program Coordinator, Foster Youth Services Technical Assistance Program; Rachelle Touzard, Director, Student Support Services, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Downey, 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
Whole-Child Approach to Age-Appropriate Programming
Theresa Maeves, Sr. Director of Education Programs, Champions® Before- and After-School Programs, Portland, OR; Nicole Kooiker, Superintendent of Schools, Glenwood Community School District, Glenwood, IA
Winning Settlement Dollars to Support Engagement, Community & Connections in the Age of Social Media
Elizabeth Gaines, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Children’s Funding Project, Washington, DC; Erica Lim, Ed.L.D., Senior Program Officer, The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation, Los Angeles, CA; Jennifer Dietrich, MA, Director of Policy, Partnership for Children and Youth, Sacramento, CA; Diana Carrillo, MBA, Vice President of Programs, arc, Torrance, 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!