GOLD BALLROOM 1 

Presenter:

• Marc Fernandes, Director of Youth INC

Every adult in a youth-serving organization impacts the social and emotional development (SEL) of both young participants and staff. Therefore, it is critical to focus on the ecosystem and culture of an organization rather than just programmatic elements and fidelity. The culture of an organization can either promote or hinder SEL development. This workshop will share strategies for cultivating leaders as learners in out-of-school youth development organizations that engage all staff, including leadership and board members, in creating a positive youth development culture that leads to social and emotional development and greater outcomes for young people and staff.

GOLD BALLROOM 2

Presenters:

• Ariana Melton, Chief Operations Officer, WE ARE R.I.S.E. Inc.

• Perla Alvarado, Youth Development Coordinator, City of Long Beach, Office of Youth Development

What happens when adults step back, and youth step boldly into real decision-making power? This session explores how adultism shows up as “red flags” that block authentic youth leadership, and how we can flip them into “green flags” of partnership. Using the Youth Participatory Budgeting process in Long Beach as a real-world case study, participants will leave with fresh insights and concrete steps to dismantle tokenism and create pathways for genuine youth power.

Room: Georgia 1

Presenters:

• Walt Gersón Rodríguez, Vice President, Organizing LA, Innovate Public Schools

• Olga González, Community Organizer of Innovate Public Schools

• Stefanny Villamizar Montero, Manager of Research and Policy of Innovate Public Schools 

Change doesn’t happen by accident — it happens when communities organize with purpose, strategy, and power. This session dives into the organizing cycle — Listen, Learn, Act, Reflect —and shows how to transform it from theory into practice. Participants will explore real-world tools such as 1:1 conversation guides, issue-cutting worksheets, action planning checklists, and evaluation methods that strengthen leadership. Through interactive activities and stories from the field, we’ll uncover how to move from individual concerns to collective action that wins real change. Whether you’re a seasoned organizer or just beginning to step into leadership, this workshop will equip you with practical frameworks to mobilize people, build strategic plans, and reflect in ways that grow power for the long haul. Expect to leave inspired, connected, and ready to bring these tools back to your own communities to drive bold and lasting impact.

Room: Georgia 2

Presenter:

• Robin Hall, Director of Development of Legacy Youth Leadership

How do we transform student anxiety about being heard into agency to lead? In this interactive, 90-minute action lab, youth and adult co-facilitators from Legacy Youth Leadership model what it looks like to pass the mic—shifting power, voice, and decision-making to young people. Drawing on experiences from the Legacy Summit speaker series—described as “TedX meets America’s Got Talent,” the Speed Pitching challenge where students confidently pitch their impact ideas to executives and mentors, and the national “Share What Makes You Smile” mental health campaign that mobilized 1,500 students around wellbeing, participants will see how youth-led storytelling drives measurable impact. Attendees will practice two facilitation tools (a Youth Voice Heat-Map and a 6-Step Action Sprint) that move students from passive listeners to active leaders. They will leave with a 30-day launch plan, templates, and outcome trackers to replicate these practices in their own schools and communities.

Room: Plaza 1

Presenter:

• Julia Gabor, Founder of Kid-Grit

In today’s world, current events are driving deeper divides—making it more important than ever for educators to lead with awareness, empathy and strength. This powerful session creates space for educators and students to engage in meaningful dialogue around challenging social and political topics. Together, we’ll explore how to navigate difficult conversations with confidence and compassion. Inspired by the historic Freedom Rides of 1961, participants will reflect on the power of collective action and personal advocacy by asking themselves: What do YOU ride for? Join us to discover how history can empower present-day change—and how your voice can make a difference.

Room: Plaza 2

Presenters:

• Destiny López, Program Manager of Partnership for Children & Youth

• Daniel Monterroso, Director of Workforce Development of LA's Best

This session will showcase the design and impact of the Linking, Learning, Leading (3LN) Workforce Development Network, a statewide community of practice launched in 2024 with 16 practitioners from youth-serving organizations. Participants will learn about the tools, strategies, and collaborative processes that shaped 3LN, as well as highlights from four working groups that piloted projects across the state. These projects include developing Culture Guides to align staff around shared values, creating Compensation Plans that are fair and transparent, advancing Retention & Recognition practices to honor and engage staff, and strengthening Professional Development pathways to build sustainable careers. Through shared lessons and tested approaches, attendees will leave with actionable ideas to apply within their own organizations while contributing to a stronger, more equitable expanded learning workforce.

Room: Gold Ballroom 1

Moderated by:

• Julee Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Woodcraft Rangers

With:

• Mary R. Barraza, L.C.S.W., Senior Deputy Director, LA County Department of Mental Health

• Robert Byrd, Psy.D., Deputy Director Prevention Division, LA County Department of Mental Health

• Candace M. Gragnani, MD, MPH, Community Chair for the Join Us Moving People to Play (JUMPP) Coalition of the LA County Department of Public Health

Expanded learning programs provide far more than academic support—they are safe, trusted spaces where young people can build relationships, develop resilience, and access the support they need to thrive. This panel will explore why mental health must be centered as a core element of expanded learning, and how investments in wellness can strengthen outcomes for youth, families, and communities. Leaders will discuss innovative approaches, funding opportunities, and the role of partnerships in ensuring every program has the capacity to meet the holistic needs of young people.

Room: Gold Ballroom 2 

Presenters:

• Mónica Molina-Castillo, Youth Leadership Program Manager City of Los Angeles Youth Development Department

• Elisa Castillo, Manager, Partner Success & Engagement, Uprooted Academy

• Jerry Yang, Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council

• Adriana Cuidad-Real, Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council

• Emily Salazar, Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council

• Julian Murchison, Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council

• Eldana Arega, Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council

• Leeda Sea, Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council

• Ashlee Eason, Marketing and Product Uprooted Academy

• Sofia Gomez, Uproot Academy

• Eleanor Gordon Smith,  Uproot Academy

In this joint session, Uprooted Academy and the City of Los Angeles Youth Development Department’s Olivia E. Mitchell Youth Council will share how their co-design models move beyond tokenistic “youth voice” to authentic youth power. By designing with young people rather than for them, these models ensure that programs reflect youth lived experiences, aspirations, and challenges.

Youth leaders and adult allies will share honest stories of successes and setbacks in building partnerships, highlighting what authentic collaboration looks like in practice. Through a blended panel discussion and interactive activities, participants will explore how to differentiate tokenism from true partnership and leave with practical strategies to share decision-making power and co-create programs that young people want to sustain.

Room: Georgia 1

Presenter:

• Cedric Nelms, CEO of Legacy Bridge CDC

This workshop is designed to help leaders and practitioners develop strategies for creating equity-centered, sustainable organizational cultures. It addresses the urgent need for inclusive workforce development, leadership pipelines, and practices that foster belonging, trust, and sustainability within expanded learning organizations. Participants will engage in peer learning, reflective exercises, and collaborative planning to identify barriers to equity, share effective practices, and create actionable strategies for their organizations.

Room: Georgia 2

Presenters:

• Rev. Edward Anderson, CEO of Partnership for Growth LA

• Cassandra Chase, Executive Director of Educational Initiatives

• Joaquin Horton, Program Coordinator of Read Lead Freedom Schools

• Charise Sims, Parent Engagement Coordinator of Read Lead Freedom Schools

• Maya Posey, Site Coordinator of Read Lead Freedom Schools

Discover how the Read Lead Freedom Schools program transforms youth from participants ("scholars") into empowered leaders and change makers. This interactive, youth-led workshop explores how culturally-rooted, literacy-based programming builds leadership pipelines and cultivates a workforce committed to racial justice, educational equity, and community transformation. Facilitated by a team of youth alumni and adult mentors, this session invites attendees into a dynamic space where past Read Lead Freedom Schools scholars - now staff members - share their journeys, co-lead discussions, and guide collaborative planning on how to build sustainable, youth-powered organizational cultures. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for embedding youth voice, advancing leadership pipelines, and building racial equity into the DNA of their programs.

Room: Plaza 1

Presenters:

• Maia Akiva Trainer, kid-grit

• Bethanee Bryant Program & Partnership Manager, PLUS ME Project

• Didi Anofienem, Executive Director of The Writing School LA

• Mónica Vega, Programs Manager of InsideOUT Writers

• Zeltzin Estrada-Rodríguez, Teaching Artist, WriteGirl

This interactive workshop shines a spotlight on five transformative writing programs in Los Angeles—kid-grit, The PLUS ME Project, The Writing School LA, InsideOUT Writers, and WriteGirl—that are redefining how writing can empower youth and the adults who support them.

Participants will explore how these organizations foster self-expression, resilience, and confidence through the written word, helping young people and staff alike find their voice and strengthen connections within their communities. You’ll not only hear inspiring stories of impact but also experience writing activities you can bring back to your own organization.

Leave with practical tools, fresh inspiration, and a deeper understanding of how writing can become a catalyst for growth, healing, and change—for youth, for staff, and for the wider community.

Room: Plaza 2

Presenter:

• Santos Herrera, Director of the MY HERO Project

Lights, Camera, Advocacy: Hero Stories as a Blueprint for Action In this hands-on, equipment-free workshop, participants will learn how to transform real-life hero stories into compelling short film concepts that inspire change. Drawing from The MY HERO Journalism & Filmmaking Workbook, this session blends creative writing, storytelling strategy, and advocacy to guide attendees in identifying a social issue, connecting it to a hero in their community, and shaping it into a powerful narrative. Through interactive activities, participants will explore three-act story structure, develop a rough outline or storyboard, and refine their “advocacy ask.” By the end, attendees will leave with a story-in-progress, practical tools for advocacy-centered filmmaking, and resources to share their work on platforms like the MY HERO International Film Festival, amplifying voices that matter and fueling movements for change. No filmmaking experience required, just imagination, passion, and a story worth telling.