Description: Join in round table conversations to further explore the themes talked about during the Youth Panel. The youth panelist and an adult ally will highlight programs and current effective models that are creating access and more sustainable relationships with boys & young men in our community
Organizers: Worcester’s Division of Youth Opportunities & PPAL
Appeal: Youth & Educators/Youth Workers
Description: After Shave Burns: A Dialogue on Masculinity will explore conscious and unconscious constructs that “define masculinity” and encourage audience members to take an introspective look at what guides the decisions they make surrounding their behaviors, appearance, and presentation. Joshua Croke (Action! by Design & Love Your Labels) will discuss how components of identity surrounding gender, presentation, and sexuality have been influenced and suppressed by societal constructs and address the effect of shame, stigma, and bias on individual identity and the development of our youth.
Presenter: Joshua Croke, Action! by Design // Love Your Labels
Appeal: Youth & Educators/Youth Workers
Description: Dr. Alex Briesacher will present data from Worcester Public Schools focused on males. The presentation will look at what the numbers have been, discuss why this is so, and collectively consider ways to use them as metrics moving forward.
Presenter: Dr. Alex Briesacher, Worcester State University
Appeal: Educators & Juvenile Justice
Description: Many studies of urban youth rely solely on quantitative (statistical and numerical) data. While such an approach is valuable in its ability to show trends, it lacks qualitative (narrative and personal) data that often speaks to the complexity of individuals' lives. In this workshop aimed at youth workers/educators, professors Tim Murphy and Tom Conroy, both from the WSU Department of Urban Studies, will facilitate a discussion among youth workers and educators about the city's youth and will discuss their recent original qualitative research findings about the lives and school experiences of young men in urban Massachusetts.
Presenters: Tom Conroy and Timothy Murphy, Worcester State University Urban Studies Department
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers
Description: The 100 Males to College Program, was designed in response to a 2014 report the found drastic educational attainment disparities for low-income Latino and African American male graduates from Massachusetts public schools. Closing these gaps is a matter of social justice and an economic imperative. Through a collaboration of Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester Public Schools, and Worcester State University, the 100 Males to College program is a dual-enrollment cohort for low-income males in high school. Through high impact strategies, such as support from influential adults, positive learning environments, promotion of positive male and gender identity, meaningful experiential learning, and more. The 100 Males to College Program has succeeded in its early piloting. Learn more about this program, lessons learned, and a continuum through the Men, Working and Walking Together program, out of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, at Worcester State University.
Presenters: 100 Males to College
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers
Description: Advocates from Citizens for Juvenile Justice will discuss the link between youth who experience trauma and victimization and future delinquency, the harm of involvement with the justice system, and the need to develop programs that will identify victimized youth and divert them from justice system involvement. We will also discuss the importance of the youth voices in the process of reforming our juvenile justice and behavior response systems, and talk about the power of the personal story to effect change.
Presenters: Lee Nave and Kate Lowenstein, Citizens for Juvenile Justice
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers & Juvenile Justice
Description: The focus on social and emotional learning needs a closer look and a more universal understanding of what it means to be trauma informed if it is to be more than just a passing trend. Men and boys experience emotional distress in different ways than girls and women. Having a better understanding of maladaptive behavior as an expression of hurt and pain will lead to a kinder and more just response in schools and youth organizations. In this workshop, educators and youth workers will learn four evidence-based principles for creating supportive and nurturing educational environments.
Presenters: Youth and adults from the HOPE Coalition and the Collaborative for Youth and Community Justice at Clark University
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers & Juvenile Justice
Description: How do we show young men how much we value their ideas and insights? How do we help them develop the habit of personal reflection? By applying research in composition theory and best practices educating boys, teachers and youth workers can use personal writing to transform their students’ attitude toward writing and encourage authentic self-reflection. Presented by two experienced teachers, this workshop will focus on action steps teachers and youth workers can take to put theory in practice.
Presenters: Diane Mulligan and Lauren Hill, Saint John’s High School
Appeal: Educations/ Youth Workers
Description: After Shave Burns: A Dialogue on Masculinity will explore conscious and unconscious constructs that “define masculinity” and encourage audience members to take an introspective look at what guides the decisions they make surrounding their behaviors, appearance, and presentation. Joshua Croke (Action! by Design & Love Your Labels) will discuss how components of identity surrounding gender, presentation, and sexuality have been influenced and suppressed by societal constructs and address the effect of shame, stigma, and bias on individual identity and the development of our youth.
Presenter: Joshua Croke, Action! by Design // Love Your Labels
Appeal: Youth & Educators/Youth Workers
Description: Many studies of urban youth rely solely on quantitative (statistical and numerical) data. While such an approach is valuable in its ability to show trends, it lacks qualitative (narrative and personal) data that often speaks to the complexity of individuals' lives. In this workshop aimed at boys and young men, professors Tim Murphy and Tom Conroy, faculty from the WSU Department of Urban Studies who have conducted research about the school experiences of young men in urban Massachusetts, will facilitate a discussion among boys attending the conference about their lives and educational experiences in Worcester.
Presenter: Tom Conroy and Timothy Murphy, Worcester State University Urban Studies Department
Appeal: Youth
Description: Black and brown youth are over-represented, compared to their white counterparts, at every decision-point within the juvenile justice system. The harsher discipline often starts before entry into the juvenile justice system with evident disparities in school discipline and removals from school (e.g. the school-to-prison pipeline). This session will highlight these racial and ethnic disparities and illustrate the importance of keeping young people supported in their communities and schools. The audience will have an opportunity to reflect on the ways they can personally, and as a part of a system, attend to bias in policies and decision making to ensure equity both in and out of school.
Presenters: Katie Byrne and Renee Heywood, Department of Youth Services
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers & Juvenile Justice
Description: In this workshop participants will learn an evidence based practical set of strategies to not only help difficult children channel their intense energies into more productive and creative behaviors, but to also use this success, relationship-based approach to help every child reach their highest potential. Sam Healy LICSW has been working with inner city youth and families for over 25 years, and is a behavioral consultant for Boston, Lawrence, and Cambridge Public Schools.
Presenter: Sam Healy, LICSW
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers
Description: Every culture and tribe throughout history that has thrived has initiated its young men into healthy adulthood. Cultures discover when wisdom elders neglect the initiation of their young men they become dangerous. Instead they turn to other rites of passage like gang initiation or deviant behavior or sexual conquests as attempts to mark their manhood. This workshop will discuss the common initiatory rites present in every culture that initiates young men, as well as the role of wisdom elders in communities. Father wounds and their healing will also be explored through three presenters from varied cultural backgrounds.
Presenter: Angel Guzman and Scott Larson, Straight Ahead Ministries and Ron Waddell, Worcester Community Action Council
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers
Description: Join a youth panel and activity used at Saint John’s Kairos retreat to explore and discuss the skills and tools faculty and staff can use to build the emotional & spiritual skills of adolescent boys.
Presenter: Kevin Abdo & Eileen Breeze, Saint John’s High School
Appeal: Educators/ Youth Workers
Description: Explore ways in which you can be part of and influence government and public policy and how to make your voice heard.
Presenter: State Representative David LeBoeuf
Appeal: Youth
Description: Professors Tim Murphy and Tom Conroy are available to conduct focus groups with young men who attend (or attended) Worcester Public Schools.
Organizers: Tom Conroy and Timothy Murphy, Worcester State University Urban Studies Department
Appeal: Youth