MASTER CLASSES
BOOST Master Classes are classes offered to attendees by world-class experts of a discipline in order to develop skills in fundamental concepts or stimulate thought in a specific area. BOOST Master Classes may include lectures, panels, research findings, promising practices, case studies, real-world issues, and valuable industry expertise by respected leaders in their field.
Additional fees ($30 per class) are associated with BOOST Master Classes. We highly recommend that you pre-register for Master Classes when you register for the BOOST Conference. We cannot guarantee that on-site registration for these classes will be available.
*Please note that there is an additional fee of $30 to attend each Master Class. You will have an opportunity to register for Master Classes when you register online for the conference. Already registered and want to add a Master Class? Log-in to your online account and add one or all of the Master Classes. If you have questions about registration for these classes, please contact us at 619-23-BOOST (619-232-6678).
Interested in facilitating a BOOST Master Class, or have an idea for a Master Class topic or instructor? Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with creative ideas.
Wednesday, May 1
10:30AM-12:15PM
Youth Development - Older Youth Focus
Deborah Gilboa, MD, aka “Dr. G.”, Parenting & Youth Development Expert and Author, Pittsburg, PA
Internationally respected parenting and youth development expert, Deborah Gilboa, MD, is the founder of AskDoctorG.com. Popularly known as Dr. G, she is an industry leading speaker, author, social influencer, and media personality. She inspires audiences with relatable stories and easy tools to develop crucial life skills in children, teens and young adults ages 2-22.
Her beloved, user-friendly parenting activity books, Teach Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch!, Teach Responsibility: Empower Kids with a Great Work Ethic, and Teach Respect: That's My Kid! are designed for today's busy parents with age-specific tips and ideas for building character in kids. Dr. G is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, How to Get the Behavior You Want... Without Being the Parent You Hate! Dr. G's Guide to Effective Parenting (Demos Publishing, LLC), which breaks down 60 key challenges faced by parents of kids primarily in their pre-teen years.
As a television personality, Dr. G gives straightforward advice (with a dose of humor) that helps wade through the stress, doubt, and guilt that ALL parents feel at one time or another. She is a regular on NBC's TODAY SHOW, THE DOCTORS and has appeared on numerous other local and national television talk shows and News programs throughout the U.S, including Good Morning America, Fox News, The Rachael Ray Show, Additionally, she regularly contributes to Today.com, Huffington Post Parents, Your Teen magazine, Parents magazine, and MSNBC.com.
Dr. G is a board-certified attending family physician at Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill Health Center, caring for diverse patients from 100+ countries, speaking 61 different languages. Her fluency in American Sign Language and her work with the deaf community has received national recognition and was the focus of her service as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow.
A graduate of University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine, Carnegie Mellon University, and as an alumnus of Chicago's Second City Improv Theater, Dr. G's diverse background and experiences add to her credibility and lively storytelling
She has received many awards for clinical excellence in teaching, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award as a Clinical Associate Professor for the University of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine.
But beyond all of these honors, Dr. G is most proud of her family. She and her husband are raising four boys who are growing into respectful, responsible and resilient young men and have been honored for their unique community service projects.
Click here to learn more about Dr. G
2:45PM - 4:45PM
Youth Development - Elementary Focus
Deborah Gilboa, MD, aka “Dr. G.”, Parenting & Youth Development Expert and Author, Pittsburg, PA
Internationally respected parenting and youth development expert, Deborah Gilboa, MD, is the founder of AskDoctorG.com. Popularly known as Dr. G, she is an industry leading speaker, author, social influencer, and media personality. She inspires audiences with relatable stories and easy tools to develop crucial life skills in children, teens and young adults ages 2-22.
Her beloved, user-friendly parenting activity books, Teach Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch!, Teach Responsibility: Empower Kids with a Great Work Ethic, and Teach Respect: That's My Kid! are designed for today's busy parents with age-specific tips and ideas for building character in kids. Dr. G is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, How to Get the Behavior You Want... Without Being the Parent You Hate! Dr. G's Guide to Effective Parenting (Demos Publishing, LLC), which breaks down 60 key challenges faced by parents of kids primarily in their pre-teen years.
As a television personality, Dr. G gives straightforward advice (with a dose of humor) that helps wade through the stress, doubt, and guilt that ALL parents feel at one time or another. She is a regular on NBC's TODAY SHOW, THE DOCTORS and has appeared on numerous other local and national television talk shows and News programs throughout the U.S, including Good Morning America, Fox News, The Rachael Ray Show, Additionally, she regularly contributes to Today.com, Huffington Post Parents, Your Teen magazine, Parents magazine, and MSNBC.com.
Dr. G is a board-certified attending family physician at Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill Health Center, caring for diverse patients from 100+ countries, speaking 61 different languages. Her fluency in American Sign Language and her work with the deaf community has received national recognition and was the focus of her service as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow.
A graduate of University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine, Carnegie Mellon University, and as an alumnus of Chicago's Second City Improv Theater, Dr. G's diverse background and experiences add to her credibility and lively storytelling
She has received many awards for clinical excellence in teaching, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award as a Clinical Associate Professor for the University of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine.
But beyond all of these honors, Dr. G is most proud of her family. She and her husband are raising four boys who are growing into respectful, responsible and resilient young men and have been honored for their unique community service projects.
Click here to learn more about Dr. G
Thursday, May 2
10:00AM-12:00PM
A Deep Dive Into Radical Healing with Shawn Ginwright
Shawn Ginwright, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Flourish Agenda Inc., Oakland, CA and Associate Professor of Education and African American Studies, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
This session provides a fresh and exciting view of Radical Healing and community change. In this session, Dr. Ginwright vividly illustrates how strategic plans and logic models seldom produce the transformation we seek in schools and youth development programs. Schools, community organizations, and city governments often change their policies, and practices but seldom transform the hearts of the people in their organizations. Change happens when people’s hearts are transformed. The session explores self-reflection and offers a process for deeper engagement with young people. The session provides practical strategies and activities that can be used to improve school climate, restore the social-emotional health, and establish equity in schools and youth-serving agencies.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Shawn Ginwright
1:15PM - 2:30PM
Being Normal Sucks
Jonathan Mooney, Author, Entrepreneur, Activist
Santa Monica, CA
Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer, speaker, and do-gooder who did not lean to read until 12 years old. He faced a number of low expectations growing up—was told he would flip burgers, be a high school dropped out, and end up in jail. Opposed to being a high school drop out, Jonathan became a college graduate from Brown University with an honors degree in English Literature; instead of flipping burgers, he ended up writing books, the first of which he wrote as an undergrad; and instead of becoming an inmate, he became an advocate creating organizations and initiatives that help people who get the short end of the stick.
Jonathan won many awards including the Harry S. Truman fellowship for public services, Finalist for a Roads Scholarship, LA Achievement award from The Lab School of Washington where he shared the stage with Vice President Joe Biden—and has been featured on HBO, NPR, The New York Times, NBC, Fast Company, and many other media outlets. But what he is most proud of is not that he proved some people who doubted him wrong—but that he proved the many people—his mom, a teacher named Mr. R, his wife Rebecca—right, not just about his potential but about the potential for all of us who live and learn differently.
Click here to learn more about Jonathan Mooney
Please note: Name badges are required to attend all BOOST Conference events including meals and workshops.
