BOOST Conference Panel Sessions

Wednesday, April 30

10:30AM - 12:15PM

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 Ishmael, CEO, Granny and Me, Brooklyn, NY; Joshua Applewhite, CEO, Japplejuice Productions, Brooklyn, NY

Education activist Paulo Freire once said that education should nurture our youth as agents of change—empowering them to transform the world they’ve inherited instead of conforming to it. Our IMceo is dedicated to supporting high school students in launching businesses that tackle pressing issues in their communities. Listen directly from our young CEOs as they share how they helped them create impactful businesses that resonate deeply with their communities.
H, ULA, MLA, CB, DS
Strand: Panel Session; Program Design, Development & Quality; Partnerships & Building Relationships; Older Youth

2:45PM - 4:45PM

Four Years & Counting: Making the Case for Continued Summer Enrichment Funding
Moderator: Joanna Colunga, Portfolio Manager, Los Angeles, Ballmer Group, Los Angeles, CA
Panelists: Dr. Ana Ponce, Chief Executive Officer, GPSN, Los Angeles, CA; Dee Ann Rivera, Chief Operating Officer, LA's BEST, Los Angeles, CA; Debe Loxton, M.A., Executive Director, LAUSD Beyond the Bell Branch, Los Angeles, CA

Learn about a first-of-its-kind report on the impact of annual summer enrichment programs to help close academic and opportunity gaps in low-income communities. Through a case study of the Summer of Joy initiative, led by GPSN in collaboration with LAUSD and the City of LA, this workshop will cover how partnerships can expand summer enrichment and staff PD to improve student experiences and outcomes. Attendees will learn insights for sustaining partnerships and amplifying success stories.
PK, E, M, H, ULA, MLA, CB, DS
Strand: Panel; Program Design, Development & Quality; Staff Leadership; Partnerships & Building Relationships

Thursday, May 1

10:00AM - 12:00PM

Project THRIVE: The Necessity of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Youth Programs
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; Robert Marcus, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Positive Coaching Alliance, Oakland, CA

The CDC’s 2023 YRBS data spotlighted the crisis facing LGBTQ+ youth today where 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide at least once in the past year compared to just 13% of their heterosexual cisgender peers. HRC’s Project THRIVE is a multi-year national campaign of over 30 organizations that pledge to work towards the thriving of LGBTQ+ youth. Join HRC and Project THRIVE partners from NEA and FIRST to hear more about the necessity of LGBTQ+ supportive programs for youth.
M, H, ULA, MLA, DS
Strand: Panel; Program Design, Development & Quality, Staff Leadership, Partnerships & Building Relationships

1:15PM - 2:30PM

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; Brooke Wilder, Program Manager, EcoLogik Institute, San Diego, CA; Lacey Cannon, Founder and Executive Director, Indigenous Regeneration, Valley Center, CA; Jamie Cosson, Executive Director, YMCA of San Diego Overnight Camps, San Diego, CA

Participants will learn about the Community of Practice (CoP) model for strengthening local ecosystems of environmental-focused expanded learning programs. Expanded learning providers from the CoP will share the unique partnerships and projects they designed and piloted together and will lead participants through a hands-on activity making Yucca ('aakuull) cordage, which is a traditional Kumeyaay practice that can foster deep connection with the natural world. The agenda for the session is: Connector; Overview of the Community of Practice model; Presentation and Panel on New Partnerships/Projects Developed through the CoP; Hands-on Activity: Yucca ('aakuull) Cordage Making–Traditional Kumeyaay Skills for All Ages.
M, H, ULA, MLA, CB, DS
Strand: Panel; Partnerships & Building Relationships

3:45PM - 5:15PM

Friday, May 2

9:15AM - 11:15AM

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

California’s $5 billion ELOP initiative presents enormous opportunities and some challenges. Learn how the state’s second-largest district, a foundation, and 100+ nonprofit partners launched a groundbreaking summer learning initiative. Level Up SD increased access for students and community-based organizations, providing 30,000 San Diego students with over 3 million hours of extraordinary summer learning by leveraging shared vision, technology, partnership, and the power of intermediaries.
PK, E, M, H, ULA, MLA, CB
Strand: Panel; Program Design, Development & Quality; Staff Leadership; Partnerships & Building Relationships

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Please note: Name badges are required to attend all BOOST Conference events including all meals and all workshops.