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Join Marissa Martin, Executive Director of the Advocacy Institute to learn about the overview of our NYC government structures and how to engage with key decision makers. We'll provide insight on key players in the Mayor's office and City Council, discuss what the different roles are responsible for, and explore opportunities for advocacy and relationship building.

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According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), nonprofit organizations see nearly 20% of their staff turnover in a given year, which is higher than the typical staff turnover rate of 12% that is seen in other industries.  What drives this turnover and how can leaders in the sector change this trend for the better for themselves and their organizations? Join us for an ideation session to understand the themes emerging from the front lines.  Beyond the turnover of front-line and junior staff, the Great Resignation has also had a profound toll on senior leaders and veteran staff.  This trend is likely to continue to accelerate with leaders in the nonprofit sector facing the harshest consequences of continued understaffing. This session will offer attendees an opportunity to frankly discuss challenges leaders and the sector are experiencing in creating sustainable career paths and strategies leaders and organizations are deploying to better grow, invest in and retain high-performing staff.

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In this interactive workshop we will discuss strategies on using creativity and computer science thinking while working with neurodiverse learners. We will explore how these ideas can be applied successfully in both virtual and in-person learning environments. Participants will experience this teaching methodology in real-time by creating a digital animation project together during the online session. At the end we will have a chance to reflect on how technology can foster experimentation, problem-solving, and empowerment for the neurodiverse community to prepare them for the future.

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There’s a lot of talk about high dosage tutoring as a catalyst for reading improvement in the wake of Covid’s disruptions which have been steep and measurable over the past two years. So what does that mean? What can high dosage tutoring look like? And, who is qualified to tutor? Join us for a robust conversation and strategy session with Yvette Russell, Chief Program and Partnerships Officer, at Read Alliance, who has worked with hundreds of kindergarten, first and second-grade children and thousands of teens in the five boroughs of New York for more than 20 years. In this session, she will address high dosage tutoring for struggling K-2nd grade readers, teen-grit and how we all benefit from the near-peer magic of teen-to-kiddo tutoring. Bring your questions and success stories, and be prepared to step in and tutor a little kid during this interactive session.

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Behavior management is not a new problem but has surfaced in new ways since the pandemic for young people. It is key for staff to learn strategies for preventing behavior disruptions before they happen through proactive strategies. Across schools, up to 15% of the student population may demonstrate behavior problems stemming from a range of mental health and learning disorders. Difficult student behaviors contribute to chaotic classroom and home environments, student stress, decreased academic engagement, and adult burnout. This workshop will engage participants in an interactive discussion on how to provide structure and increase positive behavior, utilizing proactive techniques drawn from the most up-to-date behavioral research.

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In this interactive workshop, we will explore a model of feminist political leadership that has been co-constructed by the youth and youth workers of Sadie Nash Leadership Project – a social justice organization that supports young women and gender-expansive youth of color in NYC and Newark, NJ. Through personal reflection and small group discussions, participants will interrogate dominant models of leadership, engage with ideas of intersectional feminism and healing justice, and get imaginative about how they can practice transformative, values-aligned leadership in their own communities and spheres of influence. Participants will emerge with increased awareness about their individual strengths and collective capacity as leaders, as well as tangible ideas and activities that they can facilitate with their staff and/or program participants.

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At the root of many DEI employee relations issues are ineffective supervision practices and a lack of awareness of power, leadership styles, and relational dynamics. What does it mean to lead or supervise with a DEI lens? We will explore a quick introduction around how your positionality and identities can impact your relationships with those you supervise. We will also explore different leadership styles and ways to set expectations with a coaching lens that bring supervision relationships into a more collaborative space.

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Have student loan debt? Are you employed in the public sector? Join us for the latest student loan updates, how to prepare for payment resumption, and learn more about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program's requirements--including the latest waiver relief--how to track qualifying payments, and what to do if things go wrong!   PSLF forgives the remaining student loan balance for borrowers who work for nonprofit or government organizations, have made the minimum qualifying payments, and meet other eligibility requirements. Attend to learn if you may be eligible for forgiveness now, or be closer to meeting the required payments. Some borrowers will need to take action by October 31, 2022, to benefit from the relief. This workshop is being offered in partnership with the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP), a program initiative of the Community Service Society of New York (CSS).

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With many young people participating in social movements around the world today, how can after-schools support the development of youth as global citizens? This workshop explores the importance of global citizenship and cultural awareness. Moreover, in order for young people to feel safe enough to challenge the status-quo, educators need to know how to be culturally aware and sensitive to how youth are being represented in the materials and resources that they are using. We will examine how culture, resources, and representation impact students' social emotional learning and ability to take what they learn in the classroom and enact positive change in their communities. By providing opportunities for youth to participate in stimulating solution-oriented activities, after-school programs can inspire youth to create change in their community and the world.

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Human services workers experience secondary trauma as a result of their work and likely have experienced first-hand trauma as many are representative of the participants they serve. The last two years have had an exponential impact of this trauma. In this workshop, we will share Red Hook Initiative’s new layered approach to trauma-informed, racial justice healing work that supports the wellness and healing of our staff in order to support the wellness and healing of our young people. Using hands-on experiences and discussion, workshop participants will learn concrete strategies and consider action steps they can take to create healing environments in their organization.

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Alli Lidie, Chief Operating & Strategy Officer, New York State Network for Youth Success. Learn how to use the free QSA Tool, developed for New York's afterschool and summer programs, to conduct a self-assessment and create and implement a plan for improvement. Emphasis will be on the basic structure of the QSA Tool and accompanying resources, and incorporating the self-assessment into a continuous quality improvement process will also be highlighted.

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In organizations, change isn’t always easy, but is often necessary. Whether tackling small shifts or onboarding new programs, this foundational session introduces concepts in change management and explores some common reasons why change can fail. Optimizing change strategies is integral to organizational health, and this session is a great way to skill build and develop a mindset that maximizes success.