2024 Bridge Conference

Afterschool and youth development programs play a critical role in promoting and supporting the healthy development of a young person to be able to thrive in school, community and life. Demands and needs of young people typically outpace program duration, staff availability, sometimes space, and oftentimes funding. The constant drumbeat of scarcity requires investing time in key relationships and partnerships that make 1 + 1 = 3 reality. And scaling relationship building efforts into short-term, mid-term, and long-term activities that temper expectations and support realities for everyone is worth the effort. This session is perfect for those interested in discovering new ways youth development leaders and staff can consider and dream about building relationships that will have a direct impact on your programming immediately, in a year, or well down the road. This session will lean more on group discussion and problem solving, but will be framed with abbreviated presentation.

Young people navigate from one space to another throughout their days, often unaware of the complex regulatory environments, funding streams, or even organizations that are supporting them - from before school programs to their K-12 experience, to an afterschool mentoring program, to back home. How can we as systems leaders create more seamlessness across our ecosystem to ensure young people can thrive?

If you are a system thinker, local, state, or regional leader, funder, or policymaker, please join us to continue the conversation around intersections within the eco-system of youth development! The Systems Conversation at the Bridge Conference will take place on Monday, November 4th. This session will center conversations with leaders as we dive deeper into the importance of youth development intersections. In the eco-system of youth development, there are powerful and obvious connections to K-12, Higher Education, and Childcare, but the intersections do not end there. At some point, along the journey of a young person’s life, there will be a direct point of intersection in spaces not so visible as the ones mentioned above.

We will talk with local, county, and statewide leaders and community partners that align as an eco-system in these critical touchpoints to center around children and youth in an authentic and intentional way.

Objectives:
-Be inspired by statewide leaders and community partners intentionally and authentically building the youth development eco-system through critical touchpoints, centering children and youth.
-Explore your own role and expertise in building a more connected, integrated ecosystem of supports for young people through experiential activities.
-Learn about opportunities to get involved at the policy level to strengthen the Youth Development sector in Washington State.

Can you have program quality without racial equity? This workshop is for all involved in promoting program quality, as everyone can make decisions and carry out actions with equity in mind. Building an equitable quality improvement system is like assembling a puzzle, where racial equity is integral to each piece. Participants will explore equity considerations within four quality improvement system components. We will discuss specific examples of policies and practices that contribute to equitable quality improvement. Collectively we will highlight themes, review resources, and support participants in developing plans to advance racial equity within their own program, organization, or system. This workshop is intended for individuals who work at the upper-management and leadership level, including system leaders and funders.

Join for a community conversation and dialogue around the intersections of childcare and youth development in WA State. A space for providers, policymakers, and change agents looking to create a more collaborative network of programs for the broader youth in Washington State. Prepare to discuss, share, and collaborate - this is far less a presentation and more a conversation about the nuances of these two systems and how we best intersect to create change.

Many of us have confided in others during dark times, and vice versa. But it can feel awkward, if not downright frightening, not knowing what to do when a loved one, peer, or youth shows suicide warning signs. Developed by Forefront Suicide Prevention at the University of Washington, School of Social Work, the five simple and effective LEARN steps empower individuals to identify and support those who may be considering suicide.

This workshop will introduce the public health issue of suicide, including why youth may consider suicide by covering risk factors, a theory of why people consider suicide, and recent data. Using the LEARN model, the presenters will highlight how to identify, understand, and be ready to support someone who may be at risk for suicide. There will also be an opportunity to practice and apply the LEARN steps in a practice scenario. As part of this session, Forefront’s staff will also integrate conversations about mental health, the importance of prevention/intervention/response plans and procedures, and capacity building.

Join us for an engaging workshop focused on enhancing your organization’s ability to recruit and retain BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) youth development professionals. In this 90-minute session, participants will explore the importance of diversity in youth development, effective strategies for attracting BIPOC talent, best practices for creating an inclusive workplace culture, and actionable steps to develop robust recruitment and retention plans. Whether you’re a manager, recruiter, or diversity advocate, this workshop equips you with practical insights and resources to foster a more diverse and impactful team.

In this workshop presented by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), we will discuss Washington state financial aid programs, eligibility requirements, and how to support students applying for state financial aid. We will also outline WSAC's role in ongoing legislative efforts to improve educational attainment and financial aid access. Participants will leave with free customizable resources to support college access and outreach initiatives.

Building organic and sustainable youth mobilization, while also building career development for youth and prioritizing BIPOC impacted communities.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) launched a new version of Summer School in 2023 with a vision to create summer learning that wasn't focused solely on remediation, but could be an extension of the school year that provided academic supports with fun enrichment opportunities making a place kids would want to go to. The 'Yes! to Expanded Learning Planning Team", made up of cross-departmental district office staff, supported the development and implementation of six elementary school sites, which served as regional hubs for SPS students for a four-week session. The school day was similar in schedule to that during the school year, but was unique in that it included SPS led literacy and math instruction in the mornings and Community Based Organization (CBO) led STEAM based enrichment in the afternoons. SPS Instructional Assistants staffed the entire day providing some content connection and classroom management support throughout the day. The program expanded in 2024 to ten sites and included further integration between SPS and CBO programming. Prior to sessions starting, SPS and CBO staff participated in joint professional development and met at their school sites to prepare their classrooms. They also worked at creating a weekly family engagement communication and a culminating event where families were invited in to see various projects or performances that their children shared. Evaluation of the program was gathered through surveys and focus groups of students, families and staff; the vision is to continue to refine and expand programming in the summer while also providing a model to advocate for central office sponsored expanded learning partnership and offerings throughout the entire school year.

Hope science is not wishful thinking. Now with more than 2,000 studies, Hope is proven to be one of the most predictive factors of well-being for youth, adults and organizations. Learn how you can implement the Science of Hope in your organization to promote social, mental, physical, and organizational well-being!