Track Descriptions

Early Childhood Track

This track is designed to explore programs, services and strategies serving young children during a critical developmental period characterized by rapid changes in social and emotional development and learning. Concurrent sessions in this track will explore issues such as: what it means to take a comprehensive view of early childhood development from birth through age 8; understanding the link between child and family health, community supports, and the social-emotional health of young children; coalescing public and private funders, including the business community and and elected officials around a comprehensive early childhood agenda; and recognizing the long arc of policy change and the importance of long-term commitment to creating such change.

Youth Track

This track is designed to explore the programs and systems serving the diverse and rapidly changing needs of youth, especially vulnerable youth, and strategies to engage and empower them to reach their full potential.  Concurrent sessions in this track will explore issues such as: integrating youth development research into grantmaking strategies; new research on rubrics and youth-reflection tools to promote skill development and goal management; the lives of undocumented youth and how undocumented students’ leadership strategies can be used to cultivate youth leaders nationwide; and local and national work catalyzing positive impacts for black men and boys of color.

Family/Community Track

This track is designed to explore the wide-range of supports and services aimed at improving social, economic, and health outcomes for children, youth, and families, and especially low-income families.  Concurrent sessions in this track will explore issues such as:  strategies for engaging Latino parents to increase positive outcomes for their children, and the importance of engaging all parents in education and other sytems serving their children; grantmaking initiatives that increase community capacity and access to resources via media and tehnology; and how large-scale, sustainable, and replicable community-building continuum of practices and policies can empower families to engage in their communities to reduce child maltreatment and improve child welfare systems.

This track is designed to explore the complicated issues that impact communities, and how public and private sectors can work together to maximize their impact and transform public policy and social programs.  Concurrent sessions in this track will explore issues such as:  communication and advocacy strategies; identifying opportunities to invest in programs that result in impact in both the practice level and broader systems; understanding social movements and campaigns, and the messengers and messages that bring them to life; and connecting local and state children’s movements to make children and youth what we value and what “counts” in our society.