Last month, TNOYS was excited to welcome youth, young adults, and professionals from across systems to our 42nd Annual Conference for Services to Youth and Families! Over 400 attendees joined us in Houston for a week packed with inspiring keynotes, workshops, and sessions that enthusiastically embraced this year’s theme of “Deep in the Heart of What Connects Us.” Attendees from across Texas joined us to make meaningful connections and work towards a stronger youth services landscape in which all young people can thrive.
The conference kicked off on Tuesday, June 10 with three day-long, in-depth Pre-Conference Institutes: Turning Down the Heat: Preventing Conflict & Counter-Aggression, It’s Game Day, Lead the Way!, and Infinite Potential Building Alliances to Prevent and Address Children without Placement.
The full conference got started on Wednesday, June 11 with a warm welcome from TNOYS CEO Fedora Galasso, followed by an insightful keynote session by author and speaker Karla Solomon. Karla shared a powerful testimony that included her lived experience as a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and the importance of the youth-adult partnership in changing the lives of youth survivors of CSE. Youth, young adults (YYA), and professionals then attended separate workshop tracks with information tailored to their unique needs.
YYA learned valuable skills such as social media safety and goal setting. Professionals participated in their choice of workshops on important topics such as addressing food insecurity, the neuroscience of addiction, and empathy exercises for storytelling.
Day 1 closed out with a keynote panel discussion led by members of our Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC), who spoke on how lived expertise can help shape effective and sustainable solutions.
In the evening, TNOYS members came together for a festive and fun celebration of our statewide, cross-systems network. Over Texas-inspired appetizers and drinks, members enjoyed activities like lasso and line dancing, networking to deepen connections, and critical updates on what’s next for TNOYS and the network.
To open Day 2, Soulshine Rhythm Experience led attendees in an interactive performance and energizing drum session. Next, our keynote plenary featured TNOYS CEO Fedora Galasso, members of TNOYS’ Texas Emerging Leaders Board (TELB), Hannah Gourgey of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, and Adriana Wilson with Greater Houston Opportunity Youth Council (GHOYC). Panelists discussed national efforts to support Opportunity Youth and Young Adults (OYYA), as well as how organizations and OYYA leaders in Texas are creating better pathways to career and academic success. To close out the morning, attendees joined workshops with topics that included structured literacy, building a trauma-informed team, and best practices for serving youth with neurodiversity.
To center the TNOYS value of Youth-Adult Partnership, TNOYS’ luncheon highlighted both professionals receiving this year’s member awards as well as youth and young adult graduates of the TNOYS’ 2024 – 2025 Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) cohort. This year’s Member Award Winners are:
- Dr. Tim Packer of The Cove: June Bucy Award for Excellence;
- Shay Currie of Austin Public Health: Professional Youth Worker Award;
- Andrew Mack of Lena Pope: Professional Youth Worker Award;
- Sahira Abdool of World Youth Foundation: Volunteer of the Year Award;
- Sidney Short of Greater Houston Opportunity Youth Collaborative (GHOYC); Outstanding Youth Partner Award;
- Experiential Learning Program/ Community as Lab from Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch and Project SAFeR from Lena Pope Home: Steve Wick Innovation Program;
- Transition Resource Action Center: Rising Star Award
The luncheon closed out with a celebration of our Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) graduates and the presentation of this year’s YALC Positive Perspective Award to young adult partner Jasmin Romano. Congratulations to our award winners and graduates!
The day continued with workshop sessions open to both youth and young adults and professionals on topics such as college resources for youth with foster care experience, employing youth with lived experience, and the important role of stability for youth. TNOYS YALC members led several sessions where they shared their own perspectives and lived expertise in systems.
The third and last day of the conference opened with a breakfast for the Statewide Collaborative on Youth Homelessness (SCYH), TNOYS’ statewide committee working to address and end youth homelessness. Attendees heard critical updates from state agency leadership representing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the Office of the Texas Governor – Child Sex Trafficking Team, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
Day 3 featured a final block of workshops, covering topics such as educational and wellness challenges for youth experiencing homelessness, situational leadership, and highlights of the 89th Texas Legislative Session. Our closing keynote session was with advocate and speaker MelRo Potter who shared her own experience as a youth in foster care and how to create positivity for yourself and others during hardships.
We at TNOYS were thrilled to bring together a range of professionals, youth, and young adults to build skills, collaborate across systems, and explore important topics that were central to this year’s agenda. We hope that each and every attendee left the conference feeling inspired to continue creating impact in communities across Texas!
