Featured Sessions at the 2018 Ready by 21 National Meeting

2018 Ready by 21 National Meeting Keynote Sessions:

Opening Plenary, April 19th:

Changing the Odds

Featured Speaker:

Karen Pittman
CEO & President
The Forum for Youth Investment

Karen Pittman has made it her life’s work to find ways to encourage national, state and local leaders to change the odds for the children and youth in this country who need them the most. This is because, as a young adult, she recognized that it was leaders in her life who had done the same for her. School administrators and teachers who were determined to make sure every student was deeply engaged in learning writ large, regardless of family status or neighborhood wealth. Faith leaders who rallied their parishioners to make sure every child in both the church and the neighborhood had the critical supports they needed. Youth leaders who not only dreamed big but planned big to create world-class orchestras and choirs that actively recruited from every quadrant of the city and made sure young people had transportation, lessons and even instruments needed to develop their talents. And community leaders who did their best to ensure children had safe passage between home and school. Because of these adults, Karen felt truly ready for college, work and life, not because she was the exceptional youth who had beaten the odds, but because, unbeknownst to her, leaders had changed the odds for her and her peers.

The Forum for Youth Investment celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Karen kicked off the Ready by 21 National Meeting with reflections on how this commitment to changing the odds for children and youth led to the development of a theory of action that has shaped the organization’s efforts to-date, and how your reactions to our work are helping us plan for the future.

Morning Plenary, April 20th:

Bring Precision to Your Passion: Integrate New Tools for Supporting Social and Emotional Development into Your Ongoing Practice

Practitioners – teachers, youth workers, child-care and afterschool providers -- are passionate about their work with children and youth.  They want their work to make a difference.  They want access to new research and innovative approaches.  But they need this information to come in nuggets they can easily incorporate into their daily practice. 

We were delighted to have two innovators join us to describe the incredible work they have done to cull through mountains of information to extract different but equally compelling types of nuggets.  Stephanie Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education, has systematically reviewed dozens of evidence-based SEL interventions to extract “kernels of practice” – menus of practices designed to teach a very specific, commonly occurring behavior (e.g. a technique for calming down) that can be quickly taught and incorporated.   Keith Hefner, founder of Youth Communications, has systematically reviewed hundreds of stories written and published by teens that demonstrate how social and emotional skills can be brought to bear to solve challenges teens face. Keith has created short facilitator guides to accompany the stories’ use.  This was a fascinating discussion with them as they explored the common space between their approaches to help adults help children and teens manage emotions, build competencies, and develop a sense of agency.

Closing Plenary, April 20th:

Busting Barriers & Changing Systems – One Leader’s Journey from Practitioner to Policymaker to Funder

Featured Speaker:

Raquel Hatter, Ed. D.
Deputy Director, Human Services
The Kresge Foundation

There’s no better way to end a meeting than with an inspirational servant-leader who is willing to share examples of the successes and failures associated with putting children first, even when others do not.  Raquel Hatter is one of these leaders.  Dr. Hatter has found and leveraged leadership opportunities in public administration, policy and philanthropy to change the odds for children and families. Formerly the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services and now serving as deputy director of the Human Services Program at The Kresge Foundation, which aims to accelerate social and economic mobility for people with low income, Raquel has made it her personal mission to change minds, change systems and change organizations, keeping children and families at the center of policy-making and funding decisions. .

2017 Ready by 21 National Meeting Keynote Sessions: