Leadership Track
COVID has forced education into a real-time crisis. Schools and child-serving organizations are struggling to meet the educational, as well as the social emotional needs of students. Now is the time to bring leaders together to meld the best and most creative ideas for a brighter future for our children. We invite you to participate in an engaging and productive conference in which experts and practitioners across child-serving organizations explore innovations and solutions.
Participants will hear innovative ideas, share their experiences, and create action plans for both the COVID and post-COVID landscape. Join your voice with others. We invite you to join other forward-thinking leaders for this important event.
The 2020 Virtual Kids First National Conference
The time is now to change how America cares for and educates its children.
The Kids First National Conference will help you create a culture of innovation and transformation in your organization to meet the challenges of current environment. Kids First offers opportunities for organizational leaders, thought leaders and innovative problem solvers who work with children.
This conference will foster collaborative experiences to inspire and fuel innovative solutions. Content rich workshops facilitate an effective transformative approach to meeting the needs of every student. Leadership experts will share their strategies, tips, and success principles to help you develop a playbook to deploy a culture of innovation and transformation.
The main objective of the Leadership Track is to provide framework for you to develop a work plan that results in the transformation leaders are trying to bring about in their organization, school, district, community, state or even at the national level. Through the collective wisdom, experiences, know-how and creativity of the various professions in the conference, leaders will gain insight and ideas from outside of their field of expertise thereby generating solutions from multiple perspectives and fields.
Join the Movement
Journey with us as we co-create a community of like-minded people from all areas who are flexible thinkers, creative problem solvers, and who have the capacity to think “outside of the building” and embrace the whole child concept. Together we will:
- Discover ways to turn challenges into opportunities
- Explore creative approaches to managing the complexity of a team facing new regulations and standards
- Connect with a group that is facing similar challenges while providing diverse ideas
- Engage with others while building an innovative game plan with transformative solutions
How it Works
The Leadership Track includes eight days of pre-conference sessions and activities beginning on October 18 and a full conference agenda at the Kids First National Conference on October 26-27. Pre-conference work will help you prepare for the conference and create a personal agenda that is unique, powerful, and aligned to your needs and the organization you serve. The conference offerings for this track are formatted into Four Phases and includes premium workshops presented by leaders and innovators in their fields. Additional interactive, reflective and working sessions are also offered through this track with all learning designed to expose participants to innovative ideas they can adapt to their individual settings, promote reflection and leave them with the vision necessary to move their organizations forward. Participants in the Leadership Track will leave the conference with a plan designed to incorporate an innovative and transformative action plan to move their organization forward.
Pre-Conference Activities – October 18-25
Leadership Pre-conference Phase: Gaining Clarity on Vision
Participants of the Leadership Track should have a clear idea of what their vision for transformation or what needs to be transformed in their organizations. Transformation requires a shift in mindset from focusing on the problems in front of them to a mindset of vision to what can be. The conference sessions will help you shift your focus and provide tools to assist you in capturing essential concepts while crafting an action plan/strategic plan through every phase of the conference.
Leadership Phase One: Creating a Culture of Innovation
October 26 | 11:40 a.m.-1:25 p.m. (EDT)
This track will feature leaders who have built organizational cultures infused with flexibility, integration, and a whole child approach to meeting the needs of youth.
Expect to:
- Establish and build an innovative culture
- Receive practical strategies, policies, and systems to maintain that culture
- Explore role of ethic
- Elevate your “out-of-the-box” thinking to an “outside-the-building” approach
| PRESENTER | TOPIC |
| Dr. Wes Huey Director of Instruction Skyline Technology Former Director of Leadership Development, U.S. Naval Academy | Creating a Culture of Innovation |
| Dr. Joe Sanfelippo Superintendent Fall Creek School District Leader of Innovative School District of the Year by International Center for Leadership | The Impact of 30 Second Moments |
| Jennifer Ozgur Educator SEL Solutions Educator, Parent Empowerment, Change Agent | Appreciative Inquiry and the Educational System |
| Shay Bilchik Founder and Director Emeritus Georgetown Center for Juvenile Justice Reform Former CEO of Child Welfare League of America and Head of Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention U.S. Department of Justice. | School Pathways to the Juvenile Justice System: Exploring Innovative Cross-System Approaches to Support Students |
| Kelly Martin Director of Impact Alliance for Strong Families & Communities Education Policy for Cross System Collaboration with Schools | How are Community Based Organizations Propelling Education Reform? |
Leadership Phase Two: Planning a Process
October 26 | 2:45 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (EDT)
This segment will concentrate on specific processes used to:
- Inspire innovation
- Encourage experimentation
- Incentivize innovative efforts
Presenters will address a variety of strategies that will support you in:
- Systems development
- Talent identification
- Resource allocation
- Equity initiatives
| PRESENTER | TOPIC |
| Dr. Bob Jarvis Director Coalition for Educational Equity University of Pennsylvania Leader in education equity for urban, suburban, and rural schools | Leadership for Nurturing Systemic Change for Educational Equity |
| Todd Lamb Partner Capitol Strategies Special Assistant to the President U.S. Department of Education Of Counsel – Education Practice Director | Advocacy: Key Factors in Building a Network of Support - Financially and Otherwise |
| Kathy Lane Chief Education Officer The Children’s Guild Alliance Expert Alternative Education | Building Leadership Capacity in Times of Change |
| Dr. Sundra Ryce President Ryce Development, LLC Corporate business consultant and motivational speaker | Living Your Incredible Life: Cultivating Leadership Wellness, Extraordinary Functioning and Life Equilibrium for Executive Leaders |
| Frank Kolarek President & Founder League of Dreams Mike Bordick Board Chair League of Dreams Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame MASN Reporter Kurt Aschermann Retired Chief Marketing & Development Officer Boys and Girls Clubs of America | Cultivating Community Partnerships |
| Frank Kros President Kros Learning Group Leadership and Training Expert in Application of Neuroscience | Leadership Lessons from the Pandemic: The 5 Best Strategies for Remaining Resilient in Crisis |
| Shauna King President King Professional Development Author and Former Principal and Classroom teacher | Don’t Lose HOPE: Fostering Resilience, Hope and Optimism in Ourselves and Our Students |
| Robert Jackson President Robert Jackson Consulting Motivational Educator of the Year | Becoming the Educator They Need: Mindsets and Strategies for Educating Black and Latino Males |
| Dr. Trent Grundmeyer CEO & Founder Grundmeyer Leader Service Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Drake University | Permission to Innovate |
| Christine Mason Founder & CEO Center for Educational Improvement Author of Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World | Creating a Vision |
| Judy Shaw Founder and Senior Leader Center of Life Church | A Sacred Space To Listen: Listening with Heart and Ears—PANEL–Part 1 |
Leadership Phase Three: From Obstacles to Opportunity
October 27 | 11:40 p.m.-1:25 p.m. (EDT)
Innovation requires courage and strategies to push beyond:
- Resistance to move forward, in favor of “Tradition”
- An urge to “Return to Normal”
- Fear from all stakeholders, including youth, parents, staff, and board members
This component will focus on identifying these obstacles and sharing concrete strategies for overcoming them. In addition, practices that strengthen the leader’s courage and resilience in response to this expected resistance will be shared and practiced.
| PRESENTER | TOPIC |
| Siegfried Gerstung CEO Gerstung International Creator of European and American award-winning programs in learning through movement. | Movement Education: What Every Elementary School Needs |
| Robin Detterman Executive Director of School Partnerships Innovation for Juvenile Justice Seneca Family of Agencies | Using Unconditional Education and Trauma Informed Schools to impact the School to Prison Pipeline |
| Marc Maness Strategic Planning & Research Specialist Expert on Human Centered Design | Human-Centered Design Will Get You to Where You Want to Go |
| Corey Griffin CEO 2 GIP LCC Appointed to Associate Director of Partnerships in the Peace Corps by President Obama Director of International Development for Microsoft | Plan for Gaining Support for Transforming Education Following the Presidential Election |
| Mike Mathews Vice President of Technology & Innovation Oral Roberts University VR/AI Leader in education. Using Virtual Reality has created 625,000 learning environments to enhance curriculum | Lighten Up and Live |
| Dr. Paul Rao COO (retired) National Rehabilitation Hospital Past President American Speech and Language Association | Emotional IQ: The Leadership Prerequisite in Educational Administration for the 21St Century |
| Dr. Linda Gronberg-Quinn Director of Teacher Education Community College of Baltimore County First generation college graduate Dr. Gary Kellner Chief Mission Advancement Officer The Children’s Guild Alliance | Role of Context in Shaping Career Paths |
| Phil Cooke CEO Cooke Media Group Hollywood filmmaker & tv producer | How to Be an Online Rockstar |
Leadership Phase Four: Executing Examples
October 27 | 2:45 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (EDT)
This component will highlight specific examples of how innovative leaders have addressed the extraordinary equity needs revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
You will be presented with case studies that reveal:
- Reimagining services through an increased demand
- Successful visioning work that mobilizes the community
- Shifting resources to effectively meet the needs of every child
| PRESENTER | TOPIC |
| Dr. Duane Arbogast Alliance Chief Innovation Officer The Children’s Guild Alliance Jenny Livelli Chief Operating Officer The Children’s Guild Alliance | Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Child-serving Organizations |
| Steve Baldwin President & CFO National Children’s Guild Fund The Children’s Guild Alliance | Building Schools for a Half to a Third of the Price |
| Ruby Jones Assistant Chief Deputy Sacramento County Probation | Transformation of the Culture of Juvenile Detention Center |
| Dr. Dennis Robinson Dean Harrison Graduate School Southwestern Assemblies of God University | FUBAR and COVID-19 Response: What to Do When Your Plan Sucks |
| Steve Ruder Senior Director of Sales Amplio Speech Using Artificial Intelligence to assure compliance and outcomes for the Sp/L professionals | Effective, Efficient Digital Speech-Language Therapy for your School System |
| Elizabeth Garcia Chief Clinical The Children’s Guild Alliance | Innovative Methods for Communicating, Building Morale and Supervising Clinical Staff During COVID-19 |
| Keith Fanjoy CEO SanMar Family & Community Services Leader of nationally recognized provider of needs to vulnerable neighborhoods | The Ripple Effect: Moving from Core Values to Implement Prevention as an Organizational Approach to Strengthen Families, Communities and Schools |
| PANEL SESSION moderated by Paul Champion PANELISTS: Chris Coleman, President of Woz U; Wendell Willis, Exec Director of Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation; Lateefah Durant, Vice President, CareerWise DC | Do High Schools Value Work? |
| Judy Shaw Founder and Senior Leader Center of Life Church | A Sacred Space To Listen: Listening with Heart and Ears - Part 2 |
Schedule
Day 1
10-10:15 Welcome
10:15-10:25 Opening Remarks
10:25-11:10 Keynote
11:10-11:30 Purposeful Connecting
11:30-11:40 Transition
11:40-1:25 Breakout Sessions
1:25-1:40 Transition
1:40-2:30 General Session: Discussion Think Tank
2:30-2:45 Transition
2:45-4:30 Breakout Sessions (Note: 60-minutes breakout session starts at 2:40 p.m.)
4:30-4:40 Transition
4:40-5:30 General Session: Intention/Action Planning
*Everyone Invited.
Day 2
| 10-10:15 | General Session: Opening Remarks |
| 10:15-11:00 | General Session: Keynote Dr. Joe Sanfelippo |
| 11:00-11:30 | General Session: Visiting the Past and Envisioning the Future presented by Jennifer Ozgur, SEL Solutions |
| 11:30-11:40 | Transition |
| 11:40-1:25 | Breakout Sessions |
| 1:25-1:40 | Transition |
| 1:40-2:30 | General Session: Discussion Think Tank |
| 2:30-2:45 | Transition |
| 2:45-4:30 | Breakout Sessions (Note: 60-minutes breakout session starts at 2:40 p.m.) |
| 4:30-4:40 | Transition |
| 4:40-5:30 |
*Everyone Invited.
Post-Conference Events
The October 26-27 Kids First Conference 2020 is just the beginning!
Those who make the additional commitment will become a part of the Kids First Movement, culminating in the first-ever Kids First Symposium in Washington D.C. in April 2021. The symposium will focus on Transforming How America Cares for and Educates Children and Youth with representatives from the Black Caucus, the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations and think tanks.
The added benefits of becoming a member include:
- Continued online Think Tank, Design/Prototyping, and Mastermind Sessions
- Inclusion in the Kids First Movement Facebook Groups
- Further networking and access to additional resources and case studies
- Discounted ticket to the April Symposium