Youth Worker Brown Bag: HEALING

10am to Noon

Four Points of Connection

12:15pm to 1pm

Youth Worker Brown Bag: HEALING

As his first act as President, Barak Obama proclaimed January 20, 2009 as a Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. And we are responding with the Youth Worker Brown Bag: HEALING.

This is a natural progress for us. The first Brown Bag was focused on Peace. We then collaborated with the Community Network for Youth Development to host a Forum on Immigration and Youth. Now, we want to bring together youth workers to discuss, explore, and practice modalities in healing.

During this time of change, hope, economic turmoil, and uncertainty, it is even more important to heal ourselves in an effort to support the children, youth, families, and communities we work with, for, and in. This Brown Bag will be focused on how we heal. Reclamation theory gives us a framework for this process. After a brief introduction on this framework, youth workers will connect and explore what practices they use to heal.

The purpose of Youth Worker Brown Bags are to offer youth workers an opportunity to explore intersections that affect our work and our youth as well as provide networking, personal, and professional development. At each Brown Bag we offer an opportunity for smaller affinity groups to meet. Affinity groups are led by the wonderful Aaron Gilbert, Dana Mandolesi, Teresa Nauer, and Bill Vanark.

Affinity Group Descriptions

Outdoor Educators (Aaron Gilbert): Calling all outdoor and environmental educators, this is an opportunity to connect and share with other youth workers who are bringing their youth into the outdoors.

Collaboratives (Dana Mandolesi): The Collaborative Affinity Group creates a space for those youth workers who work ‘on behalf of youth’ by running the networking or outreach component of a service organization, or those who work for intermediaries , collaboratives or networks. We strive to question the complexities of being youth workers who may work more with other organizations than the youth themselves.

Transitioning Youth to Youth Workers (Teresa Nauer): My affinity group is based around youth workers transitioning into an adult positions. I understand the process could sometimes be overwhelming, and that's why I encourage you to join me and learn.

Program Directors (Bill Vanark): This affinity group is meant to support youth workers that are in director level positions. We know that there are unique challenges and opportunities for Directors that are distinct from those working directly with children and youth, this id

February's topic is HEALING.

AND...

The Four Points of Connection

12:15 to 1:00

Our dream is many youth workers in many settings for many years. Learn how you can become involved, shape our our dream, and realize the Four Points of Connection.