From Silos to Solutions: A Convening to Coordinate Supports for Opportunity & Justice-Involved Youth and Adults
STEP INTO A GROUNDBREAKING JOURNEY AT From Silos to Solutions: A Convening to Coordinate Supports for Opportunity & Justice- Involved Youth and Adults, WHERE WE REDEFINE THE LANDSCAPE OF EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY. UNITING EDUCATORS, POLICYMAKERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS, OUR CONFERENCE TRANSCENDS TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES TO PIONEER TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE.
By fostering collaboration, sharing cutting-edge practices, and spearheading bold policy reform, we’re not just breaking down barriers – we’re constructing bridges to empower educators and revolutionize inclusive education systems. Join us as we inspire innovation, ignite passion, and champion the futures of justice-involved youth and young adults.
FROM SILOS TO SOLUTIONS TICKETS
One ticket grants you full access to our three day conference. Enjoy daily summits with fresh topics and perspectives, personal coaching sessions and offsite events and amusements local to Washington, DC.
FROM SILOS TO SOLUTIONS: TRAVEL GUIDE 2024
Welcome to the bustling streets and iconic landmarks of Washington D.C., where history and innovation converge to create an unforgettable experience.
Keynote Speaker
Kristin Henning, Blume Professor of Law
Director, Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative
Director, Mid-Atlantic Juvenile Defender Center
Georgetown Law
Kristin Henning is the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law, where she and her law students represent youth accused of crime in Washington, DC. Professor Henning served as the Law School’s Associate Dean for Clinics and Experiential Learning from 2017-2020. Kris was previously the Lead Attorney for the Juvenile Unit of the D.C. Public Defender Service and is currently the Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Gault Center.
Kris trains state actors across the country on the impact of racial bias in the courts and the traumatic effects of police contact and surveillance. Her workshops and webinars help stakeholders recognize their own biases and develop strategies to counter them. Kris also worked closely with the McArthur Foundation’s Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network to develop a 41-volume Juvenile Training Immersion Program (JTIP), a national training curriculum for youth defenders. She now co-hosts, with the Gault Center (formerly the National Juvenile Defender Center), an annual week-long summer academy for trial lawyers and a series of “Train the Trainer” programs for experienced defenders. In 2019, Kris partnered with the Gault Center to launch a Racial Justice Toolkit for youth advocates, and again in 2020, to launch the Ambassadors for Racial Justice program, a year-long program for defenders committed to challenging racial inequities in the juvenile legal system through litigation and systemic reform.
Kris writes extensively about race, adolescence, and policing. Her book, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth, was published by Penguin Random House in September 2021 and was featured on the front page of the New York Times Book Review and received rave reviews in the Washington Post. The book was awarded a 2022 Media for a Just Society Award by Evident Change and the 2022 Social Justice Advocacy Award from the In the Margins Book Awards Committee. Henning has served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Children’s Law and Policy, was a Reporter for the ABA’s Juvenile Justice Standards Task Force, and is an Advisor to ALI’s Restatement on Children and the Law project. She has received many awards including a 2023 Embracing the Legacy Award from the RFK Community Alliance, a 2022 Women of Distinction Award from the American Association of University Women, the 2021 Juvenile Leadership Prize from the Juvenile Law Center, and the Robert E. Shepherd, Jr. Award for Excellence in Juvenile Defense by the Gault Center.
From Silos to Solutions: A Convening to Coordinate Supports for Opportunity & Justice-Involved Youth
Speakers & Agenda
September 26, 2024 | September 27, 2024 | September 28, 2024
Day 1 – Thursday, September 26th, 2024:
8 AM – 9:15 AM – Check-In & Registration
Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., Dean, American University School of Education
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Convening Keynote
“De-Criminalizing Normal Adolescence: Letting All of Our Kids Be Kids and Thrive”
Kristin Henning, J.D., Blume Professor of Law & Director of Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative
Georgetown Law School
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Workshop Breakout Sessions
“Leveraging Data & Policy for Opportunity & Justice-Involved Youth: Collaborative Policy in Action”
Nora Shetty, Deputy Chief, Performance, Policy, & Advocacy, See Forever Foundation
Shade’ Shonekan, Manager of Data and Compliance, Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools
Morgan Wolf, Data Manager, YouthBuild Public Charter School
“A Walk Through the System”
Valerie Slater, Esq., Executive Director, RISE for Youth Coalition
“Opportunity & Justice-Involved Youth as Exceptional Learners:
An Intervention-Based Approach to Accessing Special Education”
Maleeca Bryant-Goodwin, Director of Special Education, Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM – Panel 1
Theme: Catalysts for Change: Sparking Innovation in Youth Justice
Panelist Moderator: Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., Dean, American University School of Education
Panelist Participants:
Tony Cárdenas, U.S. Representative for California’s 29th Congressional District
Marsha Levick, Chief Legal Officer, Juvenile Law Center
Marc Schindler, Assistant Secretary & Chief of Staff, Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
Reginald Belle, Senior Justice Assistant, The Leadership Conference on Human & Civil Rights
5:30 PM – 5:45 PM – Closing Affirmation
Clarisse Mendoza Davis, Ed.D., Chief Executive Officer, See Forever Foundation
7:30 PM – 10:00 PM – Networking Reception & “Welcome to School” DocuScreening
Day 2 – Friday, September 27th, 2024:
8 AM – 9:30 AM Check-In & Late Registration
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Opening Session
“Where We’ve Come From: How the Justice System Has Impacted Our Youth Over Time”
James Forman, Jr., J.D., J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law, Yale Law School
10:30 – 10:45 AM Break
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Session
“Flipping the Script: What Might Work?”
David Domenici, Executive Director, BreakFree Education
11:45 – 12:00 Break
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Panel 2
Theme: From Surviving to Thriving: Building Ecosystems of Support for Opportunity Youth
Panelist Moderator: Julie Johnson, Ed.D., Founder & Principal, StrategyForward Advisors
Panelist Name:
Cheryl Aguilar, Founding Director, HOPE Center for Wellness
Rachel Black, Clinical Social Worker, YET Counseling Services
Ximena Gates Harstock, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, BuildWithin
Azalia Hunt Speight, Chief of Schools, See Forever Foundation
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM – Lunch with Students
(Maya Scholars will eat lunch and connect with attendees as a means to ensure student voice is in the room with us – lunch is provided)
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Workshop Breakout Sessions
Navigating the Road Home: Challenges and Opportunities for Justice-Involved Youth After Incarceration
Dr. Cyril Pickering, Ph.D., School Psychologist, See Forever Foundation
“Building a Brighter Future: Coordinated Solutions for DC’s Emerging Adults”
Paul Ashton, Deputy Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute
Identifying policy and practice opportunities to support youth vulnerable to juvenile justice involvement using the SIM Mapping process
Lorna Hermorusa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin, Project Director, STEP UP Texas
4 PM – 4:30 PM – Networking Break
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – Closing Reflection & Call to Action
Jasmine L. Tyler, Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM – Social Event & D.C. Bus Tour
Day 3 – Saturday, September 28th, 2024:
8 AM – 10 AM – Check-In At N.U.B. OR at MAPCS Campus & Optional Transport To MAPCS Flagship Campus
Attendees May Either (1) Find Transportation to the MAPCS-HS Campus located at 5600 East Capitol Street NE or (2) Meet at The National Union Building at 918 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004 at 8:15 for provided transportation
10 AM – 11 AM – Following Through on Our Action Planning
Clarisse Mendoza Davis, Ed.D., Chief Executive Officer, See Forever Foundation
11 AM – 11:30 AM – Networking Break
11:30 AM – 1 PM – Workshop Breakout Sessions
“Breaking Barriers: Unlocking Innovation in Youth Science Education”
Hannah Dada, Ph.D. Candidate, NIH Oxford-Cambridge Graduate Fellowship Program
Anagha Krishnan, Ph.D. Candidate, NIH Oxford-Cambridge Graduate Fellowship Program
Surviving ACE’s While Striving for College & Career Readiness
Francine (“Fran”) Umaru, College and Career Success Specialist, Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings
Advocating for the Education Rights of At-Risk Young People”
Sophia Thackray, J.D., Supervising Attorney, The School Justice Project
“Leading With L.O.V.E. – Evolving SEL Support for Our Youth”
Serena Lewis, J.D. Academic Dean, The Maya Angelou Public Charter School
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM – Participation Rewards and Recognition
1:30 – 2:30 PM Lunch & Closing Session
Lunch will be provided on-campus for those who would like to join.
Who Attends
Embark on a transformative journey with us at ‘From Silos to Solutions: Educators for Justice-Involved Youth.’ This dynamic conference isn’t just for educators – it’s for policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates ready to revolutionize the educational landscape for justice-involved youth and young adults.
When and Where
DATE: September 26th, 27th, and 28th 2024
VENUE: National Union Building
918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
PRICE: $150.00 for students, $225.00 for all other professionals.
CONVENING DIRECTOR
Levi W. Eckman, JD: ConferenceDirector@
Join us and be part of the movement that sparks change and inspires futures.
Participants who successfully complete our conference training will earn OSSE professional learning units (PLUs) that may be applied to a District of Columbia educator’s license.
Why Attend: Deepen Your Practice
Day 1: Breaking Down Barriers:
▪ Dive into workshops and presentations focused on dismantling systemic barriers that hinder the educational success of justice-involved youth. Explore innovative approaches to create inclusive learning environments where all students thrive. Speakers will share insights on fostering equity, addressing disparities, and building collaborative networks to support justice-involved youth
Socialize And Network
Evening Reception and Private Documentary Film Screening:
▪ Experience an unforgettable evening at our exclusive reception, followed by a private screening of a powerful documentary film. Network with fellow attendees, speakers, and experts in a prestigious downtown venue, while enjoying live music and delicious refreshments. Then, be inspired by a thought-provoking documentary shedding light on the challenges and triumphs of justice-involved youth, sparking meaningful conversations and reflections.
Day 2: Sharing Best Practices:
▪ Immerse yourself in a day dedicated to sharing best practices in educating justice-involved youth. Participate in workshops led by experienced educators, showcasing effective teaching strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of this population. Engage in panel discussions on trauma informed approaches, culturally responsive education, and innovative programs making a tangible difference in the lives of young adults.
Socialize And Network
Sightseeing Tour:
▪ Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of Washington, D.C. with our guided sightseeing tour designed exclusively for conference participants. Explore iconic landmarks, such as the U.S. Capitol, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial, while learning about the city’s heritage and significance. Capture memorable moments and deepen your understanding of the capital’s role in shaping education and advocacy for justice-involved youth.
Day 3: Advocating for Change
▪ Act and become an advocate for change on the final day of the conference. Attend workshops focused on policy advocacy, legislative initiatives, and grassroots activism aimed at improving educational outcomes for justice involved youth. Learn how to leverage your voice and expertise to drive meaningful policy reform and create lasting impact in your community and beyond.
Socialize And Network
Tour of Secure Educational Sites:
▪ Gain firsthand insights into innovative education programs tailored for justice-involved youth with our behind-the-scenes tour of secure educational sites. Explore facilities within correctional facilities, engage with educators and learners, and discover unique approaches to supporting education in secure environments. This immersive experience offers a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in providing quality education to justice-involved youth.
Speakers, Presenters, and Panelists
Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy (Maya Board Chair Elect)
Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy believes in the revolutionary power of school counseling. An American Counseling Association (ACA) Fellow with 30 years of experience as a former kindergarten teacher, elementary school counselor, family therapist, and most recently university professor and administrator, she has a wealth of knowledge, expertise and wisdom.
Dr. Holcomb-McCoy is currently the Dean of the School of Education and a Distinguished Professor at American University (AU). She is also the author of the best-selling book School Counseling to Close Opportunity Gaps: A Social Justice and Antiracist Framework for Success (Corwin) and Antiracist Counseling in Schools and Communities (ACA Publications). In 2023, she was selected as an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow based on her work to ensure families and children have access to quality early learning opportunities.
In her five years as Dean, Dr. Holcomb-McCoy founded AU’s Summer Institute on Education, Equity and Justice, and the AU Teacher Pipeline Project, a partnership with the DC Public Schools and Friendship Charter Schools. She is also actively working to develop an antiracist curriculum for teachers-in-training.
Prior to leading the School of Education at AU, she served as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs campus-wide and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she launched the Johns Hopkins School Counseling Fellows Program and The Faculty Diversity Initiative. Dr. Holcomb-McCoy has also been an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland College Park and Director of the School Counseling Program at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Prior to leading the School of Education at AU, she served as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs campus-wide and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she launched the Johns Hopkins School Counseling Fellows Program and The Faculty Diversity Initiative. Dr. Holcomb-McCoy has also been an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland College Park and Director of the School Counseling Program at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Dr. Holcomb-McCoy’s passion for school counseling, mental health and wellness starts at home. As a proud mother of two, she knows firsthand the importance of systemic change to help students reach their full potential.
A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dr. Holcomb-McCoy holds her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia. She earned a doctorate in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Dr. Julie Johnson (Maya Interim Board Chair)
Julie Johnson is a higher education leader with 20 years of institutional, policy, and entrepreneurial expertise. She oversaw state higher education policy and advocacy for 42 states as Vice President of Strategy for Complete College America. She helped launch and lead a new community college as Deputy CEO of the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC). While at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in the U.S. Department of Education, she conducted policy research on college access, success, and affordability for Congress and the Secretary of Education. She helped develop and launch a new education-to-business venture to close industry skill gaps at Strayer Education and co-founded Faculty Guild, an ed-tech startup, to help college faculty improve their teaching.
Julie is a long-time board member and former board chair for Maya Angelou Schools, serving opportunity and justice-impacted youth and young adults. She is co-founder of Neighbors for Justice, a local organization that strives to be better neighbors to those at the DC Jail and beyond through awareness, advocacy, and support. Julie has also served as a professorial lecturer in education at the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development; a community college adjunct instructor at UDC-CC; and a guest speaker at Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, and George Mason University.
Julie received her Ed.D. in Educational Policy from the George Washington University, Ed.M. in Higher Education from Harvard University, and B.A. in English from Azusa Pacific University. Julie lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two children.
James Forman Jr.
James Forman Jr. is the J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law. He attended public schools in Detroit and New York City before graduating from the Atlanta Public Schools. After attending Brown University and Yale Law School, he joined the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., where for six years he represented both juveniles and adults charged with crimes.
During his time as a public defender, Professor Forman became frustrated with the lack of education and job training opportunities for his clients. In 1997, along with David Domenici, he started the Maya Angelou School, an alternative school for school dropouts and youth who had been arrested. In the decades since its founding, Maya Angelou School has expanded to run multiple schools inside D.C.’s youth and adult prisons—its success was chronicled in the 2023 short documentary film Welcome to School. The Maya Angelou leadership team dreams of a world in which no person is behind bars; in the meantime, they believe that everyone — including those incarcerated — deserve a high-quality education.
Professor Forman’s scholarship focuses on schools, police, and prisons. He is particularly interested in the race and class dimensions of those institutions. Professor Forman’s first book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, was on many top 10 lists, including The New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2017, and was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. His second book, Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change, was published in 2024 by Farrar Straus & Giroux. Co-edited by Forman, Premal Dharia and Mario Hawilo, the anthology focuses on how to undo the damage and depredations of the carceral state.
In September 2020, Forman convened 12 Yale Law students and 20 first-generation New Haveners for a novel experiment in legal education: a law-student run pipeline program helping people from under-represented groups achieve their dreams of becoming lawyers. To date, over 18 program participants have been admitted to law school, including to UConn, Quinnipiac, Yale, Villanova, American University, Berkeley, Georgetown, and Western New England. In January 2022, Forman helped launch the Yale Law and Racial Justice Center, which brings together New Haveners, Yale students, staff, and faculty, local government officials, and local and national experts to imagine and implement projects advancing racial justice.
Professor Forman has received honorary degrees from Macalester College and Niagara University. He is a Trustee of the Council on Criminal Justice and a member of the American Law Institute. In 2023, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.
David Domenici
David serves as our Executive Director, providing direction and vision for our work. David works with juvenile justice and education leadership, helping public agencies prioritize education and build systems and cultures that ensure students held in confinement are afforded the education they need and are entitled to.
As our Executive Director, David helped us found the Travis Hill School, the two-campus school that BreakFree operates inside of the juvenile detention center and adult jail in New Orleans, LA. The Travis Hill School has been acknowledged for its academic performance by the Louisiana State Department of Education as a Comeback Campus in 2022, and as one of the highest ranked alternative schools in the state in 2019. In 2023, students from Travis Hill won the New Orleans Aspen Challenge based on a video calling for mental health and wellness counseling for parents of incarcerated teens. In 2018, Travis Hill was featured in the Marshall Project and on This American Life, in The Hardest Lesson on Tier C.
Prior to forming BreakFree, he co-founded and served as the Executive Director of The Maya Angelou Schools, a network of alternative schools in Washington, DC. He served as the founding principal of the Maya Angelou Academy, the school located inside DC’s long-term, secure juvenile facility, from 2007 to 2011.
The Maya Angelou Academy’s success has been widely recognized. The changes at the school were termed “remarkable” by a national expert and court-appointed monitor. The Middle States Commission’s accreditation team called the Maya Angelou Academy “one of the best schools we have ever seen.” The school has been featured in local and national publications, including the Washington Post Magazine and Education Week. David left the Academy in the fall of 2011 to start BreakFree Education.
David is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Stanford Law School. David writes frequently about education and juvenile justice reform, and has published opinion pieces and articles in The Washington Post, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, and The Imprint: Youth and Family News. He is the co-author, along with James Forman, Jr., of two longer articles about school reform. The first, “What It Takes to Transform a School Inside a Juvenile Facility: The Story of the Maya Angelou Academy,” highlights lessons learned during the start-up and first year of the Maya Angelou Academy. The second, “A Circle of Trust,” chronicles the first year of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School.
David lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Cheryl Mills, their nephew, and their three dogs. His twins recently left for college. He’s an avid reader, a wannabe basketball player, and an out-of-step breakdancer
Jasmine L. Tyler
Jasmine L. Tyler assumed the role of Executive Director at the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) in February 2024, marking the beginning of a dynamic chapter in the organization’s legacy. A seasoned and influential advocate for justice reform, Ms. Tyler brings with her over two decades of profound experience in progressive policy advocacy, executive leadership, and board development – as well as a proven track record of achievement and an exciting vision for the organization’s future.
Ms. Tyler’s advocacy has played pivotal roles in the passage of landmark legislation, such as the federal Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 and the District of Columbia’s Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Amendment Act of 2012. She also helped to repeal the federal syringe exchange funding ban in 2016 and contributed to the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.
She’s worked with Congress and the executive branch on a range of federal criminal justice, drug and public health, immigration, and national security policy issues. Ms. Tyler has also engaged in numerous human rights treaty reviews through many United Nations bodies, including the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the most recent UN General Assembly on the World Drug Problem, the Commission to Eliminate Racial Discrimination, and the US Universal Periodic Review.
Throughout her career, Ms. Tyler has worked with several prominent non-profit think tanks and advocacy organizations including Justice Policy Institute, Drug Policy Alliance, Open Society Foundations and Human Rights Watch. As a professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, she instructs graduate students on critical topics, including race within the criminal legal system.
Ms. Tyler grew up visiting her father in prison, developing a keen early understanding of structural oppression in the US. She holds an MA from Brown University and a BS from James Madison University, both in sociology. She serves on boards for Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop and the San Francisco Drug Users Union. She is a member of the Washington, DC-based Phi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated and is a Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts.
Cheryl Aguilar
A licensed independent clinical social worker, Cheryl Aguilar is founder, director and therapist at The Hope Center for Wellness, an award-winning mental health practice focused on holistic healing.
Currently, she is also Phd student at Smith College School for Social Work; a fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars program and a fellow at American Psychological Association’s Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship program. An immigrant from Honduras, Cheryl’s immigration and bi-cultural experience guides her clinical, advocacy and research curiosity to explore the impact of immigration on mental health and the intersection of policy and mental health. She creates culturally informed interventions for the BIPOC community and advocates for the communities she serves.
Throughout her career, Cheryl has held several roles as communicator, organizer, advocate, case manager and has held volunteer leadership positions. Cheryl currently serves as advisory board member for WETA Well Beings/Mental Health project, an initiative aimed to raise mental health awareness through radio, television and public events, and she serves as the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work’s DC Chapter Co-Chair.
In her role as a mental health leader, Cheryl has spearheaded national, regional, and local mental health awareness initiatives and programs. Her most recent initiatives include leading a bilingual mental health services program for the City of Hyattsville, Maryland; facilitating art-based group interventions for Maya Angelou Schools; and providing mental health therapy to immigrant families separated under Trump’s Zero Tolerance Policy.
Cheryl’s social work endeavors have been widely recognized. In 2024, she received the Council of Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Council on Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Diversity (CRECD) Award that recognizes doctoral students and junior faculty members with outstanding scholarship in the areas of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in social work education. In 2023 she was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) DC/VA Chapter and in 2019 she was featured in Social Work Today magazine as 1 of 10 dedicated and deserving social workers making extraordinary impact across the country.
Rachel Black
Rachel Black is a Clinical Social Worker and native Washingtonian. She is a Maya Angelou Public Charter School Alumni, class of 2011. She attended Hunter College in NY where she obtained her MSW. Rachel specializes in direct clinical services to children, adolescents and young adults in the Washington DC Metro Area. She has served as a forensic social worker, family therapist, psychiatric social worker and school based clinician. A large part of her work has focused on providing individual, group and family psychotherapy to clients who have experienced a myriad of mental health issues, community violence, involvement in child welfare, family court involvement, juvenile justice involvement, and inpatient/outpatient psychiatric settings. Rachel is passionate about working with and serving as an advocate for underserved youth, young adults and their families to improve their welfare and increase their opportunities through providing them with a space to heal from their traumas while simultaneously connecting them with the necessary resources, supports and networks. Rachel currently owns her own part-time private practice where she provides therapy toteens and young adults. Rachel is licensed as a clinical social worker in DC, MD, VA and NY.
Hannah Dada
Hannah is passionate about improving outcomes in disadvantaged communities. Hailing from a low-income household, she is passionate about mentorship in underrepresented communities, especially in STEM education. She has diligently worked to illuminate the disturbing disparities in underprivileged communities by creating curricula that teaches big science questions to low-income students in an accessible manner. She is hyper attentive to the damaging effects of prison and the justice system in her community and is determined to reduce the education achievement gap in carceral spaces. She is excited to introduce science education and discovery to underrepresented minorities, including incarcerated youth. She developed Science Unlocked with her classmate to provide young people detained at the YSC correctional facility in Washington D.C. an avenue to not only learn about science but also be excited about science through hands-on demonstrations.
Dr. Ximena Gates
Dr. Ximena Gates is a serial tech entrepreneur, co-founder, and Chief Executive Officer of BuildWithin, a venture-backed technology company located in Washington, DC. BuildWithin’s platform streamlines the process of addressing skills shortage challenges for employers, governments, and job-seekers, focusing on accelerating the acquisition of skills needed in our fast-paced, technology-driven world. The Future of Work and thriving in the era of AI are central to BuildWithin’s mission.
Previously, Ximena founded Phone2Action, which was acquired in 2019. She is a researcher, philanthropist, and the author of two software patents. With a background in education, Ximena has served as a former school principal and Assistant Superintendent of Instruction in Washington, DC.
She currently holds executive board positions at the Washington Economic Club, the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and The Consumer Technology Association, and advisory roles at the Center for Innovative Technology of the state of Virginia, the Migration Policy Institute, and the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center of George Mason University.
Ximena has been featured in prominent publications such as Fortune, Forbes, The Washington Post, and the New York Times. Recently, she was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the 50 women in tech in the U.S. In March of 2024, she was featured in the documentary, 10 Chilean Women Changing the World.
A native of Chile, she holds degrees in Literature and Philosophy from Chile and a Doctorate in Administration and Policy from George Washington University.
Lorna Hermosura, PhD
Lorna Hermosura, PhD, is the author and Project Director of STEP UP Texas as well as an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. STEP UP Texas is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Justice and aims to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in engagement with the juvenile justice system by providing trauma-informed and restorative practices training to personnel working in school districts, law enforcement, and the juvenile justice system in 11 Texas counties. The project accomplishes its work in partnership with five county juvenile justice departments and three non-profit organizations located throughout the state of Texas. As Asst. Professor, Lorna teaches “Restorative Practices” and “ACEs and the Healing Power of Connection” to undergraduate and masters-level students. Lorna holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy, a master’s degree in counseling, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Prior to earning her PhD, Lorna administered federal grant-funded educational programs to support college access, college success, and dropout prevention among low-income and first-generation students. Lorna was influenced by her early work with foster children and youth, which informed her perspective that schools and those working with children and youth can serve as protective factors to offset difficult life circumstances. When not working, Lorna enjoys exploring, baking, and relaxing with her husband, family, friends, and pets.
Marsha Levick
Marsha Levick is the co-founder and Chief Legal Officer of Juvenile Law Center, America’s first public interest law firm for children. Throughout her career, Levick has advocated for youth involved in the justice and child welfare systems, and currently manages Juvenile Law Center’s national litigation docket. Levick has participated in numerous landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including Roper v. Simmons, Graham v. Florida, Miller v. Alabama, and Montgomery v. Louisiana, all cases striking extreme adult sentences for youth in the criminal justice system, and J.D.B. v North Carolina, requiring consideration of a suspect’s youth during police interrogations. Levick also led Juvenile Law Center’s litigation arising out of Pennsylvania’s “Kids for Cash” scandal, resulting in the vacatur and expungement of nearly 2500 juvenile adjudications and substantial financial awards to the youth and their parents. Levick has received numerous awards for her work, including the Philadelphia Award (2015), the Arlen Specter Award (Inaugural Winner 2013) and the Philadelphia Inquirer Citizen of the Year Award (2009 – co-winner), as well as recognition for her work from the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association, among others. Levick is an adjunct professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Marc Schindler
Marc Schindler is the Assistant Secretary and Chief of Staff. In this capacity, he works directly with the Secretary of DJS to advise on and implement initiatives, reforms and policies that are designed to improve the lives of youth in Maryland and move the agency forward. Marc comes to DJS with extensive and varied experience in the youth justice field, including as an attorney, public administrator, grant maker, advocate, and researcher. He comes to DJS after serving 10 years as the Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a national research and policy organization with expertise in juvenile and criminal justice issues. JPI has worked extensively in Maryland, issuing more than 20 reports on various justice issues in the state, including documenting the state’s extreme racial disparities in young people incarcerated in the state’s prisons. Marc also worked from 2005-2010 at the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) where he served as General Counsel, Chief of Staff, and Interim Director, helping to lead the agency’s reform efforts. In addition, he worked for almost a decade as a staff attorney with the Youth Law Center, a national civil rights law firm advocating on behalf of children and youth in juvenile justice and child welfare systems across the country. Marc began his legal career in Maryland, serving as a public defender representing children in Baltimore’s juvenile court in the 1990s.
Sophie Thackray
Sophie Thackray is a Supervising Attorney at School Justice Project (SJP), where she provides special education legal representation to young people ages 17-22 who are also involved in DC’s juvenile and criminal legal systems. Her work includes advocating for clients at school meetings, court hearings, and administrative proceedings, as well as identifying community-based resources to assist clients’ transition to the community and adulthood.
Sophie graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she focused on juvenile justice and special education law. She also participated in the Innovative Policing Practicum, where she worked with DC’s Metropolitan Police Department to train officer recruits in youth-specific issues and research policing reform. During her final year of law school, she served as a student attorney with the Juvenile Justice Clinic representing youth charged with delinquency in DC.
Francine Umaru
Francine Umaru was born in Brooklyn, New York, raised in North Jersey and is proud of her Jamaican heritage. With the aspiration to become a community social worker, she is pursuing her master’s degree in Social Work at Delaware State University. Her passion for poetry has continued into adulthood and she published her first book of poetry, Break the Silence & Bloom: My Poetic Testimonies. With this book, she hopes to inspire victims and survivors of childhood abuse.
As a certified Trauma-Informed Mental Health coach, founder of spACEs to bloom LLC, ACE Interface Master Presenter and Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor – her passion is to promote widespread awareness on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), long-term impacts that continues into adulthood, mental health disparities among children and youth, and strategies on mitigating the effects of ACEs and building resilience.
She serves justice-involved youth at Maya Angelou Academy @ New Beginnings as a College and Career Success Specialist. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, serving in her local community and speaking up on social issues.
Morgan Wolf
Morgan Wolf has served as the Data and Policy Manager at YouthBuild DC Public Charter School since October 2022. With experience in education data and DC charter schools dating back to 2020, she brings a blend of analytical skills and a passion for education reform. Morgan is dedicated to improving outcomes for students in DC through data-driven decision-making and policy reform, and is especially passionate about adult and alternative education. Outside of work, Morgan enjoys practicing yoga, reading, and experimenting with new vegetarian recipes.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO STUDENT SUCCESS
The See Forever Foundation invites you to join Mid-Atlantic K-12 educators, college professors, graduate students and counseling supervisors for the From Silos to Solutions: Educators for Justice-Involved Youth, September 2024, in Washington, DC. Get more exposure before, during and after the conference; build brand awareness; and create new leads with a conference sponsorship. Sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels. Sponsorships include multiple promotional benefits, such as included advertising, sponsor signage, web promotion and more.
CURRENT SPONSORS
For more information contact Sheryl Eastman, Resource Development Manager at seastman@seeforever.org
“Maya Angelou Schools and the See Forever Foundation work year-round to transform the trajectory for DC-area youth and young adults. Thank you to the partners who help our scholars and community thrive.”
FAQ
Included in your ticket will be full access to all three days of our conference and social events, as well as breakfast each day, lunch on day three, and full access to conference materials for one year after the conference concludes.
Ticketing will be $150.00 for undergraduate or graduate students, and $225.00 for all other professionals.
This conference gives attendees direct access to other professionals in their field, and will create an advocacy “workbook” that practitioners can utilize throughout their professional journey.
Yes, participants who successfully complete our conference training will earn OSSE professional learning units (PLUs) that may be applied to a District of Columbia educator’s license.
