Discover how to elevate youth leadership and innovation in out-of-school time programming through the establishment of a Youth Voice Council. This session explores strategies for empowering students with strong ideas and perspectives to co-design programs that amplify their voices and address key issues such as substance abuse prevention and workforce readiness. Participants will learn how to implement a combined adult-guided, student-driven model that fosters collaboration and builds impactful programming. Highlighting real-world examples, including student-led podcasts and peer-to-peer education initiatives, this session will provide actionable insights to enhance student engagement and leadership in your programs.
Malachi Nelson, Site Coordinator/ Youth Voice Director
Anthony Raney, Student

Join our interactive session led by 5th & 6th grade students who are accessible and inclusive playground consultants as they have been learning about and advocating for a playground that goes beyond minimum requirements in school and in the community. Learn how they connected their 4th grade math, the Question Formulation Technique and the World Savvy Knowledge-to-Action framework to drive their project. They'll share best practices when it comes to school-city partnerships, playground design and the policy changes that are needed in order to make their dream a reality and replicate their success in your community.
Molly Dengler, Professional Learning Facilitator, World Savvy

How many times have you heard students grumble, “When am I going to use this in the real world?” It is no surprise that students are the most motivated when they are working on a project with real world stakes in an area that interests them. Promoting civic engagement in your classroom is a pathway for authentic learning. Students choose a topic that is not only important to them personally but also to their community. Hear from students how civic engagement inspired them to contribute while also growing their own knowledge and character.
Claire Sagstuen, MLL Teacher

Student teams from five network schools led the creation of tools to certify Minnesota schools as student-centered. The first Student Advisory Council of the Minnesota Learner-Centered Network used their voices to engage peers, collaborated with educators and other organizations, and are launching a process for schools to identify and celebrate their strengths in student-centered learning (SCL). Discover how your school can use these tools—and eventually qualify for the Certification of Excellence to advance SCL across Minnesota!
Jemar Lee, MLCN Leadership Team Member

This session highlights StoryArk’s Youth Executive Board (YEB), an inter-district after-school program for high school students to use storytelling to amplify their leadership and power as youth to influence change in our communities. YEB produced Reimagining Tomorrow: An Anthology of Youth Stories, Identity, and Power, amplifying youth identities, celebrating cultural heritage, and fostering education equity. It also serves as a toolkit to inspire ongoing conversations and initiatives on youth identity and power. Join us to learn more!
Laichia Vang, Program Director of Youth Empowerment
Nyanpal Kuornyuot, YEB Member

From Framework to Flourishing: Licensing Teachers, Designing Curriculum, and Growing the Somali Heritage Language Program through Community Engagement
In this session we will offer insights into how we successfully turned challenges into opportunities, built meaningful community partnerships, and fostered a legacy of multilingual education for future generations. This session is designed to inspire and equip you with actionable ideas for those interested in curriculum design, teacher training and strategies to grown heritage programs.
Deqa Muhidin, District Program Facilitator, Minneapolis Public Schools

This session is designed to equip educators with the knowledge, strategies, and tools needed to effectively support refugee and immigrant students, enabling their success in the classroom and beyond. The session will emphasize the importance of understanding the unique challenges faced by these students, the distinctions between refugees and immigrants, and practical approaches for creating a welcoming and empathetic learning environment.
Hawra Alnabi
Pang Yang
Sarah White

Land-based learning and healing is nothing new among many communities from the Global Majority. NISN is working alongside our partner schools throughout the United States to highlight Indigenous genius and ways of knowing. During this session, participants will gain an increased understanding of what land-based learning and healing is, considerations when planning LBL activities, and evaluating/assessing LBL using street data.
Albino Garcia, Senior Director of Indigenous Epistemology
Jason Drapeaux

This session will introduce a new qualitative student feedback tool designed and facilitated by young people. Good Trouble, an emerging intergenerational movement aiming to make school culture engaging for all students, will share the process they used to create the tool, the pilot data they have gathered, and engage attendees in data analysis and future work with the tool. Feedback from the session will aid in the ongoing development of the tool. Come be part of this work based in authentic partnership.
Jim Miklausich, Assistant Superintendent
Lucy L. Payne, PhD., Faculty and Learner
Julian Spencer, Movement Lead
Jose R. Perez, Chief Troublemaker

Breakout sessions