Mini-Summit 2023

Thursday, May 18, 2023
8:30 am-12:30 pm

This year’s mini-summit is a celebration of the new center and is focused on Youth Drug Prevention, Advocacy, and Education. We are excited to provide a space to connect schools and youth to content on topics around SEL, identity, empowerment, community partnerships, and much more!

Thanks for joining us for the 2023 Mini-Summit!

Please remember to fill out a participant evaluation.

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Keynote Address:

Healing Beneath the Surface: Going deeper than ‘Don’t Do Drugs’ to meet the holistic needs of youth

Too often, the voices, concerns, needs, and interests of youth are left out of conversations about drug prevention and advocacy. In this keynote, Dr. J will discuss what it means to center the holistic needs of youth in ways that resist the a) dehumanization, b) criminalization, and c) weaponization of addiction and drug use. She will invite the audience to “heal beneath the surface” by focusing instead on addressing the social, economic, physiological, and psychological needs that often lead to drug use.

Dr. Jamila Lyiscott

Dr. Jamila Lyiscott

Jamila Lyiscott aka, Dr. J, is an aspiring way-maker, a community-engaged scholar, nationally renowned speaker, and the author of Black Appetite. White Food: Issues of Race, Voice, and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she is the co-founder and co-director of the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research.


Agenda

Time Activity
8:30am- 9:00am Welcome
9:00am- 10:00am AM Breakouts
See below for descriptions and Zoom links
10:00am-10:15am BREAK
10:15am-11:15am Keynote Presentation
11:15am-11:30am BREAK
11:30am-12:30pm PM Breakouts & Closing
See below for descriptions and Zoom links

AM Breakout Sessions:

From Pain to Power: Sobriety, truth, and the power of identity

Calvin Terrell
Coach, Consultant and Motivational Speaker for Social Centric Institute

Calvin will facilitate a virtual presentation for youth on how identity prejudices, distrust, and stress contribute to emotional mental and social escaping of reality via substances, hurting others, and denial of trauma. This will be an empowering approach to invite the youth to elevate their consciousness of the world in order to share their journey with others and develop solidarity, as well as encouraging nurturing cultures across lines of difference.

The Implementation of Positive Youth Development Principles to Enhance Life Purpose and Goals (Dream Chasing)

Abdul-Rahmaan I. Muhammad
Executive Director & Founder​ of My People Clinical Services
Dr. Dayeshell P. Muhammad
Director of Operations of My People Clinical Services

My People is a leader in working with youth and young adults to identify their purpose and chase their dreams. Common challenges for youth reaching their full potential include motivation, supports, services, opportunities, mental health, drug use, and the lack of youth voice.

This workshop will highlight the five principles of Positive Youth Development, stages of youth development, and best practices for engaging with youth and young adults. The final component of this workshop will focus on assisting young people with identifying their goals, dreams, and purpose. This discussion-based workshop will allow youth and young adults the opportunity to learn about their brain development and identify tools to live the life of their dreams.

Rise Up: Empowering Youth to Take on Mental Health Challenges and Substance Abuse through Advocacy and Prevention

Dr. Michael Mallery

Participants of this session will learn how to empower youth to take charge of their mental health and prevent substance abuse through advocacy and practical prevention strategies. Through an interactive virtual discussion and activities, attendees will gain knowledge about the importance of social emotional learning (SEL) in fostering resilience and preventing substance abuse, as well as practical advocacy skills and resources for supporting youth mental health. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be equipped with actionable steps for supporting youth mental health and advocating for substance abuse prevention.

PM Breakout Sessions:

Take Care Of YOU

Marco Anthony Fabretti

Marco Will Be Able To Reach The Youth Because Of His Hard Fought Won Life Experience In Just About Every Aspect Of Mental Health And Addiction. He Has Overcome And To This Day, He Is Still Putting In The Necessary Work To Remain, Not Just Sober, But Taking Steps To Live His Life In A Healthy Way, Physically, Mentally And Emotionally.

Marco Believes And Is Passing On To The Youth The Tools He Has Learned Along His Journey Of Struggle As Well As Recovery. He Believes That Making The Right Choices At An Early Age Is Imperative To Shaping Your Mind. He Is Sure That Knowing How To Live A Healthy Lifestyle And Putting That Into Practice Will Help Our Youth Make The Best Decision When It Comes To The Dangers And Pitfalls Of Drugs, Alcohol, And Any Mind Altering Or Mood Changing Substances.These Decisions Will Ultimately Be Beneficial For Themselves And Others.

Activating the Dream Chaser Within: Exploring the intersections of dream chasing, leadership, and mental health to journey our dreams into reality
Mathew Rivera
Executive Director at The Dream Support Network

Matthew Rivera is the Executive Director of The Dream Support Network and has dedicated the last five years of his life to supporting individuals, schools, and organizations in their pursuit to making dreams reality through workshops, programming, mentorship, and motivational speeches.

In this workshop, we will explore what our dreams are and set such dreams as the frame for how we orient our lives. We will then discuss how having such dreams calls for us to become leaders in our own regards while also prioritizing our mental wellness. Through our workshop, we will consider different approaches to leadership and personal development and have open dialogue on the present-day barriers young people face in dream chasing.

Downloads - Handouts

Downloadable handouts (as provided at the discretion of our presenters) are available at this Google Drive link.

Participant Evaluation

Please complete a Participant Evaluation at the end of the Mini-Summit.

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