Meetings

Conference Circuit: Fighting Youth Homelessness

The 2015 Annual Conference for National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth begins in Phoenix this weekend.

The 2015 Annual Conference for National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth begins in Phoenix this weekend.

Nearly 1,200 service providers, educators, community leaders, advocates, legislators, and others dedicated to education providing a path out of homelessness are headed to Phoenix for professional development and networking opportunities.

Association:  National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth

Conference:  NAEHCY 27th Annual Conference

Venue: Phoenix Convention Center

Location: Phoenix

The NAEHCY 27th Annual Conference begins on Sunday with keynoter and NASA Researcher Terry Morris. He will share his life story, which he says is “living proof” of how a small contribution to charity can make an incredible difference in a child’s future—as it did in his. Also on the agenda:

First-person accounts. Listening to young people directly affected is the best way to learn about youth homelessness. This year, some will keynote general sessions and share their experiences in workshops. For example, the “Voices of Youth” session provides an opportunity to hear directly from NAEHCY scholars about the barriers they experienced, as well as the strategies, people, and resources that helped them overcome these barriers.

Give back. NAEHCY has partnered with Homeless Youth Connection, a local organization that raises awareness and meets the needs of youth experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix area so they can stay in school and graduate. Attendees are encouraged to donate gift cards or money that will be used for food, clothing, or personal hygiene items.

Get the know-how. After a day of sessions, attendees may have a lot of questions. Maybe there wasn’t enough time for them to ask a question, maybe they felt too self-conscious to ask in front of a group. Whatever the reason, they can go to The 411 Lounge and get them answered by leaders within the field of homeless education—all in a relaxed, conversational atmosphere.

The usual social spaces—Twitter (#NAEHCY2015) and Facebook—will keep you updated on the meeting’s latest happenings.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Samantha Whitehorne

By Samantha Whitehorne

Samantha Whitehorne is editor-in-chief of Associations Now. MORE

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