This year's conference will be fully online and we have abbreviated the schedule to reduce online platform fatigue. Attendees are more than welcome to drop in for all or part of the conference to learn how to support students in higher education with experience in foster care.  

Cost:
The conference is free, but registration is required. However, we are asking people to consider an optional $25 registration fee (donation). 

Day 1 | Tuesday, June 1st

​Day 2 | Wednesday, June 2nd
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Foster Care Liaison 101 Training
Brenda Sweeten & Amy O'Keefe
Reach's Foster Care Liaison 101 Training is a "must" for all new foster care liaisons or liaisons who might need a refresher on how to stand up a program. Learn the essential components of creating an intentional space for foster alumni on your campus.

SLIDES: Foster care liaison 101 Training
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | COVID and Legislative Update
Speakers TBD
​​We will have a panel of advocates, liaisons, and experts to provide updates on the legislative session and COVID related resources for foster alumni and higher education professionals.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |  Redefining, Rethinking, Reflecting: Developing an Intentional Environment for Those Who’ve Experienced Trauma 
Alexis Lenderman-Black & Justin Black
When it comes to serving foster youth, are you the hero or the savior? Actually, you’re neither... During this session, we assist advocates as they begin to understand the role they play in the foster care system and ways in which they must be self-reflective in order to serve as a complementary component to the success of the youth themselves. The Redefining, Redefining, Rethinking, Reflecting on intentional relationships for those experiencing trauma workshop discusses strategies and techniques developed by foster care alumni, Justin and Alexis Black, as they combined the information they’ve learned from healthy foster parents, counselors, advocates, and ultimately their lived experience. By sharing their personal story of overcoming, they discuss the role of a foster parent and advocate and well as the necessary resources to surround themselves with in order to be a positive partner in the lives of the youth themselves. Our goal is to help advocates understand that fostering is a collaborative process for both the youth and the parent.

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Regional Breakouts
Participants will be put into a room according to their DFPS region to discover how they can better support students with experience in care in their region. This is great opportunity to coordination with others in your area.

About our keynote speakers 

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Justin and Alexis are former foster youth, college graduates, now authors, speakers, and serial entrepreneurs. Together, they've created The Scholarship Expert and The ROSE Empowerment Group to support hundreds of young people. Now, with their new venture, Redefining Normal, they hope to continue the conversation on healthy relationships, mental health, and healing.
For the past ten years, Education Reach for Texans has convened a gathering of higher education professionals, foster youth/alumni, and anyone working with foster youth/alumni. The conference provides an opportunity for everyone to come together to share tips, tools and strategies for championing postsecondary education success of foster youth. Each year an institute of higher education "hosts" the conference by providing planning space and resources.