The ICYJ is excited to be hosting our second Research & Practice Symposium! Researchers, practitioners, system leaders, students and faculty, emerging leaders, and importantly - lived experts in the field of Youth Justice will gather to learn how Positive Youth Development is shaping the way the youth justice system interacts with the young people and families it affects. 

Join us for a day-and-a-half of sharing, learning, and growing in our knowledge and practice to effectively make improvements for youth and families impacted by systems of care. Session topics will include (but not limited to):

• How Relationships can aid in Positive Youth Development
• Evidence-Based Juvenile Detention Center Practices
• Growth-Focused and Opportunity-Based Probation 
• Youth Voice and Cultural Competency and Humility 
• Data Driven Decision Making in Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities
• Cross-System Collaboration and Developing Partnerships between Youth Serving Systems and Areas of Academic Research

When: October 1 & 2, 2026

Agenda:

Thursday, October 1st

8:00am – 9:15am -Breakfast & Opening remarks

• Rita Poteyeva, Director, Innovation Center for Youth Justice @ James Madison University
• John A. Tuell, Executive Director, National Resource Center for the Transformation of Youth Justice
• Robert Bermingham, Director, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice

9:15am - 10:50am: Connected to Thrive: Relationships as a Foundation for Positive Youth Development

• "The Power of Mentoring"
  Honorable Geoffrey Gaither, Marion Superior Court Family Division, Indianapolis, IN

• "Strengthening Youth Mental Health and Academic Engagement Through Mentoring Relationships"
  Elizabeth Raposa, Fordham University, Psychology

• "Sibling Relationships, Resilience, and Positive Youth Development in Foster Care"
  Jeffrey Waid, University of Minneapolis, School of Social Work

• "Examining the Upside of Friendship"
  Alyssa Mickytuck, Randolph-Macon College, Developmental & Community Psychology

11:00-12:20pm: Probation with Purpose: Creating Pathways for Growth

• “Fostering Opportunities for Resiliency, Growth, and Empowerment (FORGE): A New Guiding Vision for Juvenile Justice”
  Kelsey Tom, California State University, Criminology & Criminal Justice

• “Opportunity-Based Probation”
  Kate Cunnigham, University of Washington, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
  Kevin Williams, Aligned Impact Partners

• “Growth Focused Youth Justice Case Management”
  Jodi Martin, National Resource Center for the Transformation of Youth Justice

12:20 - 1:15 PM: LUNCH

1:15 - 2:15pm: From Voice to Agency: Young People Shaping Their Own Futures

• “Understanding Youth Voice in Carceral Contexts: Supporting Young People to Lead Change on Their Own Terms”
  Julia Lesnick, University of California, Los Angeles, Social Welfare

• "Meet Our Culture, Share Our Culture"
  Pray’Eon Jackson, Youth Leader, Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs

2:20 - 3:20pm: Rethinking Probation Through Incentives and Behavioral Health

• “Incentive-Based Probation”
  Kathy McNamara, DuPage County Probation & Court Services, DuPage County, IL
  Mark Werner, Director (retired), Juvenile Redeploy Services, Cook County, IL

• “On the Right Track for Youth Behavioral Health: Implementation of Evidenced-Based Behavioral Health Screens for Youth Placed on Probation”
  Amy Latshaw and Lindsay Meyer, Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation (AOCP) Juvenile Services Division, NE

3:30 - 4:30 pm: Creating Conditions for Growth: Positive Youth Development in Juvenile Detention

• “Juvenile Detention - Finding the Balance”
  Jason Houtz, Superintendent (retired), Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center
• “The Fundamentals: What it Takes to Create and Sustain Loving and Just Schools in Juvenile Justice Settings”
  David Domenici, BreakFree Education 

Friday, October 2^nd

8:30- 10:00am:  Breakfast & Opening Plenary

The Fairness-in-Practice Pathway: Turning Disparity Data into Tailored Solutions
christian bijoux, Executive Director (incoming)
Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health, CT

10:10-11:50am: From Silos to Systems: Building Communities of Support

• “Community Based Learning Ecosystems; Meeting Every Learner Where They Are At. How a School and a Community Partner Work Together Keeping the Learner at the Center”
  Jenell Loreck, Community Programs, Norris Inc., WI
  Kristofer Koneazny, Norris School District, WI

• “CASA of Los Angeles: Anchored in Community”
  Jessica Gonzalez, CASA, Los Angeles

• “Juvenile Justice Outcomes for Youth with Child Welfare Involvement”
  Allison Kurpiel, University of South Carolina, Criminology & Criminal Justice

• “Beyond the Deficit Narrative: Child Welfare Services and Positive Outcomes for Vulnerable Youth”
  John Gyourko, James Madison University, Social Work

11:50 – 12:00 pm: Closing Remarks  

Cost to Attend: FREE!

Register Today: Registration Form

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