LA Summer of Joy

Professional Development Summit

Professional Development Summit

Saturday, May 11, 2024
9:00AM – 2:00PM
Roybal Learning Center – 1200 Colton St, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

A Day of Inspiration and Connection to Ignite a Summer of Joy!

This free professional development opportunity is available to staff leading summer programs across Los Angeles.

Join to learn strategies and best practices for team management, youth engagement, and program development.

Agenda

9:00AM – 10:00AM

Registration
Exhibit Tables Open

10:00AM – 11:00AM

Welcome & Keynote

11:00AM – 12:00PM

Breakout Session 1

12:00PM – 1:00PM

Lunch*
Exhibit Tables Open

1:00PM – 2:00PM

Breakout Session 2

*Lunch will be provided

Please see break out session descriptions below and then click the registration button to select your preferred sessions

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Breakout Sessions

Breakout sessions are categorized by the following themes:

Leadership and Team Building:
Understand mindsets and skills that can help you improve your leadership and cultivate a strong team culture.

Leadership and Team-Building Sessions

Importance of SEL, Self-Care, and Mindfulness for Staff and Students

Presenter: kid-grit
11:00AM – 12:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn refreshing exercises for staff’s own self-care and self-awareness
  • Learn about research that supports how and why SEL, self-care and mindfulness on the job and in programs is a powerful tool for developing a healthy culture and healthy mindsets.
  • Learn how the kid-grit Holistic Wellness Wheel can be used as a tool for micro-goal setting, team building and wellness.

Building Effective Teams

Presenter: 4C LAB
1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Identify their communication and leadership styles and learn tools to communicate effectively with team members
  • Engage in team-building activities they can lead with their program staff
  • Be introduced to self-care practices they can incorporate into their own lives, as well as incorporating these practices into the work culture of their staff

Building Relationships with Youth and Staff

Presenter: After School All Stars Los Angeles
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Explore ways to provide youth with opportunities to develop a sense of belonging
  • Understand the importance of fostering caring and supportive relationships
  • Learn a variety of icebreakers, energizers, name games and bonding games and learn the best time to use these different games

Leading with Head and Heart

Presenter: EduCare Foundation
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn skills to express themselves with authenticity and integrity
  • Empower themselves as creative, confident, and heart-centered leaders

Empowering Summer Leaders: Transformational Leadership and Team Building for Child-Centric Programs

Presenter: Rising Communities
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn about transformational leadership and create a vision for their programs, communicate that vision effectively, and empower others to achieve the vision
  • Gain the tools to inspire positive change, foster growth, and cultivate a nurturing environment for young minds to flourish
  • Learn about effective team-building techniques to create positive and impactful experiences for both staff and youth

Leadership: Building Community

Presenter: Rising Communities
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Explore the intricate relationship between servant leadership, race, gender, and how to lead for equity through strategic thinking, goal setting, facilitation, and planning that can support community building
  • Develop SMART goals to meet their program needs
  • Understand the power of words, context, and positionality in effective communication
  • Plan how to implement culturally competent programs that are inclusive

The Leader In You

Presenter: LA’s BEST
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Understand leadership personality traits and learn how to shift leadership style
  • Deep dive into their own communication style and learn how to be honest and supportive with the feedback we give and receive
  • Engage in team building exercises, practice communication skills, learn how to effectively give & receive feedback, and most importantly Have FUN!

Program Development:
Learn how to facilitate and design engaging, quality programs for your youth.

Program Development Sessions

Creating Emotional and Physical Safety in your Summer Program

Presenter: After School All Stars Los Angeles
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Understand the importance of emotional and physical safety, especially for youth and learn best practices that support safety for both students and staff
  • Learn what safety looks, feels, and sounds like and Identify if they are promoting a sense of safety

How to Integrate the Performing Arts into Your Curriculum to Build Social Emotional and Literacy Skills

Presenter: Booksicals- Literacy & SEL Through The Arts
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn how to implement a performing arts program for summer/after-school
  • Learn how picture books can be used to create arts enrichment
  • Learn how drama, improv, dance and singing activities can be used to improve social-emotional learning and collaboration skills

Group Management

Presenter: Playworks Southern California
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Explore 5 key group management strategies that adults can use to set students up for successful group behavior, including: attention getters, learning styles, and rules and consequences
  • Understand and verbalize the benefits of using proactive behavior management strategies

Every Story Matters: How To Build An Inclusive Storytelling Culture

Presenter: PLUS ME Project
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Understand the 6-step process for how to build a storytelling culture, which fosters vulnerability and connection through the sharing of personal narratives
  • Learn how to use storybuilding culture to create a shared vocabulary, build stronger rapport with students, and increase confidence in students

How to Use Sports to Help Students Improve Academically

Presenter: Science of Sport
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn how to bring STEM to life through hands-on learning activities using sports examples
  • Learn how to develop hands-on, minds-on programming that is inclusive to all learners

Raising Self-Esteem through Physical Activity

Presenter: Skillastics
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn fun and easy to use physical activities to help develop healthier, more confident children
  • Learn how to incorporate social-emotional development activities, such as journaling and meditation, into the physical activity portion of programs

How Inquiry-based Instruction can Transform STEM Enrichment

Presenter: TGR Foundation
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn how inquiry-based projects emphasizes active, student-centered learning with real-world connections
  • Explore an inquiry-based science lesson through the lens of a student and learn ways to add authentic inquiry practices into any enrichment program

Creating Spaces: An interactive workshop at the intersection of art, movement, and social-emotional learning

Presenter: The Epicenter
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Gain an increased, scientific understanding of the relationship between the mind, body, and emotional state
  • Learn techniques to calm the nervous system and re-center oneself in one’s emotional landscape
  • Learn how to apply these techniques to both oneself and students in a classroom setting

Sparking the Innovator in your Students

Presenter: Tinker the Robot
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Experience a Tinker the Robot Engineering Design Challenge first hand by learning basic concepts and vocabulary, walking through a build, and finally unleashing their creativity to solve a problem
  • Understand that Sparking the Innovator in their students is about getting their students to ask questions and guiding them to answer it themselves

Social Emotional Learning:
Build and strengthen social-emotional competencies and practices for you, your team and your students.

Youth Development:
Learn how to build relationships and develop programming that is responsive to school needs.

Youth Development Sessions

Rethinking Transitions

Presenter: Lana Hailemariam
11:00AM – 12:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Consider various approaches to effective transitions
  • Learn at least 10 different ways to handle transitions in a way that inspires and honors the best aspects of the young people we work with

One Word

Presenter: 4C LAB
11:00AM – 12:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn icebreakers and warm-up activities to engage youth who may have resistance to participation.
  • Learn vocabulary and terminology as it relates to social-emotional learning, trauma-informed care, and culturally responsive pedagogy
  • Participate in two art-making activities (one in movement and one in creating a group poem) that engage youth that starts with each individual only contributing one word

Powerful Listening in Youth Serving Spaces

Presenter: Lana Hailemariam
1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Explore the 5 Levels of Listening
  • Learn and practice a proven methodology that can enhance their communication with the young people they serve and the adults they work with

Lights, Camera…Action! Creating a Collaborative Work Environment via Project Based Learning

Presenter: Girls IN Focus
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn communication, teamwork, planning, listening, and leadership skills, including approaches to building collaborative teams, by using the filmmaking process as a learning model

How Cooking Helps Youth Development

Presenter: Lunch Bunch
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn how hands on learning can foster youth development through culinary education
  • Learn how to create activities to keep youth interested and learning

Empathy as Your Superpower

Presenter: Children Mending Hearts
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Comprehend the concept of empathy and recognize its significance in creating positive relationships and a supportive learning environment in summer programs
  • Gain practical strategies for fostering empathy among both educators and students, including self-awareness techniques, active listening skills, and perspective-taking exercises
  • Learn how to incorporate empathy into curriculum design and classroom management practices that encourage collaboration, conflict resolution, and inclusive participation among students

Planning Summer Programming with Engagement in Mind

Presenter: City of Los Angeles, Rec and Parks
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn useful tips on how to keep students, staff, and communities engaged and increase excitement around summer programming
  • Plan a week of programming that includes games, arts and crafts, and other activities based on a theme

Developing Little Minds

Presenter: LA’s BEST
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Explore the development stages of 4-6 year olds
  • Learn strategies to engage UTK students meaningfully

Power of Play

Presenter: Playworks Southern California
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Learn how to incorporate respect and inclusion during game time to foster healthy play and community
  • Learn how to prepare for and successfully plan, teach, and facilitate games for groups of any size

Elements of a Liberatory Classroom: Liberation Pedagogy and Lateral Thinking

Presenter: STEM to the Future
11:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 2:00PM

In this session, participants will:

  • Reflect on personal identities and biases to enhance self-awareness and develop strategies for fostering an inclusive learning environment
  • Acquire practical strategies for promoting productive struggle among students in order to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Contact

For registration questions and general event inquiries, please email summerofjoy@gpsnla.org.

LAUSD staff: For district-specific questions, please contact your unit supervisor.

City Department of Recreation and Parks staff: For Recreation and Parks specific questions, please contact Deanne Dedmon, deanne.dedmon@lacity.org.