Education Reach for Texans Virtual 2022 Conference

This year's conference will be fully online again. 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 cost to attend is a $25 registration fee. You will have 2 options to register:

Scholarship registration: Free for anyone with experience in foster care

General registration: $25 conference registration fee which includes the pre-conference workshop.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022     

Foster Care Liaison 101 Training

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.   

Amy O’Keefe & Brenda Sweeten

Join seasoned foster care liaisons Amy O’Keefe (Texas Women’s University) and Brenda Sweeten (University of North Texas) to get a comprehensive overview of what it means to be a foster care liaison. Get information about best practices, experiences of students and strategies to overcome institutional challenges. This is a great training for new liaisons or liaisons who just haven’t taken it.

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Welcome

10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.      

Dr. David Gardner, Reach Board Chair

Alumni Panel

10:20 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.      

Moderator: Jackie Davis, Dallas CASA

In this panel, students and alumni with lived experience in foster care will share their perspectives about what foster care liaisons can and should do to support students.

Break

11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.    

Catching up with our partners at DFPS

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.      

Moderator: Dr. Shelia Bustillos

Staff from DFPS will share information about new staff and discuss Transitional Living Services including preparation for adulting living (PAL) services, Transition Centers, benefits, waivers and supervised independent living.

Lunch Break

12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.      

The Power of Connection: Getting Through Tough Times Together

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.        

 Keynote Speaker:  Dr. Carmen Cruz

Dr. Cruz is a Licensed Psychologist and Diversity/Social Justice Consultant. She is currently Associate Director and Director of Training at Texas Woman’s University Counseling & Psychological Services and has served Texas Woman’s for 25 years. She is a diversity and gender specialist, with particular specialty in LGBTQ populations, gender/women’s issues and racial/ethnic minorities. Her professional interests include social justice training, teaching/supervision of students, the psychology of gender, multicultural psychology, cultural/spiritual development, existential theory and the impact of stigma in seeking help. Dr. Cruz is a Cuban American woman from Miami who now lives in this super cool music and college town in north Texas. She loves spending time with her spouse and kids, and especially her cool cats, Macho and Eli.

Open Space breakout sessions

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.          

Conference participants will identify priority discussion topics and break into small groups to explore those topics with other subject matter experts. These sessions will provide an opportunity for information sharing and networking with colleagues from various disciplines and regions.