Allies For Youth Connections
Empowering Hope through Authentic Connections
Conference on May 12-13th, 2025
This year we are excited to explore “Empowering Hope through Authentic Connections”.
Tickets for Allies For Youth Connection are now on sale!
Join us on May 12 & 13 at Fantasy Land for an unforgettable experience filled with incredible keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking, and more! With limited availability, now is the time to secure your spot before they sell out. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible event—get your tickets today.
Click the button to register and get ready for an amazing time!
Location:
Allies for Youth Connections Conference
May 12-13, 2025
Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton
Want to keep up with all things A4YC?
Pre-Conference Training Opportunities
Peacemaking Circle Training
(May 10, Fantasyland Hotel, 9:00 AM–4:30 PM)
Presented by Mandy Halabi
A4YC offers this two-day training at a discounted rate for conference attendees. Peacemaking circles, rooted in Indigenous traditions, foster community, healing, and collaboration. This experiential training equips participants with the skills to facilitate meaningful group dialogue, enhance trust, and apply restorative justice principles.
Mandy Halabi, a seasoned leader in human services, has over 20 years of experience in youth engagement, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding. She apprenticed with Kay Pranis to become a Peacemaking Circle Keeper trainer and co-founded Transformative C.I.R.C.L.E. Practice Centre.
Limited spots available—register early!
Making the Connection: Engaging and Working with Troubled Youth
(May 11, Kickstand, West Edmonton Mall, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM)
Presented by Heather Peddle & Peter Smyth
This one-day training explores trauma-informed approaches to working with high-risk youth. Participants will learn how chronic trauma shapes youth behavior, why traditional punitive methods fail, and how connection-based interventions promote healing and resilience. Strategies from Peter Smyth’s book Working with High-Risk Youth (2024) will be discussed, offering practical takeaways.
Heather Peddle, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, specializes in trauma recovery and safety exploration. Peter Smyth, an expert in high-risk youth work, is a published author and recipient of the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal.
Limited spots available—register early!
2025 Conference Keynote Speakers
Breakout Session Details
May 12th
-
Speaker: Peter Smyth
Organization: Organization for the Prevention of Violence
Date: May 12Are we truly using trauma-informed, strength-based approaches, or are we unknowingly relying on outdated myths? This session challenges common mantras in youth work—like "we must work harder than our clients"—and explores whether these beliefs help or harm young people. Prepare for an eye-opening conversation about what actually works in practice.
-
Speakers: Arlene Eaton-Erickson & Chris Schwab
Organization: Social Workers Association of Alberta
Date: May 12
What does it take to truly connect with high-risk youth? In this powerful session, a former ‘high-risk youth’ and their social worker share both sides of their journey—challenges, breakthroughs, and the lessons they learned along the way. Discover how relationship-building, strengths-based practice, and harm reduction can change lives. -
Speaker: Kimberly Spicer
Organization: Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, Alberta
Date: May 12
After reviewing 48 cases of young people who passed away or were injured while receiving services, what key lessons have emerged? This session explores the urgent need for stronger mental health support, substance use interventions, and post-18 resources. Learn what’s being done—and what still needs to change. -
Speaker: Penny Frazier
Organization: Zine & HEARD
Date: May 12
Youth from care have powerful stories to tell—are we listening? Discover how zines (DIY magazines) help young people express themselves, share their experiences, and heal. This session explores how art, music, and writing can be transformative tools for self-discovery and advocacy. -
Speaker: Faye Hamilton
Organization: University of Calgary, Community-Engaged Researcher
Date: May 12
Traditional ways of teaching life skills—like handing out pamphlets—aren’t working. Young people want interactive, real-world learning. This session shares research-backed insights on how youth prefer to develop critical life skills, with a focus on leveraging technology and participatory approaches. -
Speakers: Al Chapman & Amy Jeske
Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters Alberta
Date: May 12
Mentorship can be a game-changer for young people leaving care. This session introduces a specialized mentoring program designed for youth transitioning to adulthood. Learn about the program’s impact, guiding principles, and how to connect young people with mentors who can provide guidance and stability.
May 13th
-
Speakers: Crystal Croft & Meghan Duffy
Organization: CSS PSECA Community Follow-Up Program, Government of Alberta
Date: May 13
How can we protect young people from sexual exploitation? This session explores warning signs, emerging trends, and the role of social media in exploitation. Learn about PSECA legislation, community supports, and how to take action to safeguard vulnerable youth. -
Speaker: Dr. Michael Ungar
Organization: Dalhousie University, Resilience Research Centre
Date: May 13
What makes some youth thrive despite adversity? Using real-world case studies, this session explores resilience-building strategies for children and adolescents facing trauma, poverty, racism, and systemic challenges. Gain practical tools to support youth in overcoming obstacles. -
Speaker: Laura Stolte
Organization: Organization for the Prevention of Violence, Evolve Program
Date: May 13
Online extremism is a growing concern—how do we protect youth from being drawn in? This session identifies warning signs, risk factors, and effective intervention strategies. Learn how to foster critical thinking and digital literacy to prevent young people from engaging with harmful ideologies. -
Speaker: Pamela Thompson
Organization: Trauma-Informed Practitioner
Date: May 13
What stops young people from making meaningful changes? Explore the hidden barriers—like unmet emotional needs—that prevent youth from thriving. This session offers practical insights and strategies to help youth move past obstacles and develop healthy connections. -
Speaker: James Dorsey
Organization: Author & Foster Parent
Date: May 13
James Dorsey’s journey—from foster care and homelessness to mentorship and advocacy—is a testament to resilience. Hear his personal story and learn the relationship-based strategies he uses to support at-risk and high-risk youth today. -
Speaker: Monica Kindle
Organization: Youth Advocate & Educator
Date: May 13
Do you see the potential in high-risk youth? In this interactive session, Monica shares her personal and professional experiences in overcoming systemic barriers. Gain practical tools to build authentic relationships with youth and inspire meaningful change.
Youth Engagement at Kickstand
- Get Involved!
Join us for our first Youth Engagement event at Kickstand on February 27th, with sessions every two weeks until April 24th. This is a great opportunity for individuals aged 16-26 to gain hands-on experience in event planning, public speaking, and leadership while networking with professionals, speakers, and like-minded peers.
What’s in it for you?
Meals and transportation stipends
Certificate of Participation & Letter of Recommendation for future opportunities
Volunteer opportunity to work alongside our event team and ensure everything runs smoothly
Networking with professionals and peers
Experience that will look great on your resume!
Don’t miss out on this chance to make an impact and build your skills. See the Youth Engagement Recruitment poster, and apply to be part of this exciting journey!
Be an Ally. Be a Leader. Get Involved.
Call for Youth Artisans – Showcase Your Work at the Allies 4 Youth Conference 2025!
We’re excited to invite youth to submit their creative work for the Artisan Shop at our upcoming conference on May 12th and 13th! This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your talents and have your work featured for sale during the event.
Whether you're into handmade crafts, artwork, jewelry, or other unique creations, we want to see what you can do. By submitting your work, you'll not only gain exposure, but also have the chance to network with professionals and attendees.
How to Get Involved:
Submit your work for a chance to sell at the conference
Build your portfolio and gain experience as a young artisan
Be part of a vibrant community of youth creators
Don’t miss out on the chance to share your craft and connect with others at the Artisan Shop at A4YC!
Send your submission including your craft to hbosch@johnhoward.org.
Allies 4 Youth Connections
Our Conference
The Allies 4 Youth Connections Conference will bring together service providers, researchers, experts, and the youth to focus on the growing population of young people (12+) with increasingly complex needs. This conference will specifically focus on youth homelessness, indigenous youth & social justice, ethnocultural youth & trauma, and the voice of youth. We keep in mind that all youth, deserve the opportunity to live their lives in a meaningful way, to feel safe, and experience a sense of inclusion and belonging.
This work with our youth incorporates the most recent research, literature and trends in areas such as trauma, attachment and brain development in children and youth; harm reduction; resilience; strength-based practice; collaborative, multi-disciplinary practice; trauma-informed intervention.
This Conferences theme is: Empowering Hope through Authentic Connections
Our population of youth:
“[Youth in high-risk circumstances] are ‘the disconnected.’ They rarely have family to rely on. They rarely have a healthy support network to help guide them. They live risk-filled lifestyles characterized by such things as drugs, sexual exploitation, violence, living on the streets and family breakdown. They typically have difficulty trusting adults and perceive they are alone in the world… They are not ‘at-risk’ youth; they are ‘high-risk youth.’ They are not heading in a bad direction or on a path of self-destruction; they are already there…They are hard to engage, slow to change, test frequently, and challenge one’s practice, ethics, and boundaries. Many youth have shared that they expect the relationship with their child welfare workers and service providers to be problematic. Despite this, we have come to believe all high-risk youth demonstrate resiliency, they have strengths, and they do want a sense of connection. Attempting to connect with the youth can be a risk-filled journey that requires patience, but the rewards are infinite.”
*Smyth, P., & Eaton-Erickson, A. (2009). Making the connection: Strategies for working with high-risk youth. In S. McKay, D. Fuchs, & I. Brown (Eds.), Passion for action in child and family services: Voices from the prairies (pp. 119-142). Regina SK: