Allies For Youth Connections
Empowering Hope through Authentic Connections
Thank you all who came out and made the conference so wonderful!
A4YC Steering Committee want to give a big thanks to all the Keynote Speakers, panelists, breakout session speakers, youth and volunteers a huge THANK YOU!
We are so grateful for the rich learnings and opportunities to meet with like-minded individuals who care about youth.
Thank you to those who came and made the 2025 A4YC conference so rich, we hope to see you for the next conference!!
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Our 2025 Conference Keynote Speakers
Breakout Session Details
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Speaker: Peter Smyth
Organization: Organization for the Prevention of ViolenceAre we truly using trauma-informed, strength-based approaches, or are we unknowingly relying on outdated myths?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.
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Speakers: Arlene Eaton-Erickson & Chris Schwab
Organization: Social Workers Association of Alberta
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 and Nashiha Iddrisu
Organization: Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, Alberta
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 & Kennedy H
Organization: Zine & HEARD
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 and Rebecca Stiller
Organization: MacEwan University, Community-Engaged Researcher
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: Ashley Berube & Amy Jeske
Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters Alberta
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.
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Speakers: Crystal Croft & Meghan Duffy
Organization: CSS PSECA Community Follow-Up Program, Government of Alberta
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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: