2026 Bridge Conference

Many youth-serving organizations serve increasingly diverse communities, yet not every young person experiences the same sense of belonging. When young people feel seen, valued, and included, outcomes improve across engagement, well-being, leadership, and learning. This interactive workshop explores how race, culture, disability, language, socioeconomic status, and lived experience shape belonging. Drawing on experiences working with youth in the United States and Nigeria, participants will learn to identify barriers to belonging, conduct a belonging audit, and implement equitable, inclusive practices. Through case studies and reflection, attendees will leave with practical tools to create environments where every young person can participate, contribute, and thrive.

Data sovereignty — the right of communities to control data about themselves — is not just a concept. It’s a practice.

Drawing on the work of the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) in Portland, OR, this workshop introduces participants to a framework for assessing and strengthening community data stewardship practices in their own organizations. Who currently controls your data? Who benefits from it? And how can youth, parents, and community members become genuine co-owners of the stories data tells? Participants will work through a guided framework to map their current data sovereignty model and develop a concrete action plan for shifting power back toward the community. This session is for leaders and staff ready to move beyond data compliance and toward data self-determination.