2026 Bridge Conference

It is human and deeply rooted in us all to want to belong. Not surprisingly then, that when we first step into a new group, it is our differences that often bubble to the surface, sometimes manifesting difficult emotions and behaviors. Spotting this kind of pattern is part of how we show up fully for our students — as we support them with new vantage points that see, embrace and celebrate differences.

In 2025, Allen Family Philanthropies awarded grants to 10 organizations across Washington that are working to mobilize young leaders across Washington to support their work to strengthen youth leadership, civic engagement, and youth organizing in communities from Thurston County, to Seattle, to Spokane. In this session, you'll hear directly from a few of them about their different approaches, shaped by the communities they serve and the issues their young people care about. Together, they're answering the same core questions through their work: what does youth power actually look like in practice, and what does it take to build it with young people?
Come hear what's worked, what hasn't, and what these organizations have learned along the way.

Young people thrive when organizations, families, schools, and community partners work together with shared purpose. Building authentic partnerships requires trust, shared leadership, and practical strategies for navigating change.

Drawing on 12+ years of coalition-building at the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition (SESEC), this interactive workshop uses Coalition Clinics—small-group problem-solving sessions based on real partnership challenges. Participants will explore scenarios focused on building trust, sharing power, sustaining engagement, navigating conflict, and aligning diverse partners around common goals.

Using practical coalition-building tools, they will map stakeholders, examine power dynamics, and develop strategies to strengthen collaboration. Participants will leave with adaptable frameworks for building resilient, equitable partnerships that center youth, families, and community voice.