Breakout Session Offerings

This interactive workshop is designed to guide educators in understanding the Japanese concept of Ikigai — the intersection of what we love & are passionate about, what we are good at, what the world needs, and what we can be valued or rewarded for. Participants will explore how discovering their own Ikigai can lead to deeper professional fulfillment and learn how to foster a learning environment that encourages students to uncover their own sense of purpose. Through reflective activities, collaborative discussions, and practical strategies, educators will leave equipped to integrate Ikigai principles into curriculum design, guidance or advisory programs, and student goal-setting processes. This session emphasizes well-being, relevance, and authentic engagement in the teaching and learning process. (*The session will include having a couple of teachers who will share lessons they created for and with middle school students...and the impact the lessons had on the students' lives.)

Presenter: Carol Harle, Ph.D. (CAST SCHOOLS Network)

Somatic Experiencing (SE), a trauma-informed approach, is effective in reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and trauma in children and adolescents. This presentation will explore the principles and practices of Somatic Experiencing and its application in working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. I will share practical skills and strategies for integrating SE into clinical work, highlighting its benefits in promoting resilience, regulating emotions, and reducing symptoms of trauma.

Presenter: Valeria Lerma, LCSW-S (San Antonio Behavioral Health)

In this session, we’ll share findings from our research study with the San Antonio Education Partnership’s (SAEP) Scholar Success Program. We spoke with first- and second-year college students who received scholarships through SAEP, as well as SAEP staff members and college professionals. Based on our findings, we identified best practices and areas for improvement in equipping high school students, particularly first-generation students, with the necessary tools for academic and social success in college.

Presenters: Jasmine Victor, PhD and Sharon L. Nichols, PhD (UTSA)

First-generation college students face unique barriers in addition to the common obstacles that all students face. From family responsibilities and guilt about leaving home to financial needs and feelings of imposter syndrome, this session will help participants learn to navigate conversations in a way that prioritizes the student’s feelings. Learn best practices for supporting first-generation students as they navigate the social and emotional transition to college, and leave with a toolkit of resources to help them transition successfully.

This session is for anyone who has ever talked to a student. Ever.

Presenters: Aurora Llamas, M.S.Ed., Sarah Fiedler, and Rana Emerson, (College Possible)

In this session, participants will learn how to use fiber arts, specifically knitting and/or crochet, as a form of mindfulness meditation. They will also learn basic knit/crochet techniques to create a small square or circle coaster.

Presenter: Angelica Bush, LPS-S (Communities In Schools of San Antonio)

School counselors introduce mental health and wellness to elementary students through classroom guidance and responsive services. Join me for a deeper look at how to support our youngest students. Help them identify their feeling and understand how to use external and internal coping strategies.

Presenter: Susan Salinas, MEd (ESC-20)

The session will address possible barriers to mental health treatment typically present for new immigrant families and other families of Latino descent. Options to address these barriers will be provided. Symptoms of the most common mental health issues seen in school will be presented. Recommendations to address these symptoms and help the students using a collaborative model between family and school personnel in a culturally sensitive manner will be provided.

Presenter: Christinan Serrano, PhD

This workshop will guide attendees through a self-care inventory, allowing them to reflect on their own self-care and learn to apply it in the future for themselves, their staff, and clients.

Presenter: Jesse Higgins, MA, LPC, LMFT (City of San Antonio)

In an era of rapid change and social instability, educators and community leaders must navigate challenges with both strength and empathy. This interactive session explores how to foster resilient and compassionate leadership that supports the mental well-being of both adults and youth. Through real-world examples, reflective exercises, and collaborative discussions, participants will explore strategies to sustain themselves and their communities while promoting healing and well-being. Whether you lead a classroom, a nonprofit, or a community initiative, this session will equip you with tools to thrive amid uncertainty. This session aligns with CIS-SA’s mission of fostering whole-child, whole-community well-being by empowering leaders to navigate uncertainty with compassion, clarity, and courage.

Presenters: Alonzo Flowers PhD, (University of Texas at San Antonio), Rose Banda, PhD, (Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi) & Dolores Sendejo, PhD (University of Texas at San Antonio)

Participants will review the theoretical framework most useful for clients experiencing existential loss and/or disenfranchised grief following the suicide death of a family member or friend. Will identify narrative and expressive arts modalities that support the adolescent grieving process.

Presenter: Tami Logdons, LPC-S (Children's Bereavement Center of South Texas)

Working with children and teens can sometimes feel like navigating a sea of emotional waves and storms—but we don't have to be stranded there without the right tools! 

In this session, we will introduce you to the use of Polyvagal Theory to help regulate ourselves and our clients, enabling us to best support them during their stormy stages. We will have a brief overview of how the adolescent brain works and then dive into the basics of Polyvagal theory so you can walk away from this session with practical tools & skills to help de-escalate high-stress interactions with clients.

Presenter: Becca Juarez, LMSW (University of Texas San Antonio)

This interactive workshop will demonstrate to peers how art can be a form of recovery. Participants will release their own self-expression and create a piece of art. Attendees will also learn how to make their own arts workshops to incorporate into their peer support programming. Be free! Be creative!

Presenter: Nicholas Holstein, MS, CPS, CHW (HUG ME, Ink)

Highlights the need for adolescent mental health services, which is exacerbated by the current and expected-to-grow provider shortage. Presenters will discuss empirical and theoretical support for using non-professionals (e.g., youth mentors) to expand the provider workforce, as well as for training non-professionals using a just-in-time training (JITT) approach. Information, including challenges and support for JITT methods, is discussed. The second portion then provides a case study of a youth mentoring program that sought to train middle school-based youth mentors using JITT. We share best practices from JITT literature that informed our training development, as well as specific examples of JITT that were successful in our context. The presentation concludes with a review of in-depth acceptability data provided by youth mentors who received the JITT. Presenters discuss how this data can inform and strengthen future partnerships between similar organizations.

Presenters: Mackenzie Hart, PhD, Sarah Huggins, BS, & Felicia-Villarreal, PhD (UTSA)

In the face of systemic stress, reactive environments, and constant change, how do we stay grounded and lead with integrity? This session provides an opportunity to reflect on the emotional toll of leadership, particularly for those navigating burnout, guilt, and organizational challenges. Through mindfulness and self-inquiry, we’ll explore what it means to embody values under pressure, hold ourselves accountable with compassion, and act from a place of alignment—not depletion.

Presenter: Jeri-Ashley Bremmer, MS Ed, (The Mindfulness Co.)

Discover why peer support is revolutionizing adolescent substance use intervention and how it can be engaged anywhere that serves youth. Drawing from compelling data, real-world examples, and generational trends, I demonstrate how peer-led, recovery-inclusive environments spark engagement, resilience, and hope. I teach how early, compassionate peer interventions not only disrupt the pipeline of risk but also empower young people to sustain lifelong recovery. The proper support, at the right time, changes everything.

Presenter: Evita Morin, LMSW (Rise Recovery)

Discover how constructivist approaches – Visual Thinking Strategies, maker-centered learning, and inquiry – are transforming family engagement and reimagining afterschool programming. This session spotlights two innovative models that move past traditional family nights and homework help to create authentic partnerships. Through live VTS and inquiry-driven activities, experience how schools and nonprofits can connect with families in new ways – sparking curiosity, strengthening relationships, and turning afterschool into a vibrant extension of learning. Participants will leave with concrete strategies, ready-to-use facilitation techniques, and fresh inspiration to build deeper partnerships and create engaging, curiosity-driven learning experiences beyond the classroom walls.

Presenter: Tivy Whitlock, PhD, Kimberly Robinson (The Doseum)

Join DFPS and SJRC Texas|Belong to explore how community partnerships are expanding on the foundation of traditional foster care to support a more holistic child and family wellbeing system. Learn how collaboration in local communities is advancing outcomes, and how the transition to community-based care in Bexar County offers a model for strengthening local support networks. This session will challenge participants to reimagine their role in supporting youth and families and discover ways to leverage community-based resources for lasting impact.

Presenters: Kane Jaggers, LMSW (SJRC Texas|Belong), Makada Ward, MSW (Texas Department of Family & Protective Services), Katie Elseth, CTCM (The Office of Community-Based Care Transition)

This session will highlight a cross-sector collaboration between a community college district and a legal tech firm to help individuals with criminal records access affordable expunction services and targeted career support. The Expunction & Opportunity Program offers eligible students a pathway to remove qualifying charges from their record while receiving career guidance tailored to their legal status. Presenters will explore the policy shifts that make this work possible, share outcomes from the pilot, and provide actionable steps for replication across education, workforce, and re-entry systems.

Presenters: Julia Stotts, MLS (Alamo Colleges District), Yousef Kassim, JD (Easy Expunctions)

How do we foster a culture of deep connection in schools, nonprofits, and community systems when burnout, division, and systemic pressures persist? This interactive session introduces a framework for cultivating meaningful connection through the development of grounded confidence—an essential leadership skill for equity and resilience. Participants will explore how curiosity, emotional literacy, and courageous conversations can strengthen relationships, foster a sense of belonging, and align individual and collective purpose. Designed for educators, counselors, attorneys, and youth-serving leaders, this session offers tools to model connection-centered leadership in even the most challenging contexts. 

Dr. Lizzy Pérez brings a unique blend of academic research, real-world school leadership, and trauma-informed care coaching into a highly interactive and reflective session. Drawing from Atlas of the Heart by Dr. Brené Brown, leadership theory, and Lizzy’s original grounded confidence spectrum, the session invites participants into a web of learning that honors complexity, identity, and systemic realities.

Presenter: Lizzy Perez, Phd, ICF-PCC, ELI-MP (Lizzy Perez, LLC)

Communicating with families is critical to student success—but why is it often so hard? For many parents and caregivers, long work hours, competing responsibilities, a maze of phone apps, and even immigration-related fears create barriers that make engagement feel out of reach. In this interactive session, AVANCE San Antonio will share practical lessons from decades of experience partnering with families through programs such as the Parent-Child Education Program. Participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies for reaching parents more effectively and building the kind of lasting relationships that help students thrive. This is a 2-hour session (10:05 am - 12:25pm). "Every time we reach out to families, we have a choice: add to the sense of overwhelm or build trust."

Presenter: John Norman, JD (Norman Consulting) & Erika Crespo (AVANCE)

Chronic absenteeism has doubled since the pandemic, leaving millions of students academically behind and emotionally isolated. In this interactive session, participants will explore the barriers that keep students from school through a hands-on activity and discover how these challenges affect classrooms, campuses, and districts. The presentation will introduce MECA’s innovative mobile education model, which brings certified teachers and holistic supports directly to students wherever they are. Attendees will leave with practical strategies and partnership opportunities to re-engage disconnected learners, ensuring that no student remains unseen or unheard. "Every student deserves to be seen, heard, and given the tools to succeed because absenteeism isn’t just about missing school, it’s about missing opportunities."

Presenter: Sharon Samelson-Massiatte, Med (Mobile Education Center for All)

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how relationships shape learning, connection, and well-being in schools. Together, we will examine practical strategies for fostering trust, belonging, and empathy in everyday interactions with students and colleagues. Through reflection and hands-on activities, participants will walk away with tools that can immediately apply to create environments where every student and adult feels seen, valued, and supported. "Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” — Brené Brown

Presenter: Dr. Natalie Fikac (Be Well, Lead Well, LLC)

The audience will gain an understanding of the potential application of restorative justice practices in addressing conflicts and fostering community. They will apply RJ practices to address a conflict and gain appreciation for the uses of RJ principles and values.

Presenter: Robert Rico, PhD (University of Texas of San Antonio)

The presentation introduces the audience to the principles and goals of restorative justice (RJ). The audience will gain an understanding of the basic methods and potential applications of restorative justice processes in building relationships and fostering community in the classroom. They will become familiar with the four types of RJ practices and appreciate how they can help strengthen relationships and humanize conflicts when they occur. "The restorative justice training was very informative, and I am excited to try some of the techniques learned while conducting my unit meetings". - Seminar Participant

Presenter: Robert Rico, PhD (University of Texas of San Antonio)

We will review what DBT is, the populations it is effective with, and provide a framework and real examples of DBT interventions to use with school-aged children.

Presenter: Lisa Johnson, CIS-SA

This interactive workshop is designed to help participants unlock the power of emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance personal and professional relationships. Through exercises, guided reflection, and real-world scenarios, attendees will develop the skills to better understand themselves, empathize with others, and communicate with clarity and compassion. "Emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in forming and sustaining meaningful relationships. It encompasses the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions while empathizing with others. Individuals with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to navigate interpersonal dynamics, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts with sensitivity and tact."

Presenters: Jennifer Llamas, MA,& Belinda Herrera, (Big Brothers Big Sister of South Texas)

Healthy Futures of Texas (HFTX) launched a multi-pronged Parent Awareness Campaign in Winter 2024 to expand outreach and increase parent participation in Talk About It Texas (TAIT) parent and youth workshops. This initiative aimed to equip parents and guardians with the knowledge and resources needed to support open conversations with young people about healthy relationships and sexual health.

This presentation will share the design, implementation, and outcomes of our innovative parent campaign, created to strengthen family engagement and expand access to educational resources and tools for parents and caregivers in our community.

Recognizing the vital role parents play in their children’s success, our team developed an outreach strategy leveraging HFTX’s marketing expertise. The campaign implemented a Digital Parent Recruitment strategy designed to drive workshop registrations across three distinct Texas regions: Dallas, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley. Culturally relevant messaging and targeted outreach ensured that parents from diverse backgrounds received accessible, engaging information. To meet the anticipated demand, TAIT program staff received specialized training in multiple parent education programs, including those delivered in Spanish.

Since its launch, the campaign has significantly increased parent participation in educational programs and fostered stronger connections between parents and their youth. Parent survey results highlight positive shifts in parents’ self-reported confidence and engagement.

This 70-minute session will share lessons learned, promising practices, and strategies that other organizations can adapt to build family-centered initiatives with measurable impact. Attendees will participate in discussions and leave with actionable ideas to engage families as true partners in driving positive change for children and communities.

Presenters: Kassandra Castillo MS, Taylor Stafford (Healthy Futures)

Drawing on the perspectives of both mothers and educators, this session provides an inspiring and practical look at empowering students with special needs. Through real-life stories and actionable strategies, participants will explore how to bridge cultural, emotional, and educational gaps while strengthening collaboration between families, educators, and communities. The session will highlight ways to create inclusive environments, advocate effectively, and nurture the academic, social, and emotional growth of every learner—building bridges today to grow brighter futures tomorrow.

Presenter: Claudia Irene Vargas, M.Ed (UTSA)