2024 National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference
In 1990, the National Youth Advocacy and Resilience (NYAR) Conference, formerly known as the National Youth-At-Risk Conference, was founded by Georgia Southern University’s College of Education. The name change was adopted in 2021 and was encouraged by the youth the program serves. The Conference continues to provide prominent training for all individuals devoted to promoting and advancing the well-being of youth. For over 30 years, the conference continues to encourage the participation of educators at all levels including Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Criminal Justice Professionals, Business and Community Leaders and Volunteer Service Providers.
Past conference speakers have included nationally and internationally recognized educators and youth advocates such as Geoffrey Canada, Ron Clark, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Jim Brown, TV celebrity Judge Glenda Hatchett, and several National Teachers of the Year. In its 34th year, the conference has grown from a regional conference of 150 participants to a national conference of approximately 1400 participants and presenters from across the globe.
The 2024 NYAR Conference was held March 3-6th at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Savannah, Georgia. Keynote speakers included Dardi Hendershott, Co-founder of Hope 4 The Wounded, LLC and co-author of Supporting the Wounded Educator: A Trauma-Sensitive Approach to Self-Care, Manuel Scott, Ph.D., author and Freedom Writer, and Keith Brown, Principal Speaker and Lead Consultant.
Alisa Leckie, Assistant Dean for Partnerships and Outreach and Co-Chair of NYAR, expressed how the goals of the 2024 conference were to make it more personable for youth.
“NYAR 2024 was a resounding success. Participants left inspired and energized to continue doing the important work of supporting youth in our communities. It is a privilege to work with our presenters and participants each year,” she said.
Taylor Norman, Associate Professor of English Language Arts and Co-Chair of NYAR shared her experience on this year’s conference.
“This year’s conference, like so many in the past, created a proactive and productive space for our participants and attendees. I am honored to do this work, and inspired by the passion, purpose, and commitment embodied by our diverse and beautiful community,” she said.
The conference was a huge success with more than 200 presentations and over a thousand participants. Georgia Southern anticipates this number will continue growing and benefitting young people around the world and is excited for the future of our youth as we build on this success.
Posted in COE Events, Community Outreach & Partnership