Jump Start 2026

Explore digital design to cultivate student agency and self-expression. In this interactive session, we'll examine what creativity looks like in an AI-driven era through active digital content production.

Participants will gain hands-on experience using professional platforms like Adobe Express, learning to guide students in defining target audiences, building brand identities, and mastering graphic design fundamentals. By bridging the gap between students' digital passions and professional aspirations, this workshop provides practical insights into the creator economy, equipping educators to confidently guide students toward relevant 21st-century career pathways.

About two-thirds of teenagers who are in an abusive relationship do not tell anyone. This means that many of the teens in your afterschool programs may be going through one of the hardest times of their lives and no one knows. This session is for afterschool professionals who play a unique role where they may be able to intervene and get a teen the help that they need. We'll talk about all the reasons teens don't ask for help and how you can recognize the signs so you can begin the conversation. Participants will walk away with a better knowledge of the barriers teens face and how healthy intervention can keep teens safe.

What happens when we stop asking, “What’s wrong?” and start asking, “What’s possible?” Explore the power of Positive Youth Development (PYD) and discover practical ways to help young people build confidence, belonging, relationships, and a sense of purpose. Through engaging activities and real-world examples, you’ll leave with simple strategies you can put into practice right away to create programs where every young person has opportunities to thrive.

Most mental health models address struggles as they occur. But what if we focused instead on prevention — building sustainable well-being before problems start and giving students lifelong skills? The session will cover the evidence-based positive psychology topics WeBeWell teaches Utah youth in grades 6-12 — gratitude, applying strengths, goal setting, reframing negative thoughts, and more — and these skills' benefits. It also covers how to facilitate groups that engage adolescents, using a "Learn, Practice, Reflect, Connect" model backed by randomized controlled trials and published research with 667 Utah adolescents, proven to increase well-being and reduce depression and anxiety. Designed for administrators, afterschool staff, site leaders, and anyone invested in youth well-being.

This training is meant to help afterschool professionals identify blind spots in their program development in a way that feels tangible. Oftentimes, creating programs can be overwhelming because you have so many people to think about, on an individual level. This training will help bring a collectivist mindset in our planning to help decrease feelings of anxiety when planning for various people from a wide range of backgrounds. Come and be a part of the discussion and create an intersectional framework that works for you.

Afterschool professionals can have a lasting impact on teens' relationship with reading—without becoming reading teachers. This interactive session explores how to distinguish between skill-based and motivation-based reading struggles, create welcoming reading environments, and foster literacy through relationships, choice, and authentic engagement. Participants will leave with practical, research-informed strategies for building a positive reading culture, supporting struggling readers within their role, and helping young people see themselves as lifelong readers.