Jump Start 2026

Explore how small, intentional shifts away from directive, compliance-based strategies to open-ended, curious facilitative communication approaches can strengthen staff-youth relationships, amplify youth voice, and create environments where young people feel encouraged and empowered to contribute to their learning and development. Appropriate for all youth development professionals, this interactive workshop will leverage ideation, reflection, discussion, and practice. Learn to listen deeply, collaborate boldly, and design interactions with intention that nurture competence, appropriate risk-taking, persistence, and joy in youth. Leave with simple, effective, and immediately implementable tools and frameworks designed to create more responsive, engaging, and youth-centered experiences.

This advanced leadership session connects strategic organizational communication with daily program management, focusing on how supervisors can empower front-line staff to build immediate trust with families. Led by a veteran communications director and a seasoned principal, this interactive workshop teaches leaders how to train their direct-care staff in clear, empathetic communication techniques that de-escalate parent concerns.

Attendees will leave equipped with a practical, three-step ""Bridge to Focus"" communication framework. This tool is designed to turn stressful daily interactions into positive, trusted connection points—proving that the little moments of deliberate, reframed communication yield big outcomes in staff retention and strategies for meaningful family engagement.

What do youth-serving adults across Utah say they need to develop confident youth leaders? This session shares findings from a statewide needs assessment of more than 225 professionals and volunteers working with youth, highlighting the greatest challenges they face, priority professional development needs, and the supports they believe would make the biggest difference. Learn what youth leaders across Utah identified as their biggest barriers, why ADHD and autism emerged as the highest training priorities, and how these findings can inform future staff development, programming, and resource planning. Whether you supervise staff, coordinate programs, or work directly with youth, this session will provide valuable insight into the evolving needs of Utah's youth-serving workforce.

Little moments can create big outcomes when youth feel seen, heard, and connected. This session is for after-school leaders, site coordinators, and front-line staff who want simple, engaging ways to strengthen youth voice, family connection, and positive peer interaction. Participants will explore how Discovery Hunt-style activities can turn everyday program moments into meaningful opportunities for belonging, skill-building, reflection, and recognition. Walk away with practical ideas for creating quick challenges, family engagement prompts, and youth-led activities that support resilience, confidence, and connection for ages 5–18.

Discover how adopting a coaching mindset as a supervisor can transform everyday interactions with staff into meaningful opportunities for fostering connection, growth, confidence, and ultimately, stronger program quality. We'll explore when to lead, when to manage, when to mentor, and when to coach; practice giving feedback that is both human-centered and actionable; strategize navigating difficult conversations with confidence and empathy; and learn tools for helping staff set goals, solve problems, and reflect on their own practice. Leave with practical coaching tools, conversation frameworks, and immediately implementable strategies that cultivate a positive team culture and strengthen staff performance to create the conditions for young people to thrive.

Designed for program staff working directly with youth, this interactive session utilizes facilitator-led modeling to demonstrate high-impact program delivery. Upon entering the room, participants will experience the session from the youth perspective as the facilitator actively models best practices in real time. Through this live demonstration, you will observe firsthand how to seamlessly integrate youth leadership opportunities, scaffold skill-building support, and facilitate intentional conversations before, during, and after activities. Come ready to engage in this dynamic, role-play-driven professional development experience.

Advocacy doesn't have to be a drag! While engaging policymakers can feel intimidating, the secret is simple: they’re just people who want real connection. As an afterschool pro, you already have the superpowers needed to win them over. In this session, we’ll ditch the "scary" stuff and discover how to use your existing skills—the same ones you use to connect with youth and families—to become an advocacy rockstar. Let’s reshape how you make the case for your program and turn "cumbersome" into "connection!"

Change is constant in afterschool programs, but it doesn't have to drain your team. Discover how small leadership shifts can build staff resilience, strengthen team culture, and improve outcomes for youth. Based on 13 years of VentureLab's experience, this session gets you hands-on with a framework rooted in creativity, adaptability, and purpose. Leave with ready-to-use strategies you can implement immediately, plus a complimentary seat in VentureLab's online course to continue the learning!