Kansas Connections Conference 2022

To create a generation of innovative problem solvers that will shape their world we need to engage youth in engineering activities. Engineering education promotes development of an engineering mindset —the values, attitudes, and thinking skills associated with engineering. This session introduces engineering and engineering mindset, focusing on why they are important. Ten engineering practices that help youth develop and strengthen an engineering mindset will be highlighted with examples from afterschool curricula. Participants will also reflect short video clips from educational settings that illustrate what the practices look like when youth engineer. Participants will leave with strategies for supporting the develop an engineering mindset in all youth. 

Presenter Christine Cunningham, Professor of Education and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University  

Biography: Dr. Christine M. Cunningham is a Professor of Practice in Education and Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. She aims make engineering, science, and computational thinking education more equitable, especially for populations that are underserved and underrepresented in STEM. Christine is the founding director of Youth Engineering Solutions (YES), which develops equity-oriented, research-based, and field-tested curricula and professional learning resources for preK-8 youth and their educators. Her research focuses on articulating frameworks for precollege engineering education. Previously, Christine was a vice president at the Museum of Science where she founded Engineering is Elementary (EiE).  Christine currently serves on the National Assessment Governing Board and as the Chair of the National Academy of Engineering’s Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable Engineering, for All (IDEEA) Committee. She is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education and has received numerous awards including the American Society of Engineering Education K-12 and Pre-College Division Lifetime Achievement Award, the IEEE Pre-University Educator Award, the International Society for Design and Development in Education Prize, and the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education. Christine holds joint B.A. and M.A. degrees in biology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in education from Cornell University.  

Apply and expand what you have learned about engineering mindset as you engage in an engineering challenge, designed for use in afterschool programs. You’ll engineer a rescue shuttle that lands near a person who needs water rescue. After learning about how shuttle variables affect its flight distance, you’ll imagine, plan, create, and test a solution that solves the problem. As you do so, you’ll reflect on the engineering practices you are using and how these can be supported when youth engineer. 

Presenter: Christine Cunningham, Professor of Education and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University  

Biography: Dr. Christine M. Cunningham is a Professor of Practice in Education and Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. She aims make engineering, science, and computational thinking education more equitable, especially for populations that are underserved and underrepresented in STEM. Christine is the founding director of Youth Engineering Solutions (YES), which develops equity-oriented, research-based, and field-tested curricula and professional learning resources for preK-8 youth and their educators. Her research focuses on articulating frameworks for precollege engineering education. Previously, Christine was a vice president at the Museum of Science where she founded Engineering is Elementary (EiE).  Christine currently serves on the National Assessment Governing Board and as the Chair of the National Academy of Engineering’s Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable Engineering, for All (IDEEA) Committee. She is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education and has received numerous awards including the American Society of Engineering Education K-12 and Pre-College Division Lifetime Achievement Award, the IEEE Pre-University Educator Award, the International Society for Design and Development in Education Prize, and the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education. Christine holds joint B.A. and M.A. degrees in biology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in education from Cornell University.  

“Positive and Purposeful Support” is essential for afterschool practitioners.  During this session we will unpack some important aspects of communicating with youth… 

• You must listen with Empathy 
• Engage young people in discussion using insightful questions that encourage careful thought 
• Listen, be attentive to youth when they speak and show support through the words we use. 
• Why does it matter how you speak, interact and listen to our youth? 
• The building blocks of positive relationships 

The training will be an interactive one.   We will create and act out scenarios on communicating with youth and discuss how messages can impact participants depending on the tone of your voice and the words you choose to use.   

Presenter: Pamela Nealy – Director of Operations – Boys and Girls Club of Manhattan 

Biography: Pamela Green Nealey has been a Boys & Girls Club Veteran since 1998.  She has worked in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and now Kansas.  During her time as a Youth Development Professional, she became a Master Trainer for the Boys & Girls Club of America. In 1999 she began to help her mother run a non-profit called Pacesetter Youth Groups where she created curriculum for Girl programming.  Her supervisor at that time gave her the name, Girl Guru because she was so supportive and always advocating for the Boys & Girls Club to do more programs for girls to help build them up and become confidence successful women.  Her mother passed in 2021 and caused her daughter to go through a traumatic situation, she now continues to work on keeping girls motivated so they will not experience, domestic violence, sex trafficking and more.  The mother of two, Pamela has been the Foster Mother to over 150 children between 1998 and 2006.  Her love for youth is not only an emotion but a passion. 

You matter to so many people—to yourself, your students, colleagues, families, relationships, community and the world. However, sometimes it all becomes so overwhelming and we disconnect or simply forget how incredible we are. In this session, we will explore the concept of “mattering” and engage in activities that reinforce and remind us of the value of our contributions, connections with others and our collective energy to make a positive impact on our youth, families and community. 

Presenter:  Jocelyn Guansing – Director of Education, Every Monday Matters 

Biography: With 25+ years in education, counseling and program development, Jocelyn brings her vast experience to Every Monday Matters (EMM).  As a classroom teacher, Jocelyn engaged her students with best practices that fostered a culture of emotional support. From site to district level, Jocelyn also managed engaging expanded learning programs for over 1000 youth and families in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Jocelyn and the EMM EDU team are committed to creating meaningful resources, tools, professional learning and support to empower educators to create experiences for youth, families, and communities to understand how much and why they matter. As Director of Education for EMM, Jocelyn is honored to work with you to create a culture of wellness and social and emotional development and a space that matters for you and those around you.  

, Engagement with diverse STEM role models is a key strategy to encourage youth’s identification with and participation in STEM. This workshop will introduce research-based strategies and resources for planning a role model experience, including how to recruit and connect with diverse role models using NGCP resources. Key program components from NGCP’s implementation of Brite, an online role model-focused program for girls, will be shared. Participants will have time to reflect on and brainstorm how to apply the learnings to their work.  

Presenters: Karen Peterson – Chief Executive Officer and Founder; Nancy Scales-Coddington – Director of Strategic Partnerships, National Girls Collaborative Project 

Biography: Karen A. Peterson has over 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, university instructor, teacher educator, program administrator, and researcher. Karen is the founder of the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) which seeks to maximize access to shared resources for public and private sector organizations interested in expanding girls’ participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The overarching goal of NGCP is to use the leverage of a network or collaboration of individual girl-serving STEM programs to create the tipping point for Gender Equity in STEM. Currently, 33 Collaboratives, serving 41 states, facilitate collaboration between 42,500 organizations who serve 20.2 million girls and 10 million boys.  Karen has co-authored multiple evaluation reports and promising practices reports in informal information technology education for girls for the National Center for Women & Information Technology. In 2013, Peterson was profiled in STEMConnector’s™ 100 Women Leaders in STEM publication. A graduate of the University of Washington, Bothell campus, her master’s thesis focused on gendered attitudes towards computer use in education. 

Nancy Scales-Coddington is passionate about creating dynamic partnerships and engagement opportunities, bringing awareness to STEM projects that broaden participation of traditionally marginalized audiences. She has worked as a STEM advocate in museums, classrooms, and public media for over twenty-three years. Nancy is a science communicator, practicing, teaching, and lecturing at universities and organizations globally. She has served as a science advisor and national trainer on museum exhibits and PBS series including Climate Change, SciGirls, Hero Elementary, and Mashopolis. She has been part of the Science Teachers Association of New York State for over a decade, serving in various roles. Sharing how girls can reach their potential through a variety of available STEM career paths is at the heart of her work. Nancy calls the Finger Lakes of New York home, residing in Ithaca where you can find her outside hiking with her dog, paddling, or skiing.

 Belonging is critical for our physical, mental, and emotional health.  Belonging also informs and enhances opportunities for impact in youth development programming.  During this session, attendees will learn and explore tangible ways to foster a sense of belonging amongst youth, staff and families.   

Presenter: Erin Balleine – Executive Director Camp Fire Heartland 

Biography: Erin serves as the Executive Director after having worked with Camp Fire’s National Headquarters. She has an extensive background in both nonprofit and government work, supporting literacy and youth development efforts over her career. She served as a community organizer in south Florida supporting a successful anti-slavery/living wage campaign – providing farmworkers their first pay raise in 26 years – for which she was awarded the Lakeland University Service to the Community Alumni award in 2011. She also worked as a Program Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service providing AmeriCorps VISTA and Senior Corps grants to organizations in Kansas and Missouri. There, she was awarded the CEO Award for her work on the innovative launch of a national social media campaign that exponentially promoted the work of the agency. Erin has her Master’s Degree in Sociology from Boston College, and Certificates in Nonprofit Management and Volunteer Management from Rollins College. 

In order to achieve unprecedented youth outcomes, we must genuinely commit to doing things differently. Who is typically “at the table” during program design and implementation? Who is not? This interactive session explores what teams can do differently to achieve different results. Representation matters and greatly influences what youth imagine to be possible for themselves and others. It’s not what you offer, but how you offer opportunities that engage staff, parents, and community members while exposing youth to transformative experiences that ignite their sparks and shape their self- discovery. In this session, we explore practical ways teams can drive change at every level by creating more culturally relevant partnerships that bolster youth interest and confidence, strengthening connections to STEM and other underrepresented fields. Participants will leave with strategies that empower colleagues at every level to build on their own strengths, to ensure that they are incorporating diversity, equity and inclusive practices to achieve common goals with a collective responsibility for success. 

Presenter: Dr. Deana Ervin, Founding Director of The International Focus 

Biography: Dr. Deana Ervin is the Founding Director of The Intentional Focus, a result driven firm that helps organizations and entrepreneurs develop and apply strategy to vision for optimal achievement.  Her firm provides coaching and consulting skills for a diverse client roster that includes Microsoft, GitHub, Google, United Way, multiple Chambers of Commerce, universities, churches, and school districts. Before charting her own path, she served as an advisor to city council, mayors, and elected officials in her roles as a HUD Community Builder and Regional Faith Based Coordinator for the White House Interagency Council on Homelessness.  

Her passion for empowering communities revealed a burning desire to equip our youth earlier along their journey.  Her mission expanded to include leadership with several entities doing innovative work in youth development. Accomplishments she is most proud of include serving as the CEO of 19 Children’s Defense Fund KC Freedom Schools; CEO of the WEB DuBois Learning Center; and National Director of Program Effectiveness for Camp Fire headquarter office and Missouri Coordinator for the design of the Kauffman Scholars program. Her research, “Maintaining the Segregated City,” examined the role of school-based college planning guidance services in the college trajectories of central city students; which ultimately led her to launch Black and College Bound Scholars. This nonprofit serves diverse preschool through PhD populations but specializes in eradicating gaps in exposure, access, and preparation for students of color.  

Dr. Deana is extremely passionate about partnerships that strengthen those who serve the most vulnerable communities while empowering people to achieve their greatest potential. Named 100 Most Influential Kansas Citians by the KC Globe, she serves as a consultant, trainer, and speaker for organizations across the country helping them design strategies and programs that advance diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives — especially those that bridge digital divides, empower disenfranchised communities, & create pipelines for people of color at all ages and stages. She is a proud HBCU alumnus of Prairie View A&M University, with MBA and MPA degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City; as well as an Interdisciplinary PhD in Urban Educational Leadership & Public Affairs and Administration.   

The world is changing, and at a pace that most of us adults are not used to.  One important change that has occurred in recent years is the openness and acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth amongst their peers.  That said, this is a group that is still highly marginalized and at much greater risk for developing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and ostracization than their cisgender peers.  As educators and caregivers, we have the privilege and obligation of deepening our understanding of and advocating for young people who identify as LGBTQ+.  And, the good news is, it isn’t rocket science.  

In this session, we will review key terms related to the LGBTQ+ community, discuss reasons for  supporting this group, along with some do’s and don’t’s of coming alongside these young people. 

Presenter: Jenna Dammerich – Social Worker, Olathe Schools 

Biography: Jenna Dammerich is a Licensed Master of Social Work and school social worker in the Olathe Public  Schools.  Throughout her eleven-year tenure in Olathe, Jenna has had the privilege of working in nine buildings, becoming well-versed in the needs of students, families, and staff across K-12 settings.  She passionately provides mental health services to students, as well as support and education to the families and staff who support them.  Prior to this work, Jenna served in the world of foster care and adoption as a Resource Family Worker with TFI Family Services, Inc. in Topeka, KS. 

Jenna is a devout advocate for marginalized groups, collaborating with district and community organizations to create equitable and inclusive spaces and resources for all people. 

Exploration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers and career pathways is a key strategy to encourage youth’s participation in STEM opportunities and identification with STEM, especially girls, rural youth, and other youth who have been systemically underrepresented in STEM. This workshop will introduce strategies and resources for effectively integrating STEM career information into afterschool programming, including high-quality online resources that showcase diverse STEM professionals and STEM careers. Resources will focus on engaging youth in STEM career exploration and guidance for connecting to STEM professionals locally. Participants will also engage in an activity designed to help youth see a variety of interesting (and sometimes surprising) career paths STEM professionals have experienced. 

Presenters: Karen Peterson – Chief Executive Officer and Founder, National Girls Collaborative; Nancy Scales-Coddington – Director of Strategic Partnerships 

Biography: Karen A. Peterson has over 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, university instructor, teacher educator, program administrator, and researcher. Karen is the founder of the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) which seeks to maximize access to shared resources for public and private sector organizations interested in expanding girls’ participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The overarching goal of NGCP is to use the leverage of a network or collaboration of individual girl-serving STEM programs to create the tipping point for Gender Equity in STEM. Currently, 33 Collaboratives, serving 41 states, facilitate collaboration between 42,500 organizations who serve 20.2 million girls and 10 million boys.  Karen has co-authored multiple evaluation reports and promising practices reports in informal information technology education for girls for the National Center for Women & Information Technology. In 2013, Peterson was profiled in STEMConnector’s™ 100 Women Leaders in STEM publication. A graduate of the University of Washington, Bothell campus, her master’s thesis focused on gendered attitudes towards computer use in education. 

Nancy Scales-Coddington is passionate about creating dynamic partnerships and engagement opportunities, bringing awareness to STEM projects that broaden participation of traditionally marginalized audiences. She has worked as a STEM advocate in museums, classrooms, and public media for over twenty-three years. Nancy is a science communicator, practicing, teaching, and lecturing at universities and organizations globally. She has served as a science advisor and national trainer on museum exhibits and PBS series including Climate Change, SciGirls, Hero Elementary, and Mashopolis. She has been part of the Science Teachers Association of New York State for over a decade, serving in various roles. Sharing how girls can reach their potential through a variety of available STEM career paths is at the heart of her work. Nancy calls the Finger Lakes of New York home, residing in Ithaca where you can find her outside hiking with her dog, paddling, or skiing.

This interactive session invites afterschool and out-of-school time leaders to begin thinking expansively about involving direct service staff in program design and improvement through the use of Pulse Checks. This session will focus on how to use Pulse Checks to encourage staff to share their opinions and identify opportunities for program improvement. They are especially useful if there is something unclear in your other data sources (such as survey reports or program quality assessments), and you would like to learn more. Pulse Checks are quick and easy ways to gauge the experiences and perspectives of your staff. The methods shared in this workshop can also be used with young people, making the skills you’ll learn in this session transferrable to both staff and youth. There will be opportunity for reflection and discussion at the end of the session.  

Presenter Nikki Roe Cropp – Director of Program Effectiveness , Hannah Howard – Evaluation Manger, Staff Advisor to the National Youth Advisory Cabinet – Camp Fire National Head Quarters  

Biography: In her role, Nikki works with affiliate councils to increase program capacity and improve program quality. Her areas of concentration include staff development, program assessment, curriculum implementation, and program framework application. 

Nikki previously worked at a local Camp Fire council, serving as the director of program quality.  Prior to Camp Fire, she worked more than ten years with a Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate, serving in various roles including director of program staff development.  Nikki also served on the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Child Safety Task Force.  Nikki is passionate about helping all youth reach their full potential and believes whole-heartedly in the power of relationships to make this happen. 

 Hannah manages research and evaluation efforts related to fulfilling Camp Fire’s Promise. She specializes in data-driven program improvement and works to organize and interpret information for the purpose of communicating Camp Fire’s impact. Previously, Hannah worked at Camp Fire as the Evaluation and Communications Intern. Prior to Camp Fire, she worked at ArchCity Defenders, a holistic legal advocacy organization, as their Data Analyst Intern. There, she cleaned and analyzed large data sets to support the “Close the Workhouse Campaign”. Hannah is passionate about providing quality programs to all young people and ensuring that youth voice is central in program planning. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics, with a concentration in Statistics, from St. Louis University. She currently resides in Kansas City, where she enjoys spending time with friends and family and taking care of her many plants.