Sponsors and collaborators:

Tony Grampsas Youth Services

Mayor's Office - Education & Children

The Colorado Trust

Denver Newspaper Agency

Assets for Colorado Youth is please to announce that Kareem Moody will be serving as a keynote speaker at the 2007 Voices of Strength Conference: Weaving Multiple Approaches to Help All Youth Thrive.

"In the fight to save our nation's youth,
I'm glad it's Kareem Moody who is on my team."
-Keith Jackson, former NFL player and founder of PARK

A former gang member and "unreachable kid" himself, Kareem is the best selling author of Raise Them Up: The Real Deal on Reaching Unreachable Kids, and the Program Director of Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids (P.A.R.K). PARK is an after school program located in Little Rock, Arkansas that gives underachieving students in eighth through twelfth grades academic support, positive adult mentors, and college scholarships. Kareem's work has also connected him to youth living in the war zone of Little Rock's gang conflict-depicted in the 1994 HBO special, Banging in the Rock.

During his keynote and conference learning sessions, Kareem will share his experience using a strength-based approach in relating to and appreciating the value of youth deemed at-risk.

Kareem's presentations promise to provide participants with practical and applicable tools and techniques for reaching even the unreachable child.

"Raise Them Up: The Real Deal on Reaching Unreachable Kids is the best book I've read this year. I was so engaged that I finished the book in just one sitting!"
-ACY staff member

In every community there are youth and adults working to create places where young people can thrive. Some work to prevent risky behaviors in youth. Others use a skill building approach. Still others focus on providing supports and opportunities for children and families. All are important. Within each approach are strategies that work and best practices to share.

Conference participants will learn and experience how real people in diverse communities blend positive youth development with effective prevention strategies in culturally competent ways to reduce risk behaviors and prepare youth for success at home, school, and career and in life.

The Voices of Strength conference will feature interactive presentations by youth and adults on topics spanning from effective grassroots programs to promising research in the prevention and youth development fields. In addition to offering outstanding sessions from previous years, a variety of new sessions and presenters have been added in 2007 to update participants on best practices, current research and emerging trends from around the state and the nation.

Voices of Strength 2007 offers six strands for youth and adults: Best Practices In and Out of Schools, Current Research and Emerging Issues, Risky Business (Sex, Drugs and…), Early Childhood, Youth Engagement and Leadership & Just For Youth.

Check back soon for session details!

We are expecting 500 participants from across the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond at this year's Voices of Strength Conference! Space will be limited so register early. E-mail, fax or mail in your registration form by April 27, 2007.

Preconference registration fee includes session and materials. Conference registration fee includes all sessions, materials, continental breakfast and lunch on Thursday and Friday. An additional bonus will be the Networking Event for all conference attendees on Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 4:00 pm!

All registration fees are due in full prior to attendance at the conference. You may provide a PO number for tracking purposes only.

For more information, or to register, please download the Conference Information Packet & Registration Form.

PDF Registration Form