2026 Saving Our Youth Symposium

U-Turn Youth Consulting's Annual Professional Development Conference continues the critical conversation surrounding the Home-to-Pr*son Pipeline with this year's theme: The Home-to-Pr*son Pipeline 2.0: Generational Backstories of Youth Violence. This year's conference expands the dialogue by examining how cycles of violence, trauma, and systemic inequities are transmitted across generations, shaping the experiences of children, youth, families, and communities. Understanding these generational backstories is essential to addressing the root causes of youth violence rather than simply responding to its consequences.

This year, addressing the home-to-Pr*son pipeline and mitigating gun violence requires highlighting the intersections and necessitates stakeholders; understanding of the Home-to-Pr*son Pipeline. Law enforcement, public safety, education, health, and mental health are all viewed through highly polarized political lenses, often leaving the most vulnerable populations overlooked. The symposium is critical now more than ever. Our speakers and panelists comprise diverse experts in their respective fields, bringing substantial knowledge and effective skill sets to tackle these interconnections. They will assist participants in implementing substantive, socially, and culturally equitable interventions to address current demands. This symposium aims to engage the professional audience, facilitate essential difficult dialogues, and, importantly, provide tools and resources to achieve impactful and lasting change.

Who: The conference targets government officials, social service providers, educators, law enforcement personnel, healthcare and mental health providers, faith leaders, parents, college students, and the community at large.

When: Friday, October 16th (9am-4pm) and Saturday, October 17th (9am-2pm)

Where: St. Thomas University, 16401 NW 37th Avenue, Miami Gardens, FL 33054

Why: As a nation, we persist in allocating funds to address the youth and gun violence epidemic, frequently employing the same strategies with the hope of achieving different outcomes. Unfortunately, the results have not justified the initial investment. This conference seeks to foster a paradigm shift in youth services,advocating for a transition from a sympathetic approach to an empathetic one.