Thank you for making School’s Out Washington’s 2025 Bridge Conference a success!

We were proud to see our conference theme, Together We Rise, resonate through every keynote, workshop, and conversation as hundreds of changemakers from across Washington gathered to celebrate and lean into collective resilience, empowerment, and shared success.

Keynote speaker Dr. Lee Porscha Moore presents to Bridge attendees

Dr. Moore uses bubbles during her presentation

An attendee laughs during a workshop

Someone speaks into a microphone during a workshop

Attendees speak in a small group during a workshop

An attendee shares during a workshop

Presenter speaks to a room full of attendees

Presenter speaks to a room full of attendees

Presenters and attendees participate in an activity during a workshop

A presenter speaks during a workshop

Presenters and attendees participate in an activity during a workshop

Attendees talk to people at their table during a workshop

A full room of attendees shares in partners during a workshop

Attendees pose for a group photo

Attendees pose for a group photo

Attendees pose for a group photo

Our opening keynote speaker, Dr. Lee Porscha Moore, set the tone with a powerful message about healing-centered engagement, highlighting the importance of building and sustaining healthy relationships, understanding who we are, investing in personal and collective wellbeing, and giving youth agency to act and create change.

Through a visual demonstration of what it looks like to take on the emotional weight of our personal and daily lives, Dr. Moore reminded us that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but the only sustainable path forward—for ourselves and the youth we serve. She encouraged us to remember that young people are perceptive and notice when we are not, or cannot, show up as our authentic selves. And luckily for us, they will call us out on it. For Dr. Moore, one young person’s honest reflection became the catalyst for her own healing journey.

In these traumatic times, her message was a timely reminder to prioritize self-care and mindfulness. Dr. Moore left us with a simple but powerful challenge: Find one sustainable thing you can do to care for yourself.

Over the course of the two-day conference, attendees chose from 50+ workshops offered by youth development professionals and advocates from across the state, exploring key topics such as trauma and mental health, designing inclusive and empowering programs, racial equity and justice, and self and collective care.

Presenters offered a variety of opportunities for attendees to dive deeper, connect with peers in the field, and explore applicable tools and resources to bring back to programs and staff. Attendees praised workshop presenters for their energy, expertise, practicality, and intentional engagement during sessions.

Attendees also had a chance to connect outside of workshops, including during our Exhibitor Showcase & Happy Hour, Networking & Coffee Chats, and live interactive art experience led by Seattle artist Christopher Coleman of Artistic Love Life.

Attendees hang out at the Meydanbauer Center

Closing speakers (left to right) Representative Kristine Reeves, Angelo Celletti, Nicole Yohalem, Corey Belser, Erica Limón-Trefielo, and Gabriel Linares

The attendees smile while sitting at a table with food

Closing plenary fireside chat panel speaks to Bridge attendees

Three attendees smile for the camera

Seattle artist Christopher Coleman presents the final collaborative art piece

Youth Advocacy Subcommittee members Angelo and Gabriel speak to the Bridge audience with Radu Smintina

Attendees pose for a group photo

Attendees fill the plenary hall

Three attendees smile for the camera

Attendees hang out outside of workshops

Attendees play foosball during the Exhibitor Showcase & Happy Hour

Three attendees smile for the camera

Three attendees smile for the camera

Attendees smile for the camera

On Tuesday afternoon, conference attendees gathered for our closing plenary session, Mobilizing for Equity and Opportunity in the Youth Development System. Led by host Nicole Yohalem and featuring panelists Representative Kristine Reeves, Erica Limón-Trefielo, and Corey Belser, this motivating fireside chat explored the importance of critical hope, community building, and collective action.

Panelists shared how navigating foster care, social support systems, and rural resource deserts as young people informed their commitment to youth development as adults.

For those working with legislators, Representative Reeves offered insightful advice for garnering support from state representatives, outlining three key questions that advocates should be prepared to answer:

1. What is the problem you’re trying to solve?
2. So what? What are the benefits of solving this problem?
3. Now what? What are three things the legislator can do?

In addition to asking for funding, Representative Reeves suggested having a near-term goal, such as sponsoring a bill in an upcoming legislative session, and a long-term goal that the legislator can work toward throughout their term.

In closing, SOWA’s policy director, Radu Smintina, and two young people from SOWA’s first-ever Youth Advocacy Subcommittee, Gabriel and Angelo, provided an exciting update: The Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST), our statewide coalition advocating for funding for youth development, is working to introduce a bill in the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session to establish a youth development fund which would bring us closer to achieving a fully-resourced youth development ecosystem.

Thank you to every attendee, presenter, speaker, exhibitor, and sponsor who helped make this conference such a meaningful event.

Save the date for the 2026 Bridge Conference:

October 26-27, 2026
Tacoma Convention Center
Tacoma, WA

Photos by Che Sehyun