Annual Conference
Through our annual conference, you can gain access to timely, essential information on bullying, victimization and related issues that can be utilized in school and community settings.
Shared Voices: Youth and Community Participatory Approaches to Preventing Violence and Promoting Wellness
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Doors open at 8)
Classics V Banquet Center
2425 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, NY
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Morning Keynote Presentation (1.5 CE contact hours available)
Stephen S. Leff, PhD
William H. Bennett Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Co-Director of Center for Violence Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Stephen Leff will present on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), a collaborative research approach that equitably involves community members, researchers, and organizational representatives in every phase of the research process. He will discuss how his team used CBPR to develop their "Friend to Friend" relational aggression prevention and related programs, and core take-away practice strategies for supporting youth who are aggressive. Finally, Dr. Leff will share his top ten list of lessons learned for working in partnership with the community.
- Describe 3 key differences between community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to programming as compared to more traditional approaches to prevention programming.
- Explain the primary ways that relational aggression impacts youth’s social and emotional development.
- Identify specific best practice strategies that they can use to work more successfully with aggressive youth.
- Identify at least two common challenges and steps for overcoming these issues when using community-based approaches to ensure that the voices of youth, families, and schools are being integrated into programming.
Morning Student Panel — BAND Against Bullying
A panel of students from Amherst Central High School's Sweet Sixteen and Varsity Singers, joined by Director of Choral Activities, Justin Pomietlarz, will share their experiences participating in the annual BAND Against Bullying program over their high school career.
Afternoon Keynote Presentation (1.5 CE contact hours available)
Katheryne T. Leigh-Osroosh, PhD, NCC
Assistant Professor, Counseling, School and Educational Psychology
University at Buffalo
Community-Based Participatory and Youth Participatory research approaches center community expertise while fostering mutually beneficial partnerships aimed at addressing systemic barriers to student well-being and success. These approaches also provide opportunities for school administrators, educators, and student support staff to strengthen their professional knowledge, skills, and practices. This interactive session will equip participants with practical strategies for integrating participatory approaches into the development of sustainable, culturally relevant, and holistic student supports. Ultimately, the goal is to create data-driven interventions that align with the needs, values, and capacities of the school community.
- Explain how community and youth participatory research approaches can be used to address achievement and wellness gaps.
- Practice activities to include students and community stakeholders in creating sustainable culturally-relevant change.
- Describe how they will incorporate participatory practices within their schools to foster safer and more inclusive environments.
Breakout Session One (1:00 to 1:45 p.m.) — Select One
Asking for a Friend Leadership Program — Do You See What I See?
Vanita L. Jamison
Director, Community Based Programs, The Prevention Council of Erie County
Eddie Payne
Community Coordinator, Erie County Police Services
Understand the model which brings youth and law enforcement together to explore an approach, learn from implementation, examine lessons learned, consider prevention applications and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the purpose, structure, and key components of the interactive youth-law enforcement initiative.
- Explain how bringing youth and law enforcement together can surface differing perspectives, identify shared concerns, and strengthen community relationships.
- Identify how youth and law enforcement perspectives can be used as community -informed data to understand challenges, examine root causes and inform prevention and early intervention strategies.
- Apply lessons and promising practices from the initiatives to consider opportunities for collaboration, and community engagement in their own settings.
SMART (Supporting Mental Health and Resources Together) Collaboration
Kailin Kucewicz, LMSW
Manager, Community Schools and Partnerships, Erie 1 BOCES
Creating the conditions for student success requires more than what schools can provide on their own. When schools, families, community organizations, higher education institutions, and government partners work together around a shared vision, they can address barriers to learning and create opportunities for young people to thrive. This session will explore how the Erie 1 BOCES Community Schools CoSer supports districts through the Community Schools Framework by serving as a backbone organization that helps coordinate partnerships, align resources, and strengthen local capacity for sustainable change. Participants will learn how the WNY SMART Collaborative has brought together diverse stakeholders across Western New York to advance student mental health and well-being through shared leadership, collective action, and community-driven solutions. Through real-world examples, lessons learned, and practical tools, attendees will gain strategies for building and sustaining meaningful school-community partnerships that support the whole child and strengthen the communities in which they live and learn.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the core principles of the Community Schools Framework
- Identify the role of backbone organizations and regional partnerships in coordinating resources, reducing duplication of efforts, and increasing access to supports for students and families.
- Examine the WNY SMART Collaborative as a model of collective impact, demonstrating how schools, community agencies, higher education, and local government can work together to address student mental health and social-emotional needs.
- Apply practical strategies for developing and sustaining school-community partnerships that build trust, leverage community assets, and advance equitable outcomes for children and families.
Breakout Session Two (2:00 to 2:45 p.m.) — Select One
Leveraging School Data to Support Youth Mental Health and Wellness
Dr. Mai Nguyen
Director, Dept. of Social, Emotional and Wellness Supports
Buffalo Public Schools
Natasha Mehta
Supervisor, Dept. of Social, Emotional and Wellness Supports
Buffalo Public Schools
Matthew Pegg
Supervisor, Dept. of Social, Emotional and Wellness Supports
Buffalo Public Schools
Leveraging School Data to Support Youth Mental Health and Wellness
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Use different data lenses to ask better questions.
- Practice with school profiles.
- Leave with a better understanding of how to make data-driven decisions
Beyond “Be Kind” — NFJC’s Youth Programming and Community Work
Rene Petties-Jones
President & CEO
The National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York
Lyndsay Christia
Higher Education Professional and Doctoral Candidate
The National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York
Beyond “Be Kind” explores how youth-serving professionals can move beyond simply encouraging kindness to intentionally building the skills young people need to navigate conflict, understand impact, engage across differences, and create a sense of belonging. Drawing from NFJC’s youth programming and community-based work, this interactive session will explore participatory approaches that center youth voice while strengthening communication, empathy, critical thinking, and personal agency. Through facilitated discussion, examples from NFJC’s work, and an experiential glimpse into its approach, participants will examine what meaningful youth engagement can look and feel like in practice. The session will also share what NFJC has learned from listening to young people about creating spaces where they feel heard, valued, and better equipped to respond constructively to challenging situations.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Distinguish between encouraging kindness and building skills for navigating conflict and difference.
- Explore how youth voice and lived experience can strengthen belonging, empathy, and agency.
- Examine participatory approaches that create space for honest dialogue around challenging topics.
- Identify opportunities to better support youth voice and belonging in schools and communities.