Vital Village Networks will host its 10th National Community Leadership Summit on October 16th and 17th (www.vitalvillagesummit.org), once again bringing together healthcare workers, caregivers, policymakers, educators, and child advocates in person in Boston. The summit will feature a cross-section of local and national community experts who are dedicated to helping children and families get equitable access to resources that they need to thrive.
This year’s summit, titled Writing Our Story: Collective Leadership for Joy, Justice, and Healing, will seek to answer a central question: How are communities coming together — to create, learn, and design systems grounded in healing, joy, and justice? Senator Liz Miranda will open the first day of the summit on October 16th with a call to action for advancing birth justice and equity. The Summit will focus on how we can take individual and collective action to reimagine and rewrite the stories being told about our communities. Featured speakers include Kiese Laymon, social critic, essayist, and author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, and Camille Bennett, Founder and Executive Director of Project Say Something.
Celebrating 10 years of gathering changemakers and transformative leaders, the Summit will highlight critical practices and strategies for building and sustaining collective power for grassroots, community-centered change. Continuing to cultivate collaborative community action that fights for justice, creates spaces for healing, and centers joy for children and families across the country is the key to reducing the effects of early adversity and building a stronger future for all.
“We've held this summit in partnership with community leaders and innovators for the past decade because it is needed to guide the path towards health and educational equity and social justice.” said Renée Boynton-Jarrett, founding director of Vital Village.
The summit will offer opportunities for professional and personal development, peer learning, and networking for leaders from across the country who seek to strengthen collective efforts and advocacy for children and families. The summit begins with a Data Equity Symposium, Reimagining Birth Equity and Justice, on Oct. 16th. This Symposium is an all hands and hearts on deck experience, with active, collaborative work, designed for those seeking to build equitable, strengths-focused and just solutions, research, data and partnerships to ensure that all families experience care that honors dignity.
Summit attendees will engage with innovative community-led strategies to promote cross-sector partnerships between healthcare, public health, education, social service, and parent organizations through workshops, keynotes, lightning talks, and plenaries. Thematic tracks at the summit include: community-led strategies to promote food justice and equitable local food systems, civic leadership, educational equity and early learning, data storytelling, health equity, justice, and community healing.
Schedule:
Pre-Conference: Data Equity Symposium (Limited Space, by Request Only)
Date: Monday, Oct. 16th. 2023
Time: 12:30 - 5:00 p.m. ET
Location: The Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116
Main Conference
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 17th. 2023
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: The Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116
The summit will incorporate the principles of language justice, and select sessions will occur simultaneously in English, Spanish, and American sign Language (ASL).
Learn more and register at www.vitalvillagesummit.org/.
About Vital Village Networks
Vital Village Networks, based at Boston Medical Center, builds the capacity of communities to optimize child wellbeing, prevent early life adversities, and advance equity through coalition building, collaboration, leadership development, research, data sharing, and advocacy.
Learn more at www.vitalvillage.org/.
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Media Contact:
Please reach out to the Boston Medical Center Media Relations team with any questions.