This year’s Conference theme is Backstories Matter: Reframing Gun Violence. The past year and a half has been and will surely continue to be difficult for so many. Election year 2024 will spotlight the dire need for change at every level, inside-and-outside systems, and amid current themed issues, no one is or will be more impacted than Black and Brown children and youth. Within the past 12 months, we have experienced post covid widening of learning gaps, nationwide intensification of Book Bans, unexpected closure of schools, escalation of youth in crises, phenomenon of community shootings, surge of younger shooters, strengthening of the school-to-prison-pipeline, the ban of Tiktok, growing concerns of 1st Amendment rights, surge in new arrivals, and the increased polarization of election year 2024.

This year, it is impossible to focus on interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and mitigating gun violence, without highlighting the many intersections and the need for stakeholders to cognitively reframe the above-mentioned Backstories and those not yet discussed, that contribute to the pipeline and ultimately its community impact. Policing and public safety, education, health, and mental health, are all being addressed through hyper polarized political lens, leaving the most vulnerable forgotten. The stakes are high and those with the most to lose are our youth. SOYS is needed today more than ever. Our speakers and panelists are a diverse group of experts in their respective fields who will bring vast knowledge and effective skill sets to address the many interconnections. They will help participants implement substantive, socially, and culturally equitable interventions to meet the demands of the moment. This symposium will engage the professional audience, accelerate much needed difficult dialogues, and most importantly provide tools and resources to effectuate impactful and lasting change.