About this Event
The Building Futures conference is a full-day, collaborative event designed to bring together youth with lived experience, service providers, educators, policymakers, and community partners to strengthen systems serving youth experiencing homelessness. Throughout the day, participants will engage in meaningful dialogue, learning, and connection centered on elevating youth voice, sharing innovation, and strengthening cross-sector collaboration.
The event will offer attendees practical insights and real world examples of strategies that are making an impact across communities. Participants will also be introduced to newly developed toolkits, walking away with concrete resources they can use to improve practice, strengthen partnerships, and better serve youth.
Through keynote remarks, interactive breakout sessions, and a cross-sector panel discussion, attendees will explore how different systems, such as housing, education, workforce, mental health, and child welfare currently operate and where opportunities exist for stronger coordination. These sessions are designed to break down silos, deepen understanding, and spark new approaches to collaboration that lead to better outcomes for youth.
The conference also creates space for connection and relationship building. Networking opportunities and collaborative discussions will support the development of new and strengthened partnerships across sectors. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of each other’s roles, shared goals, and opportunities to align efforts moving forward.
Building Futures aims to move beyond conversation and toward meaningful, system level change.
You can find conference materials, day of information and more coming to our website: iaboscoc.org/buildingfutures
Event venue & nearby stays
Iowa Events Center, 730 3rd Street, Des Moines, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.