About this Event
Learn24 Network's 2026 Out-of-School Time Conference and Showcase: "Illuminate, Evaluate Elevate."
Join OST providers, youth development professionals, and community partners from across the District for two days of learning,collaboration,and innovation on June 22nd and June 23rd, 2026.
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
YOUTH ASSESSOR CORPS PANEL DISCUSSION
Conference Workshop Themes:
- Grant Administration and Compliance
- Program Sustainability and Effectiveness
- Program Quality Assurance/Evaluating OST Programs
- Funding Sustainability
- Capacity Building
- Positive Youth Development
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Family and Community Engagement
CONFERENCE AGENDA:
Day 1 (June 22, 2026 – 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.)
9:30 am-9:45 am: Welcome, Introduction, and Opening Remarks
9:45am – 10:45 am: Chef Rush – Keynote Speaker
11:00 am-12:00 pm: Workshop Block 1: (Concurrent professional development workshops)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch (Learn24 Panel – Youth Assessor Corps – Quality programming from a youth perspective)
1:15pm – 2:15 pm: Workshop Block 2: (Concurrent professional development workshops)
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Workshop Block 3: (Concurrent professional development workshops)
3:45 pm – 4:15 pm: Closing
Day 2 (June 23, 2026 - 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.)
9:30 am – 9:45 am: Opening Session
9:45 am – 10:45 am: Keynote Speaker
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Workshop Block 4: (Concurrent professional development workshops)
12:15 pm – 1:15pm: Workshop Block 5: (Concurrent professional development workshops)
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM: Networking Lunch
OST Grantees’ Showcase
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM: Opening of students’ exhibits
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM: Performance/entertainment by students
Important Registration Information:
If you plan to attend both days, please be sure to register for each day separately. Registration for one day does not automatically register you for the other.
We look forward to having you join us!
FEATURED KEYNOTE SPEAKER (Day One - June 22, 2026)
CHEF RUSH!
Chef Rush is a globally recognized culinary leader, decorated combat veteran, and unwavering advocate for mental health, youth empowerment, and military service. Raised in Columbus, Mississippi, he developed his passion for cooking from his mother, grounding his craft in heritage, discipline, and heart. These are values that would later define both his military and culinary careers.
Chef Rush is passionate about mentoring youth and standing firmly against bullying. He believes in empowering young people with confidence, discipline, and leadership skills — not just to navigate today’s challenges, but to prepare them for a future far more complex than generations before.
FEATURED YOUTH KEYNOTE SPEAKER (Day Two - June 23, 2026)
Issa Quarid!
Issa Ouarid is a 2026 graduate of Calvin Coolidge HS who has been a part of the Life Pieces To Masterpieces program since he was three years old. He currently serves after school and in the summer as a Junior Mentor in LPTM’s middle-school classrooms. He is a passionate advocate for his community, currently serving as a Student Representative on the D.C. State Board of Education, and previously serving with the Afterschool Alliance as a national afterschool youth ambassador. He has organized youth town halls and spoken to audiences ranging from the U.S. Department of Education to the National Academies, about the importance of OST programming in young people’s lives.
Outside of his afterschool advocacy, Issa is known for his creativity, leadership, and love of trains. After learning about trains in Life Pieces when he was a member of the “Tree House” classroom nearly fifteen years ago, he began to nurture what has become a lifelong passion for railfanning. Issa uses photography, videography and narrative to capture motion and tell stories through his lens, hoping to build a community of people who love and support public transit. He also creates music as L3wis Ali, using his artistry to express personal experiences and growth. This fall, he will be attending his new school in New York City, where he plans to study political science. Thoughtful, multifaceted, and always evolving, Issa is stepping into his next chapter with vision and purpose.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
District of Columbia Human Resources Center for Learning and Development, 1015 Half Street Southeast, Washington, United States
USD 0.00
