Post submitted by Charlie Girard, Former Digital Organizer 

The second day of HRC Foundation’s sixth annual Time to THRIVE Conference ended on Saturday after a day full of featured speakers, special guests, breakout panels, workshops and film screenings.

During the morning plenary, attendees heard from Sebastian Ontiveros, National Director of Multicultural Alliance and Strategy Group & Senior Manager, Consumer Engagement, Toyota; Dr. Beverly Hutton, Deputy Executive Director of Programs and Services, National Association of Secondary School Principals; Dr. Marguerite Williams, Senior Director, Equity and Diversity, Association of California School Administrators; Thomas Davis, Program Coordinator, the Black AIDS Institute, former HRC Youth Ambassador and former HRC HIV 360° Fellow; Johanna Eager, Director, HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools; Dr. Kathleen Ethier, Director, Division of Adolescent and School Health in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control, and HRC Youth Ambassadors Savannah Skyler and Sameer Jha. 

Transgender trailblazer Jazz Jennings, former HRC Youth Ambassador, star of the GLAAD Award-winning TLC series, “I Am Jazz,” and her mom, a fierce advocate for transgender youth, also addressed the audience.

The lunch plenary featured inspiring speakers, including Scott Sapperstein, Assistant Vice President Public Affairs, AT&T; Nathan Monell, Executive Director, National Parent Teacher Association, Jodie Patterson, author, activist, member of HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council and a member of HRC’s Board of Directors and HRC Youth Ambassadors Lucas Segal and Gia Parr.

Additionally, HRC Senior Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Nicole Cozier facilitated a panel discussion with HRC Youth Ambassadors Justin Jones, MaKayla Humphrey, Ashton Mota and Zimar Batista. The group, made up of youth who identify as LGBTQ and Black or African-American, discussed the HRC’s Foundation’s new report on Black and African-American LGBTQ teens and discussed their own lives to shine light on how all youth-serving professionals can better serve LGBTQ youth of color. 
Following an afternoon of workshops, the night concluded with a screening of the movie “Room to Grow” featuring director and producer Jon Garcia, producer Damian Pelliccione, and several cast members.

Time to THRIVE is held in partnership with the American Counseling Association and the National Education Association, with AT&T, BBVA Compass and Toyota as presenting sponsors. In its sixth year, HRC Foundation’s premier national event addresses safety, inclusion and well-being for LGBTQ and questioning youth, and brings together youth-serving professionals to discuss best practices for working with and caring for LGBTQ youth and their families in schools, community centers, health care settings and beyond. The conference is taking place Feb. 15-17, 2019 at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.