A Walk In My Shoes: Crittenton Center 2026 Annual Summit

Experience life through a youth's eyes navigating child welfare at Crittenton Center's 2026 Annual Summit: A Walk In My Shoes. Crittenton Center's 2026 Annual Summit: A Walk In My Shoes is an immersive learning experience designed to deepen understanding of what it is like for young people navigating child welfare and other public systems. The summit's featured experience, Youth Experiential Learning Labs (YExLS), uses a curriculum developed alongside young people with lived experience to place participants in the role of a youth navigating systems such as education, foster care, youth justice, homelessness, and behavioral health. Through experiential learning, simulation, and gamification, attendees will gain firsthand insight into the challenges, barriers, and resilience of youth while exploring practical ways to strengthen the systems that support them. Following the simulation, participants will engage in guided reflection and collaborative discussions focused on identifying solutions that improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. The summit will also feature keynote speaker Alex Briscoe, Principal of Public Works Alliance, who will share insights on Medicaid reform and the role of policy in strengthening services for young people. The day concludes with an optional QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training, providing attendees with practical skills to recognize and respond to someone in crisis. Whether you work in child welfare, education, healthcare, behavioral health, juvenile justice, or another community-serving field, A Walk In My Shoes offers an opportunity to build empathy, strengthen partnerships, and leave with actionable ideas for creating more responsive, youth-centered communities.