Amid an early March blizzard, Missouri and Kansas afterschool leaders weathered the storm for a promising new event: the Afterschool Leadership Conference (ALC). Co-hosted by the Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN) and the Kansas Enrichment Network (KEN), ALC is a new kind of conference that bolsters connections and supports afterschool leaders.
Held in Kansas City, this brand-new professional development experience brought together seasoned professionals and emerging leaders, offering space for reflection, collaboration, and celebration. With speakers from New York to Wales, the conference brought together local expertise and international insight.
“We’ve been wanting to offer something not available anywhere else — something designed specifically for afterschool administrators,” said Terri Foulkes, Director of MASN. “We planned the ALC to spark new ideas, inspire their work, and provide a space to reflect and connect with others in similar roles.”
A Community of Hope
Dr. Rebecca Gillam, Associate Director of the West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute, opened the conference with a session on cultivating hope—a fitting start to an event grounded in vision and care. Her talk emphasized the need for a hopeful mindset in youth development, explaining how optimism fuels resilience. 
“We know afterschool program leaders carry a lot of stress,” said Michael Lemon, Director of the Kansas Enrichment Network. “We wanted speakers who could support and inspire them to keep going — and Rebecca’s message of hope was the perfect fit.”
From Cardiff to Kansas City
She shared her reason for coming to ALC: “I want to make things better, and I can’t do that without understanding what the real problems are,” said Dr. Hallingberg. “Being around people who recognize the importance of these contexts has been really rewarding and motivating.”
She left with an even deeper appreciation for the afterschool community. “The biggest thing I’ve taken away is how important these programs are in a community. We can see what we’re doing when we work with young people, but there’s so much good outside of that youth
setting that we don’t see. It’s so important to share those stories.”
Breakouts, Big Ideas, and Building a Better Future
Throughout the event, breakout sessions offered practical strategies for strengthening leadership. Dr. Jen Curry, Founder and CEO of Change Impact, led Youth Work 2.0, a session focused on equipping afterschool professionals with the tools to support youth in building career and life readiness.
Dr. Curry shared frameworks for coaching, assessment, and team development, reminding attendees that simply creating time for staff to talk can lead to powerful outcomes. “I’ve seen powerful things happen when people have time to talk,” she noted.
The Power of Community
For many attendees, ALC filled a long-missing 
gap in leadership development. “This is a conference that I wish I’d had and been able to attend 10 or 15 years ago—when I first started in this field with little to no leadership experience,” said Kelly Thomas, an attending afterschool leader from the Salvation Army of Springfield. “It has provided valuable communication with my peers, leadership skills, and new ideas to bring back to my team.”
Others echoed the importance of a dedicated leadership space, especially alongside more energizing statewide events targeted to all staff like the Missouri School Age Conference (MOSAC) and the Kansas City Out-of-School Time Conference. “MOSAC is the fun,” said Hollister Tiger Academy Program Director Traci Critser, “but we needed this.”
Conversations throughout the event highlighted afterschool’s broader impact—from supporting working families to strengthening local economies. Casey Conklin, Program Director at Warrensburg R6 Adventure Club, summed it
up well: “The Chamber wants working families, and you can’t have working families without quality childcare.”
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MASN and KEN extend sincere thanks to the speakers and facilitators who made this event possible:
- Dr. Rebecca Gillam, West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute
- Dr. Jen Curry, Change Impact
- Dr. Britt Hallingberg, Cardiff Metropolitan University / Centre for Health, Activity and Wellbeing Research
- Billy Mawhiney, South Dakota Afterschool Network
- Jocelyn Guansing, Every Monday Matters
- Terri Foulkes, Missouri AfterSchool Network
- Michael Lemon, Kansas Enrichment Network
