California’s Master Plan for Career Education
In August 2023, Governor Newsom unveiled plans to develop a Master Plan for Career Education, designed to expand equitable access to living-wage jobs by enhancing education and job training pathways. After more than a year of collaboration with community and industry leaders, the Master Plan is taking shape. Join us for an opportunity to hear directly from the Newsom Administration on the vision for California’s workforce future.
Place-Based Economics
Building Partnerships to Create Shared Prosperity Across the North State and California
In this session, Kate Gordon will share insights from her extensive experience in coalition-building, partnership development, and policy design to strengthen regional economies. Drawing from her work across government, labor, workforce, community, and Tribal entities, she will explore how sustainable and resilient economic initiatives can deliver tangible benefits to the communities where they are implemented. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how place-based economic strategies can drive long-term prosperity in the North State and beyond.
10 min BREAK
Building a Future
Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick will share her personal story of overcoming her childhood with the support of dedicated educators, achieving success despite having a perfect ACES score. Drawing from her experiences as both a former teacher and community leader, she will discuss essential tools educators need to ensure long-term success for students. Heather will offer insights on building relationships with legislators to advocate for educational policies that support both students and teachers. This session will empower educators to persevere through challenges and create lasting change in the classroom and beyond.
Aligning Education Attainment in Rural Communities
State Strategies, National Trends, and a Focus on
Local Action
Join an interactive panel discussion featuring national experts from Complete College America and the Education Design Lab as they share insights on educational attainment trends across the states and nation – with a focus on local action. With deep connections to philanthropy and policy, panelists will explore what they are learning including shared priorities and emerging best practices in communities like ours. Moderated by Dr. Kate Mahar, this session will highlight collaborative strategies, policy developments, andA innovative approaches shaping the future of education and workforce success. Bringing the information home to the North State will be the overall goal.
LUNCH – Networking
Animal Encounter with Turtle Bay Museum
Live in the Courtyard!
BREAKOUT SESSION 1
Choose one of the following…
Session 1A
Electrifying Youth Leadership
Advocacy and Action in Rural Northern California
This interactive session will explore efforts to elevate and engage youth voices in rural Northern California. Bode Gower will highlight disparities affecting rural youth—such as education and broadband access—and discuss how the Northern California Youth Policy Coalition is mobilizing young leaders to drive change. Dr. Karen Schreder will share insights from her work with Chico State’s Student Ambassadors, who are conducting research and advocating for their communities. Together, they will offer strategies for fostering meaningful youth involvement in policy and education, ensuring rural perspectives are heard and valued.
Session 1B
Bridging the Gap
Unifying Education, Workforce and Environmental Stewardship
This session explores how regional initiatives like North State Jobs First and the K-16 Collaborative are uniting education, workforce development, and industry growth to create a resilient economy while sustaining our working lands. By leveraging collaborative partnerships, best practices, and shared funding opportunities, we can align training and education with industry needs to drive sustainable economic development. Join us to learn how these efforts are fostering a thriving workforce while reinforcing environmental stewardship across the North State.
10 min BREAK
BREAKOUT SESSION 2
Choose one of the following…
Session 2A
Forging Stronger Connections
Tools for Effective Teamwork in Rural Collaborations
Successful rural collaborations require strong relationships, trust, and effective communication. This session introduces systems thinking, emphasizing how interconnected teams drive meaningful outcomes. Participants will explore principles of systematic collaboration, including conflict resolution through empathy, creating win win agreements, and fostering trust through vulnerability loops. The session will also examine the impact of scarcity vs. abundance mindsets in leadership. Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen teamwork, enhance problem solving, and build resilient rural partnerships.
Session 2B
NSC Student Tracker
A Blueprint for Tracking Students After High School
This session provides an in-depth look at how North State Together partnered with local high schools and leveraged the National Student Clearinghouse’s Student Tracker to monitor postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and attainment for graduates. Participants will gain insights into the steps for data-sharing agreements, file uploads, and report creation. We’ll review dashboards, showcase key successes, share lessons learned, and discuss strategies for overcoming challenges encountered throughout the process.
Snack BREAK
BREAKOUT SESSION 3
Choose one of the following…
Session 3A
Community Schools
Building Foundations for Thriving Students and Communities
This session will explore how the Community Schools model acts as both a school reform effort and a community development initiative in the North State. By addressing local challenges through integrated supports, community engagement, and collaborative leadership, community schools create pathways for long-term success, improving student outcomes while strengthening the fabric of local communities. Participants will gain actionable strategies for fostering sustainable, community-driven school models that enhance educational opportunities and support the growth of vibrant communities across the region.
Session 3B
ARCH Collaborative
Partnering for Holistic, Family-Centered Care
Building sustainable systems of care for children and families requires innovation, resilience, and the ability to adapt when challenges arise. This session will share hard-earned lessons from the ARCH Collaborative’s efforts to create holistic, trauma informed services in the North State. From securing funding to navigating policy shifts and political adversity, we’ll explore what has worked, what hasn’t, and what’s still evolving. Participants will gain insights into sustaining impact through collaboration, advocacy, and mission-driven leadership in an ever-changing landscape.
Celebration of Progress
- Building Butte: https://www.csuchico.edu/about/projects-initiatives/nspdc/index.shtml
- Reach Higher Shasta: https://www.readingpalschico.org/
- Advancing Modoc: https://advancingmodoc.org/
- Glenn 2 Greatness: https://www.glenn2greatness.org/
- Cradle 2 Careers 4 Siskiyou: https://secure.smore.com/n/hm236
Closing
