2023 Be@School Conference

2023 Be@School Conference participants will hear current and former student’s reflections on their experience with the education system and what they need from adults, particularly related to school attendance. We’ll also dig into the results from the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey. A current teacher will reflect on how he uses student input to engage middle school youth. There will be opportunities for discussion and networking with other professionals. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Overview

August 8, 2023
9-3pm

Delta Hotel by Marriott
1330 Industrial Blvd NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Free of cost. Breakfast and lunch provided. MN BOSW CEUs and CLEs available (School Admin CEs pending approval.)

Agenda

8:30-9:00 | Registration, exhibits, and breakfast

9:00-9:15 | Welcome

9:15-9:20 | Recognition of Success: Stories of Achievement video

9:25- 10:30 | Speaker | K.J. Rolenc

10:30-10:40 | Break and exhibits

10:40-10:45 | Attendance PSA Rogers High School video

10:45-11:45 | Speaker | Maira Rosas-Lee (Minnesota Department of Education)

11:45-12:00 | Breakout discussion

12:00-12:35 | Lunch and exhibits

12:35-12:40 | MYVoice poem video

12:45-1:30 | Foster Advocates and Adam Johnson (Office of Higher Education) panel

1:30-2:00 | Be@School Youth feedback video

2:00-2:15 | Breakout discussion

2:15-2:55 | Michael Bratsch and student video

2:55-3:00 | Closing remarks and evaluations

Conference Materials

Speakers and Panelists​

KJ Rolenc K.J. Rolenc is a passionate advocate for social justice and community building in his home city of Minneapolis. A founding board member on the advisory board for the Fund for Safe Communities at the Minneapolis Foundation, K.J. works with various nonprofits throughout the city, both with violence prevention and at-risk youth. He is currently the Youth Council Program Manager at YouthLink where he has helped to form and coordinates their Voices of Youth Advisory Council. He does speaking engagements and coaches at a local boxing gym, coaches youth basketball year round, mentors youth, holds a real estate license, and is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. He intends to open his own nonprofit in the future.
Maira Rosas-Lee will provide an overview of the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey completed by more than 135,000 students. The survey is administered every three years to Minnesota students in grades 5, 8, 9, and 11. Maira is an evaluator at the Minnesota Department of Education in the Data Practices and Analytics division.
Foster Advocates logoFoster Advocates and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) will host a panel discussion. Fosters speaking to the impact of the Fostering Independence Grant (FIG) and what they wish they had during their high school experience. Foster Advocates is a Minnesota non-profit organization that centers and elevates the lived experiences of Fosters as they identify gaps, barriers, and solutions for systems change. They collectively organize with Fosters as they direct the growth of our networks, programs, communication, and advocacy. They advocate for legislative, policy, and practice reform at all levels to improve experiences for Minnesota Fosters. The Foster Advocates panel will be joined by Adam Johnson, who has 18 years of experience administering financial aid to students in Minnesota. In March of 2022, Adam was hired by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to implement and manage the state’s first cost of attendance financial aid program, the Fostering Independence Grant.
How do you actually create the change you want to see? Go on a journey of hope with veteran educator Michael “Mr. B” Bratsch and learn the core principles it takes to motivate youth. As a nationally recognized teacher he has helped thousands of students discover their gifts, talents and passions. He will talk about the importance of having the structure to succeed, but the freedom to learn. As an adoptee he will speak about his own experiences and how it helped shape him into the impactful educator he is today. Lastly, Michael will discuss how you can stay motivated during these challenging times and how you can truly create the change you want to see.

Michael Bratsch is a nationally recognized teacher and an award winning educator. He is currently in his 25th year in education. Some of his career highlights include a project he produced with students titled “Coats, Hats, and Gloves” which became a viral hit and anthem for the 2018 Super Bowl hosted in Minneapolis. Bratsch and his students also had a hugely successful school song project go viral in 2016. Adopted at an early age himself he understands the importance of unconditional love, hope, and education.

Venue

The conference will be held at the Delta Hotel, Minneapolis, MN.

1330 Industrial Boulevard NE | Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 55413 | Tel: +1 612-331-1900

Parking is available at no cost at the hotel surface lot