Name: Walking Hart’s Ladder: Strengthening Youth and Adult Partnerships
Start: 2026-08-31T13:00:00-0700
End: 2026-08-31T15:00:00-0700

Welcome to the 2026 Tri-Cities Regional Symposium! Please CLICK HERE to register.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
How to Use Sched: Workshop sessions are first-come, first-served. The majority of our sessions will range from 20-30 people. This online schedule is to help you think in advance about which sessions you are most interested in. You may have used Sched via a personal log-in for past Conferences. Since this is an in-person Conference and sessions are first-come, first-served, there is no log-in for attendees. We will also offer a printed program for all attendees at the Conference, which will include session titles and locations.

Join School’s Out Washington for a day of learning, collaboration, and growth tailored to the strengths and needs of youth providers based in the Central and Eastern Washington region. Engage with experienced trainers from the field, build your skill toolkit, and explore applicable strategies to bring back to your program. Designed for youth providers at all experience levels, this professional development symposium is a unique opportunity for providers in the Central and Eastern Washington regions to connect and develop regionally relevant solutions for improving positive outcomes for children and youth.

Walking Hart’s Ladder: Strengthening Youth and Adult Partnerships

Monday August 31, 2026 1:00pm - 3:00pm PDT

Games Room

Youth–adult partnership is often treated as the ultimate goal in youth development—but is it always the most appropriate way to engage young people? This interactive workshop invites participants to explore Roger Hart’s Ladder of Youth Engagement, a framework that illustrates a continuum of involvement ranging from adult-led activities to shared leadership. By examining the eight rungs of the ladder, practitioners can identify when different approaches are most effective and learn to move beyond unintentional tokenism or manipulation. Drawing on real-world examples from diverse cultural contexts, participants will use experiential tools, such as gallery walks and reflections, to assess their current programming and design next-step strategies to empower youth voice and leadership.
Participants will:

Identify and critically evaluate the eight rungs of Hart’s Ladder and their developmentally appropriate contexts.
Assess where current programs, meetings, or events fall on the continuum and analyze the factors influencing those placements.
Analyze how developmental stages, facilitation choices, and program design impact successful youth engagement.
Apply practical frameworks and action planning to intentionally strengthen movement toward authentic youth–adult partnerships

Speakers

Brian Brandt

Professor - WSU 4‑H Youth Development Faculty, WSU Pierce County Extension

Professor Brian Brandt is a leader in experiential education with over 30 years of experience supporting youth and adult programs. Through training, consulting, and international partnerships, he collaborates with schools, camps, nonprofits, government agencies, and organizations... Read More →

Monday August 31, 2026 1:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Games Room 801 N 18th Ave, Pasco, WA 99301, USA

Workshop, Afternoon Session

Tri-Cities Regional Symposium

Brian Brandt

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