Santa Clara County Children’s Summit

Founded in 2008, this annual event brings together over 250 cross-sector leaders in Santa Clara County who are passionate about improving children's lives together to focus on racial equity and social justice, continual improvement, and successful collaboration through educational workshops and collaborative conversations dedicated to collaboration and data-driven approaches. Through engaging presentations and interactive workshops, participants deepen their understanding by hearing from experts and leaders and leave the Summit knowing how to take the next steps to create an even stronger community for children and youth. This experience provides invaluable networking opportunities across diverse sectors, facilitating meaningful connections between stakeholders.

Contact Joy at jmurrieta@KidsinCommon.org for information about sponsoring the 2025 Children’s Summit.

The 2025 Children’s Summit will be held on
Thursday, April 24, 2025
REGISTRATION CLOSES MONDAY APRIL 21st!

Click HERE to Register!

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Hope and Connection
April 24, 2025 - 8:30am-3:00pm
Villa Ragusa in Campbell

The 2025 Children’s Summit will feature amazing plenary session speakers, workshops, a
legislative update, and a panel discussing Hope and Connection for our children and youth who are
immigrants, LGBTQ+, or who have a disability. We will also have an update on our Social-Emotional
Wellbeing Initiative.

Agenda:

Registration, Light Breakfast & Connecting (8:30AM-9:00AM)

Welcome

Hope and Connection – The Foundation of Youth Success
- Jenny Nagaoka -Deputy Director UChicago Consortium on Youth Research
Children’s Agenda Social Emotional Wellbeing Initiative
- Youth Leaders and Co-Chairs of the SEW Initiative
Workshops:
- Love to Learn
  - Isabelle Hau, Stanford Accelerator for Learning
- Connecting with Teens to Help them Feel, Learn, and Live Better
  - Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings
- Connecting with California Policy & Legislation
  - Ted Lempert, President, Children Now
LUNCH (12:05PM)
Recognition and Awards:
- Bold Steps for Children Award
- Changemaker for Children Award
A Conversation about Hope, Connection, Families and Students:
- Keri Rodrigues, Founder and President, National Parents Union
- Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings
Panel: Building Hope and Connection for Our Students Facing Big Challenges
- Maria Daane – Executive Director of Parents Helping Parent
- Sera Fernando - Manager, County of Santa Clara Office of LGBTQ Affairs
- Veronica Goei - Executive Director, Grail Family Services
Closing Remarks and Next Steps (2:45PM)

Plenary Speakers:

JENNY NAGAOKA

Jenny Nagaoka is the Deputy Director of the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, where she has conducted research for over 20 years. Her research interests focus on policy and practice in urban education reform, particularly using data to connect research and practice and examining the school environments and practices that promote college readiness and success. She is the lead author of Foundations for Young Adult Success: A Developmental Framework (2015) which draws on research and practice evidence to build a framework of the foundational factors for young adult success.

jenny-nagaoka

keri-rodrigues

KERI RODRIGUES

Keri Rodrigues is Matthew, Miles, and David’s mom and the visionary founder and president of the National Parents Union (NPU) – a groundbreaking organization that unites parents from diverse backgrounds to advocate for the rights, economic and educational needs of America’s children. Under her leadership, NPU has become a formidable force, driving policy reforms and fostering parental empowerment across the nation to dismantle economic and educational barriers that keep America’s children from achieving economic mobility and prosperity.

rebecca-winthtrop

REBECCA WINTHROP

Rebecca Winthrop is a leading global authority on education, the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in life, work, and as an engaged citizen. Rebecca’s work is centered on developing and advocating for evidence-based strategies that bring people together—families, educators, policymakers, and companies—to help children maximize their potential. Her new book, co-authored with Jenny Anderson is The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better.

workshop-speakers

Workshop Speakers:

Isabelle Hau, Stanford Accelerator for Learning

Isabelle Hau is the author of Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Education and writes Small Talks, a newsletter on the future of (early) learning. She is the Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, driving research-anchored innovation to ensure every learner thrives in a dynamic future. Isabelle is a leading voice in early education, philanthropy, and impact investing, she previously led the U.S. education practice at Omidyar Network and Imaginable Futures.

Children Now President, Ted Lempert (also a former California Assemblymember and San Mateo County Supervisor), will provide his perspective on how kids are faring in the state’s policy and budget landscape, including the impact of federal actions. He will highlight the data from the 2025 California County Scorecard of Children’s Wellbeing and discuss recommendations from the 2025 California Pro-Kid Agenda that are needed at the state level to advance children’s health, education and economic security. He will also share how we can ensure that children are the top priority in Sacramento by working together through the Children’s Movement of California.

Panelists:

Maria Daane is the Executive Director of Parents Helping Parents (PHP). PHP supports parents whose children - or adult children - experience disabilities, offering 600 trainings and support groups online each year as well as a robust website visited by 200,000 annually. Maria has been at PHP for 8 years, and especially values that over 90% of those who work at PHP as well as the majority of the board of directors are themselves parents of individuals with disabilities. Maria has worked over 20 years as a Manager or Director in the nonprofit sector, and enjoys hiking and family time.

Sera Fernando leads the County of Santa Clara Office of LGBTQ Affairs. As an equity and inclusion practitioner and lifelong learner, she also served as Chief Diversity Officer for Silicon Valley PRIDE, Executive Steering Committee leader for the Humans Rights Campaign, and Executive Board member for Microsoft's GLEAM employee resource group. Leveraging her platforms to lift the voices of LGBTQ+ community members, Sera believes that creating diverse and inclusive spaces where authenticity is celebrated and providing access to communities across intersectional identities empowers all of us to achieve more.

Veronica Goei has been a leader in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years. She has been executive director of Grail Family Services (GFS) since 2000. Under her leadership, GFS has built a reputation as an innovator of quality programs that meet evolving community needs and align with the latest research and best practices. Veronica is a recognized expert in family engagement and the author of Lee y Serás, a parent curriculum published by Scholastic. She was a member of the design team of the California Family Resource Association (CFRA), a network of more than 300 organizations state-wide, focused on improving the lives of children, families and communities throughout California. She is a recipient of the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley’s Exemplary Leadership Award.