SOU César E. Chávez Leadership Conference

FRIDAY MARCH 17, 2023

Southern Oregon University is the host of the César E. Chávez Leadership Conference. The conference is a gathering of Latinx high school students and leaders from regional high schools. The goal of the day-long César E. Chávez Leadership Conference is to increase Latinx high school students’ preparation to become leaders and develop their knowledge about contemporary issues within the Latinx community. In addition, the conference strongly encourages Latino youth to pursue educational opportunities beyond high school. Participants attend workshops focusing on leadership, cultural arts, and college preparation. Students are assigned to groups hosted by SOU’s Latinx student ambassadors throughout the day’s events.

Our Mission
"To instill in our Latinx youth the value of education, which nurtures mind, body and spirit in order to develop a social consciousness that empowers them as leaders for social justice and civic responsibility in the greater community."

Keynote Speaker

Octavio Solis

Octavio Solis Picture

Octavio Solis Is an author and playwright whose plays have been mounted across the country. His fiction and poetry have been published in the Arroyo Literary Review, The Louisville Review, Zyzzyva, Catamaran Literary Reader and the Chicago Quarterly Review. His anthology The River Plays is published by NoPassport Press. He has received the 2014 Pen Center USA Literary Award for Drama for Se Llama Cristina. Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border was the recipient of 2018 Silver Indies Award for Book of the Year from Foreword Reviews and was chosen by the National Reading Group Month’s Committee for the Great Group Reads 2019 Selections. http://www.octaviosolis.net

Conference Schedule

FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2O23

8:30 – 9:20 am	Registration and Check-in	Stevenson Union (SU)
9:25 – 10:30 am	Welcome	SU Arena
10:45 – 11:30 am	Session I	SOU Campus
11:45 – 12:25 pm	Lunch I	The Hawk
11:45 – 12:25 pm	College Fair I	Lithia Pavillion (Small Gym)
12:30 – 1:15 pm	Lunch II	The Hawk
12:30 – 1:15 pm	College Fair II	Lithia Pavillion (Small Gym)
1:30 – 2:15 pm	Session II	SOU Campus
2:30 – 3:15 pm	Session III	SOU Campus
3:30 - 4:30 PM	Closing/Dance	SU Diversions

Workshops

Workshops

There are FOUR workshop tracks: College & Career, Leadership, Life Skills and Culture, Identity and Arts.

College & Career

Workshop Title	Workshop Description	Presenter
Exploring the Career of Nursing	This workshop will outline the many opportunities in nursing as a healthcare career and how to best prepare in high school for a career in healthcare. The team from Providence would share opportunities a high school student can get involved in healthcare to see if this is the right career path for them through internships, volunteering, and entry level patient facing roles. Hear what career progression paths are and how healthcare organizations, like Providence, are helping provide tuition support, scholarships and leadership development to reduce barriers to education.
DREAMer Success In Higher Education	This workshop is a space where DACA students and DREAMers can learn more information about the Dreams U.S. Scholarship and the programs’ partnership with Portland State University
Your Story is Important: Understanding the College Essay	Do you realize that you are the best you that exists? No one else in the world can be you! This is a superpower we each hold. This also is the most important thing to consider as you are writing essays for colleges. Every college wants to create a community filled with people who are their authentic selves. Sharing a glimpse of yourself through stories helps them see how you might contribute to their community. This hands-on session will have you walking out the door with ideas that will help you write your essays!
Tips for Navigating the College Application Process	This workshop will provide an overview of how to select a college, how to apply, who to ask for support and provide a timeline for these steps
Paying for College.	Geared towards the classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026, this workshop explains financial aid terms, types of financial aid, financial aid applications, and what to do NOW to ensure that you receive financial aid for your education after high school.
College Admissions 101	This workshop prepares students to create a college list, complete college applications, and prepare for completing financial aid applications.
College Success: Student Panel	Applying for college can seem like a daunting task, especially when there aren’t a lot of answers to your questions. What the heck is a FAFSA? What are my options for schools? How do I get FREE MONEY for college? What can I do now to make college as smooth, affordable and enjoyable as possible? In this planel current Latinx, SOU students will share their reflections on navigating the college application process and college overall.

Leadership

Workshop Title

Workshop Description

Presenter

Organizing 101

What is Community Organizing and why is it important? From winning increases to the minimum wage to environmental protections, community organizing has been a force behind many of the positive changes we are fighting for in our communities. In this interactive workshop you will learn what community organizing is and how community organizing can be a tool for making the changes we want to see in our communities and beyond. You will also hear from local organizers about local campaigns for change in our communities and how to get involved!

Leadership Opportunities (Honors College)

Latino/a/x college students will accompany me in discussing their personal experiences about what the honors college has done for them. Initially, I felt hesitant about enrolling in a university, but now that I have been s student for three years, I would not change my decision. I found the honors college a welcoming environment for me, the support of faculty/staff, and my cohort class. The honors college has implemented a couple of methods for students to connect with the community. We have "Pick &. Choose." for honors students to attend activities around campus or the city and reflect upon their experience. We also have a "Take the lead" where students can become a leader in the community and take upon a project.

Life Skills

Workshop Title	Workshop Description	Presenter
Nalaxon Can Save a Life	A presentation on harm reduction and administering Narcan, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency. Narcan will be distributed during this workshop
Financial Literacy: Budgeting and Goal Setting	The basics of money management sound simple - spend less than you earn and save for the future. This is easier said than done, but learning how to set up a budget is the first step toward good money management. In this workshop, you will learn how to use a budget to clarify your goals and reduce negative emotions around money. We will also cover some basic concepts related to budget planning like savings versus debt and maintaining good credit.
Living Your Words	Living Your Words is a communication exercise built on the Fishbowl principles. Students will have an opportunity to hold the roles of speaker and listener in this program designed to show empathy, connection, and community through shared experiences.
Marijuana and Hemp: Its Impact on Our Latinx Community	When Oregon legalized medical and recreational marijuana many where excited about the impact on our local economy from its planting to its retail sale and consumption. What was not expected were the negative implications on our immigrant communities and their loved ones. This interactive and bilingual workshop will look at the conflict of State and Federal law and how our Latinx community is caught in the crossfires. We will offer practical advise on how to avoid these pitfalls.

Culture, Identity & Arts

Workshop Title	Workshop Description	Presenter
Leading Life with Your Passion	Learn from a working artist who has never given up on his dream. How do you use your natural talents to expand your network, create jobs, and stand out in a competitive world. What does being an artist mean when you are freelance? What does it mean if you have to have a day-job to support your art? How do you grow your support network?
Roots Renacidas	Journey through their Latino Identity - We will talk about our roots and where we come from. I will share my own personal poem with them and then students will write a poem based on their culture, roots, identity. Once they complete it, a few students will share and be able to frame it.
What Defines Our Identity?	In this workshop we will explore how our identity is created, perceived and defined by personal interests and external influences.
Somos Oregonenses: A Digital Stories & Resource Center for the Latinx Community	"Somos Oregonenses" is a digital stories project currently in-development at Southern Oregon University. SOU students creating the project will present their user-experience and user-interface (UX/UI) designs for capturing the cuentos of the Latinx community and conclude with a brief workshop of historias en el momento so that conferencegoers may practice the art of digital storytelling.
Taller de Baile Afro-Latino	This highly interactive Afro-latin dance workshop will teach us about elements of Afrolatina history and culture by learning about different types of afro-descendent music and dance throughout Latin America. Krhistina Giles enseñará la clase en español pero no se necesita hablar español para aprender a bailar. No previous dance experience is necessary.
Protest Art for the Movement	Art has the ability to carry a strong message and has been present in efforts to win rights for our communities and to demand change. In this session we will cover the basics of preparing powerful protest art like banners and signs for marches and rallies and spend hands on time creating art for protests during the workshop.
Exploring the Story of La Llorona	In this workshop, we will share, amongst ourselves, the story of La Llorona. We will also explore origins of La Llorona and the way La Llorona can move from a cautionary tale to a tale that speaks to social injustices/problems.
La Charreria Como Simbolo de la Mexicanidad	This workshop provides a historic overview of the Charreria tradition highlighting the cultural richness of Mexico as a way of building a sense of community and belonging for Latinx youth. Participants will get to learn about the Charreria tradition, witness a rope trick performance and even stitch their own leather card holder or wallet.

Conference Information

PRE-CONFERENCE

School chaperones please meet with your students prior to the conference to go over Conference Rules and Student Conduct (see School Information). This includes school district and conference behavioral expectations and dress code.

Arriving to Campus

School Bus Arrival/Departure

Conference check-in location to be determined soon.

(see campus map). All conference parking (including Buses, Van and Cars) must park in Lot 36 after dropping off the students. This is the large green parking lot on Mountain Avenue (see campus map). Conference volunteers will be stationed at the drop off site and will direct students into the welcoming session.

If buses are not staying for the conference, they can then depart after students and staffs have unloaded. If buses are staying, they are directed to park in the back of Lot 36. To depart, at the END of the conference, students should walk with their chaperone to their bus parked in lot 36.

Location
The Cesar Chavez Leadership Conference will take place at Southern Oregon University.

Parking on the Day of the Event
All Conference parking (including Buses, Vans and Cars) must park in Lot 36 (see campus map), the large green parking lot on Mountain Avenue for this conference.

Conference Logistics

Check-In
Each student will check-In (by last name) at the registration tables. Chaperones will also check in at this location. Students will be required to wear their t-shirt and a name badge throughout the day of the conference that they will receive at check-in. Chaperones also will be required to wear their conference name badge.

Group Assignments
All students will be assigned a group number. Chaperones are required to attend the conference sessions with the students and will be also assigned to a group. These groups will be led by Southern Oregon University Student Ambassadors at the end of the welcome session. They will lead their student groups throughout the day and to each of the assigned sessions.

Luncheon
All conference participants will be provided lunch. Chaperones will eat with their assigned group at The Hawk. Please help monitor during the luncheon.

College/Career Fair
The College/Career Fair will take place at the Lithia Pavillion Small Gym before and after lunch. This is located righ next to Raider Village and the The Hawk.

Evaluations
The students will be filling out conference evaluations at the end of their last session. Group leaders will distribute and collect the evaluations as students depart their last session. Groups will proceed to the Stevenson Union Arena (downstairs) for the closing dance.

Closing Dance
The conference will end with a dance held in the Stevenson Union.

Departure
Each school will need to have a prearranged time and place to meet their students in the Stevenson Union for departure. School groups will need to walk together to their bus/vans (see School Bus Arrival/Departures section). Please ensure that all students are on the bus/van, and that they have all their belongings.

Questions

Please contact Monserrat Alegria at 541-552-6378 or Genesis Beas at 541-552-6924 if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to a great conference. We want to thank you in advance for all of the assistance you have provided, and will provide the day of the conference!

School Information

SCHOOL/DISTRICT PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION
SCHOOL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: TBA | STUDENT REGISTRATION DEADLINE: TBA

The annual César E. Chávez Leadership Conference will be held in March 17, 2023 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm on the campus of Southern Oregon University. This event will provide a forum for Latino youth (grades 9 - 12) to meet community leaders, take part in leadership and cultural workshops and learn about how to go to college. The day begins with check in at 8:30 am in the SOU Stevenson Union Rogue River Room and a welcome session at 9:20. A wrap up session and closing ceremony will be held from 3:00-3:30 pm, we are hosting a dance after the closing ceremony 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided for the students as well as the chaperones.

We are inviting Southern Oregon regional high schools to nominate a select number of students to attend this conference. We ask that two adults from each high school serve as chaperones during this event.

Student Conduct Contract (pdf) * Schools will get registration information by email.

Thanks for your help and support. We are very excited about this event and look forward to working with you.

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