50th Annual COBA Annual Black Child Conference and Scholarship Awards: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 50th Annual Council of Black Administrators (COBA) Black Child Conference and Scholarship Awards. This year’s conference will occur at West LA College 9000 Overland Ave. Culver City, CA 90230. The theme is "Celebrating 50 Years of Performance, Achievement, Leadership, and Scholarship." We are excited to celebrate this year’s Scholarship Award Recipients and AEMP Black History Month Essay Contest Winners.

We look forward to seeing all of you at West LA College on Saturday, April 5, 2025, for a memorable conference and celebration!

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7:30am PDT

Registration/ Continental Breakfast

Saturday April 5, 2025 7:30am - 8:30am PDT

Welcome to the 49th Annual Black Child Conference and Scholarship Awards! This year's theme is "Black Excellence in Action!" We are so glad you decided to join us, and we know you will have a wonderful day of networking and celebrating our Scholarship recipients!

Please visit the Registration table between 7:30 AM- 8:30 AM on Saturday, April 6, 2024, to receive your conference badge and attendee swag bag. After you check in, please enjoy a continental breakfast.

Our Scholarship Awards will begin promptly at 8:30 am.

Saturday April 5, 2025 7:30am - 8:30am PDT

Registration

8:30am PDT

Welcome/Opening

Saturday April 5, 2025 8:30am - 9:00am PDT

Please join us for a welcome and opening as we begin this year's COBA Conference and Scholarship Awards!

Saturday April 5, 2025 8:30am - 9:00am PDT

Welcome/ Opening

9:00am PDT

Morning Key Note Address: Dr. Joy DeGruy

Saturday April 5, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am PDT

Keynote Address

9:45am PDT

Main Session: AEMP Awards/ Scholarship Awards

Saturday April 5, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Please join us for the main session where we will recognize this year's scholarship recipients!

Saturday April 5, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Scholarships

10:45am PDT

Transition to Breakout Sessions

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 10:55am PDT

10:45am PDT

50 Years of Achievement and Leadership Through, Poetry, Music and Principles

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

This is Social Emotional Learning at its best: Relevant & Authentic! Presenters make this seminar totally interactive. Participants will read, write, illustrate, recite, & create poetry. This presentation is ideal for students, parents, & teachers and is relevant for all student populations. Participants will leave with tools, methods, rubrics, & strategies, which they can implement into their classroom, home, or school immediately!

Presenters

Jerome Vincent Carter

CEO, Inspiration 52

Life-Skills, Leadership, College Prep, SEL

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session, Any

10:45am PDT

Dual and Concurrent Enrollment: Access for All

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

California provides high school students the opportunity to take college courses and earn college credit. This opportunity allows our high school students to leverage their educational pathway and improve economic mobility. Dual & concurrent enrollment aligns well with the California Community College system’s Vision for Success.

Presenters

Dr. Jonique Burton

Corresponding Secretary, LAUSD

Dr. Jonique Burton is a life-long educator who has spent the past 24 years working and serving students, parents, and staff in the public education sector throughout various communities such as Houston and Fortbend, Texas, Indianapolis, Indiana, Culver City and Los Angeles, California... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session

10:45am PDT

Engaging Families and Communities in Early Literacy & Math Success

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

LAUSD Partnership Study Results:
https://www.footsteps2brilliance.com/report/engaging-families-transforming-schools-lausds-early-literacy-success

Results of this data have been recently shared at the CAAPLE and CALSA Conferences.

Footsteps2Brilliance is inclusive of all learners and learning styles. Resources must be culturally responsive, engaging, fun, and available anywhere and anytime. We are seeing great success with all students, especially our black, brown, and disenfranchised LAUSD students and families. We will share these results and other evidence of academic impact in our workshop.

Presenters

Dr. Greg Spencer

Vice President, Footsteps2Brilliance

Since 2014, Dr. Gregory A. Spencer, a retired Superintendent, has served as Vice President @ Footsteps2Brilliance.com.Schedule a conversation with Greg at 1.760.390.6009, to learn more and follow Footsteps2Brilliance on Social Media @ https://linktr.ee/footsteps2brilliance.Dr. Spencer was an elementary school drop-out, at the age of 9 he became a gang leader in Oakland, CA. Huey Newton and Angela Davis recruited Greg to join the Black Panthers at the age of 12. With help from good people, he went on to college and served as a teacher in L.A. Unified. S... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session

10:45am PDT

From Curiosity to Action: How Hydroponics Can Inspire Tomorrow's Leaders

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

In this hands-on workshop, participants explore hydroponics as a sustainable solution to food insecurity. Educators and parents engage in STEM activities to create a basic system, fostering social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and science practices, while empowering underserved communities and inspiring students' scientific identities and career pathways.

Presenters

DeAnna Lee-Rivers

STEM Soul Tech

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session

10:45am PDT

Promoting Black Student Achievement through Math Interventionist Support: A Case Study of Study Smart Tutors' Partnership with LAUSD's Educational Transformation Office

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

This presentation highlights how a targeted math intervention program within LAUSD's Educational Transformation Office (ETO), in partnership with Study Smart Tutors, addressed educational inequities for Black students. Through small-group instruction, strategic engagement, and personalized mentorship, students demonstrated statistically significant growth in math proficiency. Attendees will learn how a school system can leverage community partnerships to implement culturally responsive math instruction and how similar initiatives can enhance academic success for students of color.

Presenters

Dora Mighty

Study Smart Tutors

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session

10:45am PDT

The Misidentification of Black Students and Specialized Programs

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Black excellence can be found in every classroom, yet it is frequently overlooked due to the subjective language employed to characterize student behavior. This workshop aims to examine the terminology used in labeling Black students and how such language can significantly influence their academic performance.

Presenters

Paige Desmore

Coordinator & Anti Bias Workshop Facilitator, Black Student Achievement Plan

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session, Any

10:45am PDT

Unlocking Success: Strategies to Re-Engage Disengaged Students

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Our organization has conducted one of the nation's longest and most in-depth studies, measuring the attitudes and behaviors among disproportionately affected students concerning education and its impact on their future financial and overall well-being. Our strategic advantage (and immeasurable value) is the fact that we are still in the classroom on a weekly basis, enabling us to share direct, real-time findings from the students themselves. We have conducted this workshop in districts throughout the country and continue to do so.

Presenters

WES HALL

Founder CEO, National Young Men of Color Leadership Initiative Foundation

Mr. Wes Hall is an Author, International Keynote Speaker, former Radio Personality, and Education Consultant to the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in America. Mr. Hall is also the CEO of the National Young Men of Color Leadership Initiative... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Achievement Session

about Mr. Wes Hall is an Author, International Keynote Speaker, former Radio Personality, and Education Consultant to the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in America. Mr. Hall is also the CEO of the National Young Men of Color Leadership Initiative Foundation. His tireless work in improving the lives of young men of color earned him an invitation to the White House, where he shared strategies on how mentoring positively impacts the academic achievement of young Black and Brown males. He was recently honored with the prestigious “Presidential Award,” presented to him by the current President of the University of Las Vegas, Dr. Keith Whitfield. The Los Angeles Clippers Basketball Association bestowed upon him the coveted title of "Community Hero" for his unwavering efforts to enhance the Los Angeles community at large. Additionally, he organizes the largest Young Women's Leadership Conference in Nevada, hosted annually at UNLV. Furthermore, Mr. Hall's latest book, "The Academic Equivalency Handbook," is scheduled for release in the spring of 2024.

10:45am PDT

"Beyond Representation: Centering Black Queer Narratives in Education for Transformative Justice"

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

The focus of the Session
1. Highlight the importance of integrating Black queer voices into literature, history, and arts education.
2. Discuss how such representation contributes to combating stereotypes and building student empathy.
3. Provide examples of lesson plans, resources, and collaborative projects that center on Black queer narratives.

Presenters

Dr. Lester Powell

Elementary Principal, TULSA EL

Lester Powell, Ed. D (he/him/his) currently serving as the proud Principal of Tulsa School For Advanced Studies in LAUSD.

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Leadership

10:45am PDT

Engagement Buttons

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

This session will include a custom web journal with review videos and links to online resources specific to the session. The web journal can be accessed and shared by attendees forever.

Presenters

Greg Evans , Doug Luffborough, Justin Boudreau

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Leadership

10:45am PDT

Research-Driven SEL Workshops: Effective Strategies for Engaging Parents

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Presenters explore research-based strategies for implementing effective Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) parent workshops. This session equips educators and community leaders with practical tools to engage families, strengthen school-home connections, and enhance student success. Participants gain actionable insights through interactive discussions and real-world examples.

Presenters

Jose Flores & Thelma Day

Program Director, Zinco Education

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Performance

11:45am PDT

Lunch 🥗

Saturday April 5, 2025 11:45am - 12:50pm PDT

12:45pm PDT

Block Party

Saturday April 5, 2025 12:45pm - 3:00pm PDT

Block Party Bliss: A Celebration of Community & Creativity!
Join us for a vibrant day of fun, flavor, and festivities at the COBA 50^th Anniversary Block Party! Get ready to dance to the beats of live music, savor delicious eats from local vendors, and explore a marketplace filled with unique finds. Tap into your creative side with sip (non-alcoholic) and paint sessions, discover your green thumb at our plant corner, and unwind with mindfulness activities designed to refresh your spirit. Whether you're here to move, shop, paint, or simply soak in the good vibes, there's something for everyone! Don't miss out—come celebrate community, creativity, and connection!

Saturday April 5, 2025 12:45pm - 3:00pm PDT

50th Annual COBA Annual Black Child Conference and Scholarship Awards

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