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Updated: Dec 5, 2022
June 15, 2022
(ALBANY, NY) Social Welfare Advocates Sixto Cancel, CEO and Founder of Think of Us and Michael Arterberry, Executive Director and Founder of the Youth Voices Center, and Creator of the Power Peace Program, will join St. Catherine’s area experts* in-person on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 in Albany.
Colloquy is the fastest and most personable way to encourage conversations around the causes people care about. The purpose of St. Catherine’s Summer Colloquy, is to initiate and frame an ongoing and open dialog around the triumphs and challenges of being a modern human services provider. Children have always been at the heart of St. Catherine’s mission, but it has been the willingness to embrace the changing human services landscape that has sustained the Agency for over 135 years.
The Colloquy will cover topics related to the Family First legislation and permanency, mental health stigma and portrayals in the media, dynamic street outreach, and community-based prevention, among others. Additional guest presenters will include Michael "Misha" Thomas from the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University, Eunju Lee from the School of Social Welfare at SUNY University at Albany, Erica Coletti and Kristen Scholl from Healthy Alliance, Nick Francella from Sidewalk Warriors, and Catherine Rafferty from WMHT Public Media.
“Embracing the changing human services landscape, is an imperative to what we do each and every day at St. Catherine’s, and we are eager to share that with our friends and stakeholder,” says Frank Pindiak, Executive Director of St. Catherine’s Center for Children.
The event will span the full day and is open to the public. Registration is required as seating is limited. Press passes are available for members of the press community via scccsm@st-cath.org.
*St. Catherine’s Experts:
Kerri Harrington, Associate Executive Director of Residential and Education Services
Mandy Himes, Associate Executive Director of Clinical Services
Brian Perrotto, Associate Executive Director of Community-Based Services
Mark Quail, Associate Executive Director of Permanency and Family Support
And More!
About Sixto Cancel
Sixto Cancel grew up in and aged out of the child welfare system. His personal lived experiences have powered a passion to transform the child welfare system. Sixto was named as Forbes Top 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs and is on the 2021 Forbes Under 30 Lister Board. Sixto has been recognized by the White House as a “White House Champion of Change'', a “Millennial Maker” by BET, and named “Top 24 Changemakers in Government under 24” by the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council and Sparkaction. Sixto has served as a Young Fellow at Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative since 2010 where he has played a key role in the initiative’s work of extending foster care permanency for older youth. He is the CEO and Founder of Think of Us, working to ensure that every person has the conditions they need to heal, develop and thrive. Think of Us (TOU) is an Action Tank driving systematic change in child welfare. Through focused projects and sweeping initiatives, TOU drives structural changes in child welfare policy and practice. To learn more, visit: www.thinkof-us.org.
About Michael Arterberry
Michael Arterberry has devoted his life to improving the lives of New York’s youth navigating the difficult adolescent years, including issues of poverty, neglect, and racial inequality. Michael is a motivational speaker, life and accountability coach, and esteemed throughout the human services community. Michael has hosted numerous workshops, and initiated critical discussions around tolerance and prejudice. Michael has influenced a generation of young people and received numerous awards including the “100 Men of Color Award” in 2014 and the “Educator of the Year Award” from the Youth Community Outreach Program (Y-COP) in 2016. He is an advocate of children’s well-being, is a social worker, and the author of several books. To learn more, visit www.michaelarterberry.com.
About St. Catherine’s Center for Children
St. Catherine’s Center for Children was founded by the Daughters of Charity in Albany in 1886 as a home for sick orphans. Today, the Agency offers a comprehensive range of human services to children, families, and adults who have experienced abuse, trauma, or neglect. St. Catherine’s provides residential care and special needs education for children ages 5 to 13, therapeutic foster and kinship care, homeless services at the Marillac Family Shelter and Michael’s House, Pathways to Health, and community-based prevention services, among others. St. Catherine’s Center for Children is one of the oldest and most comprehensive human service providers in the Capital District. To learn more. visit www.st-cath.org.
Media Contact
SCCC Social Media
Office: 518-453-6700
Email: scccsm@st-cath.org
Web: www.st-cath.org/news