11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Southern Growth Policies Board Business Meeting
All conference attendees are invited to attend the Southern Growth Policies Board Business Meeting to hear about Southern Growth’s accomplishments, ongoing projects and upcoming plans.
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Light Lunch Available
1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Welcome and Conference Opening
An opening artistic performance will be provided by the Hope Drum Ballet, an after school program targeting at-risk youth. The program focuses on character development, with the specific goals of decreasing youth involvement in delinquent behavior and improving students’ attitudes about themselves and their futures.
1:15 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Listening to the South
Each year, Southern Growth Policies Board starts a conversation in the South on an issue related to economic development. This year, thousands of Southerners of all ages participated in state policy dialogues, community forums and an online survey to share their concerns, hopes and priorities related to youth and their role in the future of the region. The conference begins with an opportunity for several of these participants to share what they heard in their communities and states.
- Governor Mike Beebe, Arkansas
- Bo Beaulieu, Director, Southern Rural Development Center
- Debra Lyons, Director, Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, Georgia
- Shelby Oldham, Student, Cummings High School, Burlington, North Carolina
- Beth Phillips, Economic Development Specialist, University of Tennessee, Institute for Public Service
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Presentation of the 2008 Report on the Future of the South
The centerpiece of the annual conference, the presentation of the 2008 Report on the Future of the South, will include an overview of the current state of youth development and engagement in the South and recommendations for future action.
- Governor Mike Beebe, Arkansas
- Senator Dale Bumpers
- Victoria LeBlanc, Member of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees
and student at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, Kentucky
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Presentation of Innovator Awards
The 2008 Innovator Awards will recognize organizations and initiatives across the South that excel at promoting youth engagement and leadership.
- Governor Mike Beebe, Arkansas
- Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board
4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Keynote Address: Michael Franzini, Photographer, Emmy Award-winning director and author of One Hundred Young Americans
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m .
Innovator's Reception
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
The opening reception of the annual conference celebrates the 2008 Innovator Award Winners. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will welcome conference participants. Tours of the Clinton Library and Museum will be available, enabling participants to view replicas of the Oval Office and Cabinet room and explore exhibits that highlight domestic and foreign policy issues as well as life in the White House.
8:00 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Keynote Address: Michael Furdyk, Co-Founder and Director of Technology, TakingITGlobal
9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Panel: Dream
Young people see clear roles for themselves and their peers in shaping the future. In this panel, young Southerners share their hopes and dreams for the South.
Moderator: Amber Richards, Science Projects Manager, NASA DEVELOP
- Daniel Cayce, Director, Cayce’s Charities in Thornton, AR and student, Ouachita Baptist University
- Daniel Giraldo, youth advocate from Holly Springs, NC and student, American Catholic University
- Illai Kenney, environmental and social justice activist from Jonesboro, GA and student, Howard University
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Panel: Connect
How do young people connect to each other? How do they connect with their communities, countries, and the world? This panel focuses on how young people communicate and points to creative ways to facilitate the connections.
Moderator: Phillip Norris, Director, University of South Alabama Baldwin County
- Toby Maloney, Vice President, Business Development, Mental Floss magazine
- Karlo Barrios Marcelo, Research Associate, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement
- Melanie Stevenson, Teen Outreach Associate, Do Something
12:30 p.m.– 2:00 p.m.
Lunch and Keynote Address: Robert Epstein, psychologist, author of The Case Against Adolescence and host of "Psyched!" on Sirius Satellite Radio
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Break
2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Panel: Act
How can we support young people in developing and using their passions and talents towards a better future for themselves and their communities? This panel highlights successful youth development and empowerment strategies.
Moderator: Julie Knutson, President & CEO, The Oklahoma Academy for State Goals
- Drew Aylesworth, student, University of Central Arkansas
- Betsy McWhirt, National Director, Roots and Shoots, The Jane Goodall Institute
- Rebecca O’Doherty, Director, Appalachian Media Institute
3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Keynote Address: Adrian Talbott, Executive Director, Generation Engage
6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Governor’s Reception and Banquet
Peabody Hotel in Little Rock
Enjoy an elegant evening on the grounds of the Peabody Hotel at this reception and banquet hosted by Governor Mike Beebe.
7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast and State Discussion Tables
8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Keynote Address: Tyrone J. Flowers, J.D. , President and Founder, Higher M-Pact, Inc.
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Break
9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Town Meeting on the Future of the South
Moderated by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, the Town Meeting provides an opportunity for an interactive discussion between conference participants and regional leaders about the policy implications of the 2008 Report on the Future of the South.
- Dalton Herzig, EAST Initiative, Brookland High School, Brookland, AR
- Senator Robert Jackson, CEO, Quitman County Development Organization, Inc.
- Robert Lalka, 2008 Southern Research Fellow, Duke University
- Suzanne Morse, President, Pew Partnership for Civic Change
- Mary Peavey, President, Peavey Electronics Corporation and Board Member, National Afterschool Alliance
10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Closing Keynote Address: Alma Powell, Chair, America’s Promise Alliance
11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Closing Remarks
