HTI Catalysts had an incredible experience as a Gold Sponsor at the 2025 National Afterschool Association Convention in Nashville! Our Learning Expo Booth was a hub of energy, engagement, and meaningful conversations. Visitors enjoyed our Wellness Station, a space designed for relaxation and self-care, as well as our interactive manipulatives that brought our workshops to life.

We were honored to lead an impactful workshop—Tools for Fostering Inclusion—presented by Folami Prescott-Adams and Amara Lynch, equipping educators with strategies to build more inclusive learning environments. Additionally, our Leadership Intensives empowered attendees with essential skills for team-building and organizational growth. Team-Building for Leaders, facilitated by Folami Prescott-Adams and Gina Glymph, sparked insightful discussions on collaboration and leadership. We were also thrilled to have Catalysts Patrice Holt, Alan Maxcy, Bridgett Hitchings, and Monique Fletcher in attendance, contributing to the powerful exchange of ideas and expertise with their sessions.

I am excited to announce  – We were named a top presenter at NAA25 for our Team Building session.

Reflecting with STACK: Lessons, Gratitude & Commitments from NAA At HTI Catalysts, we believe that intentional reflection is key to deepening learning and driving meaningful action. One of the powerful tools we use in our sessions is STACK, a structured approach that helps individuals and teams process experiences, express gratitude, and turn insights into action. In this edition, we’re using STACK to reflect on our time at the 2025 National Afterschool Association Convention—celebrating wins, acknowledging lessons, and committing to next steps. We invite you to explore this method for your team debriefs and professional growth. If you’re looking for ways to enhance engagement, boost collaboration, and make your learning experiences more impactful, try this protocol.

MY NAA STACK SHOUT-OUTS Kudos to the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) for creating such a vibrant space for youth development professionals to shine and share.Congratulations to the 2025 Next Gen Honorees. I saw them bring a bright light into all the spaces they entered. The HTI Team, led by Operations Director Kim Collins for all Things NAA (and that was a lot of things from Sunday afternoon to Wednesday evening) THANK YOU Special thanks to Gina Warner and Heidi Ham for inviting HTI Catalysts to support the Convention with our facilitation expertise. Catalysts Folami and Mashona Council facilitated the NAA Affiliates Meeting and the Next Gen Honorees MeetUp. Thanks to 220 Youth Leadership for co-sponsoring the Tuesday night Networking Meet-up and the 90+ people who attended (including several NAA Board Members). APOLOGIES If you were in our Team-Building for Leaders Leadership Intensive, I’m sorry if you did not sign up to receive the session resources. You can still get them if you reply to this e-mail and request them. COMMITMENTS I commit to following up with everyone with whom I exchanged contact information. That’s where collaborative partnerships begin! I commit to offering our unique service of onboarding people to a conference or any convening for professional learning to enhance the impact of that event on one’s skill development and expertise. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Many youth-serving organizational leaders do not have an intentional professional development plan for themselves. No one will do it for you, so do it for yourself • It increases the value of a convention if you initially identify a big goal and choose sessions, people, and activities that align with the big goal. And schedule some downtime! • Some younger professionals interpret the addition of a period at the end of a text as closing off the conversation. Noted