10th Annual Family Matters Conference
SAVE THE DATE for our 10th Annual Family Matters Conference – October 5, 2019 from 9am-4pm at the University of the Sciences in West Philly. This is our biggest educational event of the year with speakers, workshops and programming for adults and older kids and child care for younger kids, toddlers and babies.
Would you like to sponsor the event? Click here for the sponsorship form. Every sponsorship comes with a table at the event.
This year’s theme is “Telling Our Stories” and our keynote speaker this year will be the author of the weekly “Parent Trip” column in the Philadelphia Inquirer Anndee Hochman (pictured).
Anndee Hochman is a journalist, essayist, teacher and storyteller; her column, "The Parent Trip," appears weekly in The Philadelphia Inquirer, and her work has also appeared in Poets & Writers, GROW magazine, Broad Street Review and Purple Clover. She is the author of Anatomies: A Novella and Stories (Picador USA) and Everyday Acts & Small Subversions: Women Reinventing Family, Community and Home (The Eighth Mountain Press). Anndee also teaches poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction to children, teens and adults. She is a two-time story slam winner at The Moth, her newest platform for sharing indelible life experiences. She and her partner are acclimating to a not-entirely-empty nest (housemates and cats still around!) as their 18-year-old daughter begins her first year of college.
Free Child Care on site for babies, toddlers and kids 0- 6 years old with staff from St. Mary's Nursery School. This group will also have a visit from local drag queen Brittany Lynn who will do a Drag Queen Story Time for the kids.
COLAGE will host a six hour program during the Philly Family Pride event to support kids and youth 7-13 years old who have one or more LGBTQIA+ parent. Youth programs will focus on empowerment and support through creative workshops, games, opportunities to connect with others who share similar experiences and inside advice/support from COLAGE mentors and more. We would like to split the COLAGE kids into two groups this year: 7-10 year olds and 11-13 year olds. We need to get at least five in the older group, so please help us recruit youth for the older group.
Programming, schedule and registration available soon.
Would you like to sponsor the event? Click here for the sponsorship form. Every sponsorship comes with a table at the event.
This year’s theme is “Telling Our Stories” and our keynote speaker this year will be the author of the weekly “Parent Trip” column in the Philadelphia Inquirer Anndee Hochman (pictured).
Anndee Hochman is a journalist, essayist, teacher and storyteller; her column, "The Parent Trip," appears weekly in The Philadelphia Inquirer, and her work has also appeared in Poets & Writers, GROW magazine, Broad Street Review and Purple Clover. She is the author of Anatomies: A Novella and Stories (Picador USA) and Everyday Acts & Small Subversions: Women Reinventing Family, Community and Home (The Eighth Mountain Press). Anndee also teaches poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction to children, teens and adults. She is a two-time story slam winner at The Moth, her newest platform for sharing indelible life experiences. She and her partner are acclimating to a not-entirely-empty nest (housemates and cats still around!) as their 18-year-old daughter begins her first year of college.
Free Child Care on site for babies, toddlers and kids 0- 6 years old with staff from St. Mary's Nursery School. This group will also have a visit from local drag queen Brittany Lynn who will do a Drag Queen Story Time for the kids.
COLAGE will host a six hour program during the Philly Family Pride event to support kids and youth 7-13 years old who have one or more LGBTQIA+ parent. Youth programs will focus on empowerment and support through creative workshops, games, opportunities to connect with others who share similar experiences and inside advice/support from COLAGE mentors and more. We would like to split the COLAGE kids into two groups this year: 7-10 year olds and 11-13 year olds. We need to get at least five in the older group, so please help us recruit youth for the older group.
Programming, schedule and registration available soon.
Conference Sponsors for 2019 as of 8/15/19
Conference History:
The conference was first held in 2010 at the Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research and offered 20 workshops for attendees, as well as a kids zone.
In 2011, our second annual conference was sponsored by Widener University and Widener’s Center for Social Work Education and the Graduate Program in Human Sexuality. There were 18 workshops and panels during the day, including an Ask the Experts! Teen Panel during lunch.
In 2012, our third annual conference was sponsored by Arcadia University School of Education, the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology. The theme was “Welcoming Schools” and the keynote speaker Graciela Slesaransky-Poe. We offered 13 workshops and panels, including ones specifically for educators.
In 2013, our fourth conference was held at the William Way LGBT Community Center. The theme was “Telling Our Stories” and the keynote speaker was kids’ book author Cory Silverberg.
In 2014, our fifth conference was held at The Philadelphia School. The theme was “Our Families and the Future” and they keynote speaker was Mary Anders.
In 2015, our sixth conference was held at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The theme was “Mind, Body and Soul: Taking care of our ourselves and our families.” Our keynote speaker was Dr. Rachel Levine, Physician General for Pennsylvania.
In 2016, our seventh conference was held at the University of the Sciences with keynote speaker Staceyann Chin.
In 2017, our eighth conference was held at the University of the Sciences with keynote speaker Heath Davis.
Watch a video of his presentation.
In 2018, our ninth conference was held at USciences with keynote speaker Naomi Washington-Leapheart.
In 2011, our second annual conference was sponsored by Widener University and Widener’s Center for Social Work Education and the Graduate Program in Human Sexuality. There were 18 workshops and panels during the day, including an Ask the Experts! Teen Panel during lunch.
In 2012, our third annual conference was sponsored by Arcadia University School of Education, the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology. The theme was “Welcoming Schools” and the keynote speaker Graciela Slesaransky-Poe. We offered 13 workshops and panels, including ones specifically for educators.
In 2013, our fourth conference was held at the William Way LGBT Community Center. The theme was “Telling Our Stories” and the keynote speaker was kids’ book author Cory Silverberg.
In 2014, our fifth conference was held at The Philadelphia School. The theme was “Our Families and the Future” and they keynote speaker was Mary Anders.
In 2015, our sixth conference was held at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The theme was “Mind, Body and Soul: Taking care of our ourselves and our families.” Our keynote speaker was Dr. Rachel Levine, Physician General for Pennsylvania.
In 2016, our seventh conference was held at the University of the Sciences with keynote speaker Staceyann Chin.
In 2017, our eighth conference was held at the University of the Sciences with keynote speaker Heath Davis.
Watch a video of his presentation.
In 2018, our ninth conference was held at USciences with keynote speaker Naomi Washington-Leapheart.
