If you missed our recap on the first day of the Changing the Odds Conference, check it out here. 

Friday we all came back together for another truly inspiring day of learning. The one and only Glennon Doyle Melton, author of the blog Momastary and the book Carry On, Warrior kicked the day off with a conversation with our executive director Michelle Kinder. Glennon brought the whole room to tears with her personal story about addiction, recovery and mental health. Her insight into mental health, both through the perspective of someone who struggles with it and as someone who loves people who struggle with it, was inspiring. Here are some of the highlights:

 
Glennon may have brought the room to tears, but our next speaker kept them there! Dave Isay, founder of Story Corps shared incredible stories from the archives of children and their parents, families facing nearly insurmountable obstacles, and people standing up for justice. His big conclusion was a line that we won’t soon forget: “It’s impossible not to love someone whose story you’ve heard.”

 
Dr. Lou Cozolino gave us all a powerful lesson in neuroscience. He reminded us that the brain thrives on connection and engagement with other people. Our brains exist to connect to other brains. Love is the bridge that allows traumatized children to open up, and the healing process occurs in the storytelling. Stories help children make sense of the trauma they have experienced and allow them to move forward.

 
Our closer for the whole conference was the incredible Kevin Carroll. He brought us home with his incredibly inspirational story of determination, innovation, and most importantly – PLAY. There wasn’t enough room on his board to capture the energy that he infused into his presentation!

 
And once again, out in the lobby, we asked our guests,

 
THANK YOU to everyone who attended our conference! We hope you had a great time! We are already looking forward to next year!