Events and Keynotes
A detailed schedule of events, keynotes, and what to expect at the 2025 BOOST Conference.
*Please note this schedule is subject to change
TUESDAY, APRIL 29
BOOST Conference Orientation
BOOST Conference Orientation will take place LIVE every hour.
9:00AM, 10:00AM, 11:00AM, 1:00PM, 2:00PM, 3:00PM, 4:00PM
Palm Springs Convention Center Lobby
BOOST Conference Attendee Promising Practices: How to Navigate the Conference and Make the Most of Your Professional Development Experience
Are you new to BOOST? Have you attend BOOST in the past but need a refresher? Stay up-to-date on attendee promising practices during our on-site orientation to help you maximize your time and learning before the conference, during the conference, and how to stay connected post-conference. Topics covered:
- Preparing for the conference
- How to get involved and play a leadership role at BOOST
- Tips on Networking
- Navigating the Exhibit Hall
- Determining the best learning opportunities for your professional development needs
- How to use the conference app to maximize your conference experience and much, much more!
There will be one additional conference orientation on Wednesday, April 30, at 7:30AM.
PRE-CONFERENCE ACADEMIES
Foundations in Courageous Conversation®
10:00AM-4:30PM
$175 per person (includes lunch, all workshop materials, and Certificate of Completion)
ULA, MLA, CB, DS, PK, E, M, H, HE
Presenter: Glenn Singleton, Founder & President, Courageous Conversation®, Washington, D.C.
This one-day, Pre-Conference Academy is an experience that acquaints individuals with a set of tools known as The Protocol™, to engage, sustain and deepen dialogues about race. Participants will be introduced to the three components of the Protocol™: The Compass, Four Agreements, and Six Conditions. This initial engagement with Courageous Conversation® guides an exploration of the life impact of race, and promotes an essential literacy and consciousness to examine our personal, professional, and organizational ways of being. Designed to meet participants at whatever their level of experience, Foundations in Courageous Conversation® will enhance any effort to promote racial equity.
CORE TOPICS & CONCEPTS
- Courageous Conversation® Protocol
- The Rhetorical Power of Personal Experiences
- Deep Listening Skills
- Defining Race and Its Impacts
Click here to learn more about our Foundations in Courageous Conversation® Pre-Conference Academy.
Back to the Basics: 21st CCLC Cohort 16 Changes and an Overview of ELOP Attendance Recovery
1:00PM-4:00PM
No cost to attend- you must be registered and paid for the BOOST Conference to attend this session.
PK, E, M, H, ULA, MLA
Presenters: Michael Funk, Director; Daniela Solley, Education Program Consultant; Kelly Faustino, MA, Education Programs Consultant; Susie Morikawa, MA, Education Programs Consultant; Joshua Brady, MA, Program Administrator, California Department of Education, Sacramento, CA
The team at the Expanded Learning Division of the California Department of Education (CDE) will host a session to provide an overview of the ELOP Attendance Recovery Program and review the potential changes for the next 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) RFA. The first part of the session will briefly cover the RFA process and application requirements, and the second part of the session will provide a foundational understanding of Attendance Recovery requirements, including the role of Expanded Learning Programs in supporting Attendance Recovery.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: TK-12 Program Administrators in California
Click here to learn more about our California Department of Education Pre-Conference Academy.
Building and Strengthening Developmental Relationships with Young People
1:00PM-4:00PM
$75 per person (includes materials and certificate)
M, H
Presenter: Nanyamka Redmond, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN
Developmental relationships help young people forge identities, learn new skills, and strengthen the roots of their success, so they can withstand the storms of life. Educators can help young people figure out who they are and who they can become. This workshop helps participants learn to intentionally build developmental relationships with young people to powerfully benefit youth learning and development.
Click here to learn more about our Developmental Relationships Pre-Conference Academy.
Light Up Hats & Headpieces: A Beginner’s Guide to STEAM Fashion
1:00PM-4:00PM
$75 per person (includes materials and certificate)
M, H
Join us for a fun, hands-on workshop, no prior experience in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Math), sewing, or circuits is needed! You'll learn how to create simple circuits and turn them into wearable accessories like hats or headpieces. Circuits have been part of fashion for years—now it's your turn to add your own STEM Fashion electric twist as you design your own light-up creation! This Pre-Conference Academy is designed to be fun, creative, and welcoming to all. Explore how playful design, fashion, and STEAM go hand-in-hand.
Click here to learn more about our STEAM Fashion Pre-Conference Academy.
Staff Wellness - A Softness Break for You with Tara Stiles
1:00PM-4:00PM
$75 per person (includes materials and certificate)
E, M
Presenter: Tara Stiles, Co-Founder, Strala Yoga, Sharon, CT
Our time together will include easy-going practices that combine the movement and healing wisdom of tai chi with the practice of yoga, tai chi, and qigong, to help release stress, heal, and move more easily through challenge. It begins with a mindset, that says our best way to get where we’re going is to feel good along the way.
Click here to learn more about our Staff Wellness Pre-Conference Academy.
Meet the AuthorS
1:00PM - 4:00PM
Palm Springs Convention Center
Meet the Authors provides an intimate setting where attendees are a part of a live Author read which will also include a Q&A and an opportunity to meet the author, purchase their book(s), and get them signed.
BOOST Swim Club
1:00PM - 5:00PM
Renaissance Hotel Pool
Not attending a Pre-conference Academy? No problem. Hang out at our Swim Club and catch some good vibes and gear up for the conference. Chill out to the grooves during this pre-conference networking mixer! Sunscreen not included.
Make a Splash with BucketGolf!
4:00PM - 5:00PM
Renaissance Hotel Pool
Grab a club and join us poolside for a round of BucketGolf—the exciting, portable par-3 golf game that brings a whole new twist to learning and playing golf! With lightweight targets, customizable courses, and safe plastic balls, it's perfect for golfers of ALL ages and skill levels. Whether you're a seasoned pro or picking up a club for the first time, get ready for friendly competition, plenty of laughs, and a ton of fun in the sun. See you on the course!
BOOST LIVE PODCAST LOUNGE
2:00PM - 8:00PM
Mojave Learning Center, Renaissance Hotel
BOOST Live Podcast Lounge provides an intimate setting where attendees are a part of a live podcast audience. Podcasters will interview thought leaders, facilitate Q&A sessions, and expert panels all in front of a live audience! Be a part of the conversation, learning, and podcast community, live at BOOST.
Click here to see the BOOST LIVE PODCAST SCHEDULE
WELCOME RECEPTION and HAT CONTEST
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Renaissance Hotel Pool and Rocks Lounge
The BOOST Welcome Reception is truly a day to celebrate in Palm Springs with colleagues from all over the globe. Join us for our early evening reunion and welcome poolside reception. Connect with colleagues and make new friends while the sun sets against the San Jacinto mountains. A perfect way to start the conference!
Everyone is invited to join our fun and creative tradition, our annual Hat Contest, during our annual Welcome Reception. Get ready to celebrate in style and don’t forget to bring a hat! Glamorous headpieces, outrageous-themed headwear, fancy floral arrangements, sports-themed caps, or boost your company/agency flair! Be entered into 1 of 3 different Hat Contest categories: Most Glamorous, Best Theme, and Most Creative. BOOST Leadership Team judges will be wandering around the reception looking for your creativity!
Hat Contest Judging will take place between 5:30-5:50PM
Hat Contest Winners will be announced at 6:00PM
Must be present during judging and announcements to be eligible to win.
Poolside Welcome Reception Sponsor
Live Music Featuring DJ Walt White
Escape Room Palm Springs
Sunday - Thursday, 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Escape Room Palm Springs
A fun and exciting team-building experience where you and your team will work together to achieve a common goal, and in doing so, bond, strengthen your relationships, and improve communication and teamwork. Each game is 60 minutes in length and includes an orientation and debriefing after each game. Who will escape first?
The Escape Room will be offering a special rate of $21 per attendee per game throughout the entire week of the BOOST Conference - this is 50% off of the original price! *You must be registered for the conference and your account paid in full to register your team for an escape room experience and receive the BOOST Conference price of $21 per game.
All games are private, so you can book for two people initially, and then you can invite others to join you along the way. When you arrive, you can add additional people to your reservation to the capacity of the room you choose and they can pay at the door. *To book an escape room experience, visit http://escapePS.com using the promo code IAMBOOST to book online. Credit card payments are preferred.
*Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Room Palm Springs is located at 2500 North Palm Canyon Drive, Suite B3, Palm Springs, CA 92262. BOOSTers are responsible for their own transportation.
BOOST Field Trips
5:30pm-10:00pm
Various Locations
BOOST offers several unique opportunities for our attendees to explore Coachella Valley and flexible learning at alternative venues throughout the local Palm Springs area. Choose your own adventure!
Click here to learn more about BOOST Field Trips
POP-UP DINNERS
6:15PM - 8:30PM
Meet in the Renaissance Hotel Lobby
Looking for dinner plans while at the BOOST Conference? Want to meet and network with new, awesome, and like-minded BOOSTers? Join our Pop-Up Dinners for just that purpose! Space is limited, please click the links below to register for a BOOST Pop-Up Dinner. *Please note that you must be registered to attend this year's BOOST Conference with your account paid in full in order to register for a Pop-Up Dinner.
Click the links below to register for your preferred Pop-Up Dinner.
Overcoming Challenges & Building Confidence
Joshua Faden, M.A.T., President/Founder, Community of Teachers, Kensington, MD
Storytelling: Sharing the Wisdom from Our Experiences to Learn, Heal, and Grow as a Community
Rita Naranjo, M.A., Adjunct Sociology Professor, MiraCosta College and San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Supporting Youth in Acute Distress through Resilience
Gil Noam, Ed.D., Dr. Habil., Chair, Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR), Cambridge, MA
LGBTQ+ and Allies Mixer
7:00PM-9:00PM
V Wine Lounge & Martini Bar
Join us for a fun mixer and the opportunity to meet and hang out with other members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Please wear your BOOST name badge to receive food and drink specials.
In partnership, BOOST Collaborative and Human Rights Campaign are dedicated to creating safe, inclusive, and welcoming communities.
V Wine Lounge & Martini Bar is located at 600 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
Breakfast & NETWORKING with Exhibitors
7:30AM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Mingle with our exhibitors and enjoy a healthy breakfast in the Exhibit Hall. It's a great way to start your day!
BOOST Coffee Bar
7:30AM - 11:30AM
BOOST Conference Orientation
7:30AM
Palm Springs Convention Center Lobby
BOOST Conference Attendee Promising Practices: How to Navigate the Conference and Make the Most of Your Professional Development Experience
Are you new to BOOST? Have you attended BOOST in the past but need a refresher? Stay up-to-date on attendee promising practices during our on-site orientation to help you maximize your time and learning before the conference, during the conference, and how to stay connected post-conference. Topics covered:
- Preparing for the conference
- How to get involved and play a leadership role at BOOST
- Tips on Networking
- Navigating the Exhibit Hall
- Determining the best learning opportunities for your professional development needs
- How to use the conference app to maximize your conference experience and much, much more!
Morning Recess
7:30am-8:30am
PSCC East Lawn
Get up! Wake up! Rejuvenate! Bring your friends and meet new friends at our Morning Recess session. Maximize your morning and set the tone for the day.
Eric Rowles, CEO, Leading To Change, Huntersville, NC
PSCC Playground
Stretch, Breathe, Thrive: Yoga and Mindfulness for Teachers and Students
Rebekah Cordell, Director of Environmental Education, Yogativity Learning, Carmel, CA
Join us for a yoga break and an introduction to the transformative power of student yoga, mindfulness, and breathwork. In this interactive session, you'll experience simple, yet powerful yoga stretches designed to help students cultivate focus, self-regulation, and emotional balance. Yogativity after school programs benefit students by improving attention, reducing anxiety, and fostering resilience. Don't miss this opportunity to explore how small changes in a student's daily approach can lead to big benefits for everyone involved. Participants will enjoy simple stretches and breathwork, and leave feeling refreshed and recharged.
PK, E, M
BOOST Blood Drive
8:00AM - 1:00PM
PSCC East Lawn
Join us at BOOST and donate blood this year for a worthy cause! We are continuing our partnership with LifeStream to bring their donor truck to Palm Springs with one valued mission that we support - to help save lives by connecting donors and patients through the gift of blood.
LifeStream is a non-profit 501(c)(3) blood center founded in 1951 as the Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. In 2008, the organization’s name was changed to better reflect the breadth of services offered and its expanding geographical service area. Today, LifeStream provides blood products and services to more than 80 Southern California hospitals and medical facilities in six counties. To fulfill patient need, LifeStream must collect 600 blood donations daily.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO DONATE BLOOD AT BOOST
Blood Drive COVID-19 Guidelines: FAQ's and Information provided by LifeStream
Conference Opening & General Session
8:45AM - 9:45AM
Palm Springs Convention Center
Keynote Address
Glenn Singleton
Founder & President, Courageous Conversation®, Washington, D.C.
Glenn Singleton has devoted over thirty years to constructing racial equity worldwide and developing leaders to do the same. Author, thought leader, and strategist, he is the creator of Courageous Conversation®, a protocol, and framework for sustained, deepened dialogue, and Beyond Diversity™, the curriculum that has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to use it.
Click here to learn more about Glenn Singleton.
Erasing The Story of Us to Rewrite Who Belongs in the Story of Now
Keynote Meet & Greet and Book Signing
9:45AM - 10:15AM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Glenn Singleton will be participating in our Keynote Meet & Greet and Book Signing event on Wednesday, April 30th at the BOOST Collaborative booth in the Exhibit Hall. You can pre-purchase their book in your online account. If you have pre-purchased a book, you can pick it up at the BOOST Booth. There will also be a limited supply of books to purchase.
Courageous Conversations About Race - A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools and Beyond
Deepen the dialogue to address racial disparities in your organization
Schools, like all organizations, face a nearly insurmountable hurdle when addressing racial inequities—the inability to talk candidly about race. In this timely update, author Glenn Singleton enables you to break the silence and open an authentic dialogue that forges a path to progress for racial equity. The third edition offers new coverage of the structural inequities in schools and society that have been exposed by the pandemic as well as heightened public awareness of racial injustice.
Courageous Conversations about Race allows you to deepen your personal understanding of race and its impact on all students. You will discover how to apply the strategy and protocol to:
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Embrace the four agreements—stay engaged, speak your truth, experience discomfort, and accept non-closure—to deepen interracial dialogue
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Build a foundation for advancing equity using the Six Conditions of Courageous Conversation
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Examine the role of race in your life using the Courageous Conversation Compass to understand and guide your actions
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Expand your capacity to lead others on the journey in addressing institutional racism disparities
This guide empowers you with practical tools and insights to successfully challenge racist policies and practice in schools and beyond. It is your call to leadership—one that will impact student achievement and drive systemic transformation.
Click here to add this book to your registration.
BOOST BREAK WITH EXHIBITORS
9:45AM - 10:15AM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Join your colleagues in the Exhibit Hall for networking and lots of awesome raffle prizes! Mingle with Exhibitors and have the opportunity to learn about the latest resources, curriculum, and services to enhance your program.
Meet the AuthorS
10:00AM - 5:00PM
Palm Springs Convention Center
Meet the Authors provides an intimate setting where attendees are a part of a live Author read which will also include a Q&A and an opportunity to meet the author, purchase their book(s), and get them signed.
Click here to view our Meet the Authors schedule.
BOOST Coffee Bar
12:00PM-4:00PM
LUNCH & GENERAL SESSION
12:30PM - 1:30PM
Palm Springs Convention Center
CALL TO ACTION: AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE
Jodi Grant, JD, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance, Washington DC
NOW is the time to amplify your afterschool advocacy voice as afterschool funding is in grave danger. Let’s use our voices to ensure the message regarding the importance and value of afterschool and summer programs. We are stronger together!
2025 OSTI Award- Excellence in Leadership Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person who has proven outstanding accomplishments as a leader in the field and has the ability to inspire and motivate others through student and/or teacher innovation, mentorship, and/or partnership building.
Stephanie Costner
Chief Education and Innovation Officer, New York Edge, New York City, NY
Stephanie Costner, Chief Education and Innovation Officer. Costner joined New York Edge in 2021 to provide strategic leadership in the areas of educational equity, curriculum design, learner outcomes, and social-emotional support. A former professor, Costner has dedicated her entire career to ensuring that students receive the education they deserve. She believes that college degrees are essential and necessary for expanding careers and ending generational poverty. Costner graduated from Medaille College, with a Bachelor of Science degree in government services and a Master of Arts degree in higher education administration from Louisiana State University.
Learn more about NY Edge here: https://newyorkedge.org/
Sponsored by:
BOOST Break with Exhibitors
1:30PM - 2:30PM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Join your colleagues in the Exhibit Hall for snacks, networking, and lots of awesome raffle prizes! Mingle with Exhibitors and have the opportunity to learn about the latest resources, curriculum, and services to enhance your program.
BOOST Field Trips
2:30pm-8:30pm
Various Locations
BOOST offers several unique opportunities for our attendees to explore Coachella Valley and flexible learning at alternative venues throughout the local Palm Springs area. Choose your own adventure!
Click here to learn more about BOOST Field Trips
BOOST Live Networking Reception
4:45PM - 6:00PM
Renaissance Hotel Pool
Whether you're relaxing after a long day or ready for a night out, take the time to connect with your team and meet new colleagues at our poolside BOOST Live Networking Reception. Light snacks and a cash bar are available.
LIVE MUSIC FEATURING DJ WALT WHITE
Escape Room Palm Springs
Sunday - Thursday, 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Escape Room Palm Springs
A fun and exciting team-building experience where you and your team will work together to achieve a common goal, and in doing so, bond, strengthen your relationships, and improve communication and teamwork. Each game is 60 minutes in length and includes an orientation and debriefing after each game. Who will escape first?
The Escape Room will be offering a special rate of $21 per attendee per game throughout the entire week of the BOOST Conference - this is 50% off of the original price! *You must be registered for the conference and your account paid in full to register your team for an escape room experience and receive the BOOST Conference price of $21 per game.
All games are private, so you can book for two people initially, and then you can invite others to join you along the way. When you arrive, you can add additional people to your reservation to the capacity of the room you choose and they can pay at the door. *To book an escape room experience, visit http://escapePS.com using the promo code IAMBOOST to book online. Credit card payments are preferred.
*Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Room Palm Springs is located at 2500 North Palm Canyon Drive, Suite B3, Palm Springs, CA 92262. BOOSTers are responsible for their own transportation.
DUCK DUCK BOOST RELAY RACE
6:00PM
Renaissance Hotel Pool
Oh yes, it’s a new twist on the classic Duck Race! Get your ducks in a row and cheer on our duck racers in the Duck Duck BOOST Relay Race in the pool! Who will be the lucky duck?!
Bid on your favorite Duck Duck BOOST racing team for our 50/50 raffle! Attendees can bid on their favorite duck racing team - 50% of the collected funds go towards the scholarship fund and 50% goes to the winning ticket holder. $5 BUCKS PER DUCK (cash & Venmo only)! The race starts at 6PM at the Renaissance Hotel pool, arrive early to enter the raffle.
Duck Duck BOOST Sponsors
Lounge Events
7:00PM-8:00PM
Hilton Hotel Bar & Lounge
Trivia & Toast: A Fun Night with TSP
Unwind and connect at BOOST with a fun-filled trivia night hosted by the TSP Afterschool Programs Team! This lively event is the perfect way to relax, meet new people, and put your knowledge to the test. Compete in exciting team-based trivia challenges for a chance to win gift cards, custom t-shirts, drink tickets, and more!
Grab a drink, bring your competitive spirit, and get ready for a night of laughter, prizes, and unforgettable memories. See you there!
BOOST Homecoming Party
8:00PM-11:59PM
Rocks Lounge Terrace, Renaissance Hotel
Join our annual Homecoming celebration to welcome former BOOST attendees and newcomers alike!
BOOST IN WONDERLAND
By the order of The Queen of Hearts…Don’t be late for this very important date! It is a BOOST in Wonderland Homecoming party so come down the rabbit hole to the Rocks Lounge where 90s Hip Hop meets a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party...We’re all mad here!
8:00PM - Bring your VIP ticket to the Rocks Lounge and redeem it for a free beer (while supplies last)
*VIP tickets can be obtained at our Homecoming sponsor booths in the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday.
8:00PM-10:00PM - Homecoming Dance Party
9:30PM - Headphone distribution for Silent Disco (license as collateral required)
10:00PM - Silent Disco- The After Party
11:30PM-11:59PM-Return Headphones
Still feel like dancing? Wireless headphones will be available to rent so you can keep your groove going a little bit longer! The music will be silent to everyone except those with headphones. Dance on!
Homecoming Sponsors
Premier Sponsor
Additional Sponsors
TOUR DE BOOST WALK/SCAVENGER HUNT
6:45AM - 8:30AM
Palm Spring Convention Center, East Lawn/Downtown Palm Springs
Join fellow BOOSTers on a fun and adventurous Tour de BOOST walk and a scavenger hunt for charity around Palm Springs. This 2-mile hunt through scenic Palm Springs will lead you around the Palm Springs area as you and your teammates search for famous statues, art installations, the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, and notorious landmarks of the rich and famous!
Enjoy a beautiful Palm Springs morning, get some exercise, and best of all, connect with other BOOSTers as you raise money for a local charity.
All Tour de BOOST participants will meet in front of the Palm Springs Convention Center on the East Lawn at 6:45AM. Teams will receive their clues and start the scavenger hunt promptly at 7:00AM. Late arrivals will not be accommodated. Please wear comfortable clothing, and closed-toe shoes, and bring your Smartphone. Complimentary bottled water and snacks willbe provided.
To sign up, access your online BOOST registration account, select Tour de BOOST, and make your payment of $40 by April 15. If this event is not sold out, you may visit our On-Site Registration booth at the conference in the PSCC Lobby on Tuesday and Wednesday to register. Tour de BOOST fees are non-refundable and all proceeds benefit our 2025 Giveback Organization.
Proceeds to benefit: Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert
MORNING RECESS
7:00AM - 8:00AM
Palm Spring Convention Center, East Lawn
Get up! Wake up! Rejuvenate! Bring your friends (and meet new friends) at the Morning Recess session. Maximize your morning and set the tone for the day.
Felix Bobo, MA, Coach, Unlimited University, Perris, CA
BREAKFAST & Networking WITH EXHIBITORS
8:00AM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Mingle with our exhibitors and enjoy a healthy breakfast in the Exhibit Hall. It’s a great way to start your day!
Opening & General Session
8:45AM - 9:45AM
Palm Springs Convention Center
Keynote Address
Priya Parker
Facilitator, Strategic Advisor, Author, and Life-long Curious Student, Brooklyn, NY
Priya Parker is a facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, and executive producer and host of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart. Trained in the field of conflict resolution, Parker has spent 20 years guiding leaders and groups through complicated conversations about community, identity, and vision at moments of transition.
Click here to learn more about Priya Parker.
Gathering to Create Belonging
There is a growing “belonging” crisis in modern, diverse workplaces where work happens via remote and hybrid formats. When we’re not in the same room as our colleagues and the workforce is in the midst of drastic changes, how do leaders create a sense of meaning, belonging, and purpose for their teams? How do we create a sense of belonging without all having to be the same? How do we honor our differences? In this provocative, funny, and warm moderated conversation, conflict resolution facilitator and author Priya Parker provides candid, practical, lens-shifting advice on vital 21st-century leadership skills. As a seasoned group facilitator, educator, and researcher, she breaks down the anatomy of meaningful connections and gives us the skills needed to create meaningful shared experiences, one gathering at a time.
Keynote Meet & Greet and Book Signing
9:45AM - 10:15AM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Priya Parker will also be participating in our Keynote Meet & Greet and Book Signing event on Thursday, May 1st at the BOOST Collaborative Booth in the Exhibit Hall. You can pre-purchase their book in your online account. If you have pre-purchased a book, you can pick it up at the BOOST Booth. There will also be a limited supply of books to purchase.
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive—which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play.
Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings—conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp—and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience.
The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue—and how you host and attend them.
Click here to add this book to your registration.
Meet the AuthorS
10:00AM - 4:45PM
Palm Springs Convention Center
Meet the Authors provides an intimate setting where attendees are a part of a live Author read which will also include a Q&A and an opportunity to meet the author, purchase their book(s), and get them signed.
Click here to view our Meet the Authors schedule.
BOOST Field Trips
10:00am-8:30pm
Various Locations
BOOST offers several unique opportunities for our attendees to explore Coachella Valley and flexible learning at alternative venues throughout the local Palm Springs area. Choose your own adventure!
Click here to learn more about BOOST Field Trips
BOOST Coffee Bar
11:30AM - 3:31PM
NETWORKING LUNCH
12:00PM - 1:00PM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Lunch will be served in the exhibit hall. Grab your lunch and take this opportunity to mix and mingle with exhibitors throughout the exhibit hall.
BOOST BREAK WITH EXHIBITORS
2:30PM - 3:30PM
Palm Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Join your colleagues in the Exhibit Hall for snacks, networking, and lots of awesome raffle prizes! Mingle with Exhibitors and have the opportunity to learn about the latest resources, curriculum, and services to enhance your program.
Enjoy an hour of exclusive promotions and discounts from selected vendors in our Exhibit Hall. Shop 'Til You BOOST!
BOOST Social Hour
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Rocks Lounge, Renaissance Hotel
Wind down and join us for Social Hour at 5:30PM in the Renaissance Hotel Rocks Lounge! Network with BOOST attendees and take advantage of food and drink specials.
LOUNGE EVENTS
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Hilton Hotel Bar & Lounge
Escape Room Palm Springs
Sunday - Thursday, 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Escape Room Palm Springs
A fun and exciting team-building experience where you and your team will work together to achieve a common goal, and in doing so, bond, strengthen your relationships, and improve communication and teamwork. Each game is 60 minutes in length and includes an orientation and debriefing after each game. Who will escape first?
The Escape Room will be offering a special rate of $21 per attendee per game throughout the entire week of the BOOST Conference - this is 50% off of the original price! *You must be registered for the conference and your account paid in full to register your team for an escape room experience and receive the BOOST Conference price of $21 per game.
All games are private, so you can book for two people initially, and then you can invite others to join you along the way. When you arrive, you can add additional people to your reservation to the capacity of the room you choose and they can pay at the door. *To book an escape room experience, visit http://escapePS.com using the promo code IAMBOOST to book online. Credit card payments are preferred.
*Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Room Palm Springs is located at 2500 North Palm Canyon Drive, Suite B3, Palm Springs, CA 92262. BOOSTers are responsible for their own transportation.
THINK RED INSPIRE & PAINT
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Date Terrace at the Renaissance Hotel
Please join us for a fun event of painting while raising funds to benefit organizations that serve the San Diego HIV & AIDS community. This fun event will be guided by a professional artist and drag queen (Xrystal), Nathan Mohle from San Diego, CA. We encourage participants attending this event to wear red in solidarity with the Think Red Project mission.
To sign up, access your online BOOST registration account, select Think Red Inspire & Paint, and make your payment. 100% of the proceeds go to the San Diego non-profit Think Red Project.
TICKETS- $45
Ticket includes:
- • 2 hours of professional painting instruction
• Use of acrylic paints, paintbrushes, canvas, and easel
• Canvas painting project to paint and take home
Drink specials will be available for BOOST attendees participating in this special event.
Think Red Project & Red Dress Party San Diego / www.reddresspartysd.com
VILLAGEFEST STREET FAIR
6:00PM - 10:00PM
Downtown Palm Springs
Locals and tourists happily mingle at the Palm Springs VillageFest held year-round every Thursday evening on Palm Canyon Drive. An open-air street fair with more than 200 booths offering live music, fresh fruit stands, artists, craftsman, unique foods, and street entertainers to charm the crowd is a must for conference-goers. Admission is free and within walking distance from all of the BOOST conference hotels!
The Palm Springs Art Museum offers free public admission every Thursday evening from 5:00PM - 8:00PM during VillageFest! The Art Museum currently has 28 galleries, five art storage vaults, two sculpture gardens, four classrooms/resource centers, a 90-seat lecture hall, the 433-seat Annenberg Theater, a Museum Store, and a Café in an architecturally significant building designed by architect E. Stewart Williams at the base of Mount San Jacinto. An adjacent Administration building contains offices and a 12,000-volume Library.
POOLSIDE DIVE-IN MOVIE (FREE EVENT!)
8:00PM - 10:00PM
Renaissance Hotel Pool
Gather poolside in a chaise lounge or on a raft in the pool and watch the film on the big screen! Drink and appetizer specials will be available. BOOST beach towels will be available for purchase at the BOOST Booth in the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday & Thursday only.
WONKA
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the jewel in the Roald Dahl crown and one of the best‐selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate‐maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. This irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock‐full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.
boost Karaoke CRAWL
8:00PM
Calling all BOOST superstars! It’s time to get down and get your groove on at the annual BOOST Talent Show during our KARAOKE CRAWL! Take an adventure around downtown Palm Springs with your team, your friends, or come and meet your new crew. Sit back and relax, people-watch, or join in the karaoke party and let your talents shine! Don’t forget to wear your BOOST name badge. Drink specials will be available exclusively for BOOST attendees!
Retro Room Lounge is located at 125 E Tahquitz Canyon Way #102, Palm Springs, CA
FRIDAY, MAY 2
BREAKFEST
7:30AM
Rocks Lounge Terrace & Poolside, Renaissance
It's a new twist on breakfast! Meet us poolside for a breakfast experience with breakfast burritos, a live DJ, and networking! This is the perfect opportunity to say your farewells and connect before heading to morning workshops, closing & raffle.
Grab-and-Go Breakfast Items available for purchase:
(pricing as of the 2025 BOOST Conference)
- Breakfast burrito - $14
- Assorted Coffee Drinks
Morning Recess
7:30AM - 8:30AM
Renaissance East Pool Deck
Get up! Wake up! Rejuvenate! Bring your friends (and meet new friends) at the Morning Recess session. Maximize your morning and set the tone for the last day.
Meet the AuthorS
9:30AM - 10:30AM
Palm Springs Convention Center
Meet the Authors provides an intimate setting where attendees are a part of a live Author read which will also include a Q&A and an opportunity to meet the author, purchase their book(s), and get them signed.
Click here to view our Meet the Authors schedule.
Closing & Raffle
11:15AM - 12:00PM
Renaissance Hotel
Don't miss our fun and energetic conference closing with thousands of dollars worth of raffle prizes! All attendees will automatically be registered in the closing raffle upon entrance to the closing for a chance to win!
EXTRA CREDIT
12:00PM-5:00PM
You have attended workshops, networking events, and met with exhibitors - now what? Take this opportunity to intentionally connect with your colleagues and begin your action planning and next steps. We have complimentary meeting space for you and your team to retreat and begin the process to focus on ideas and setting goals for the end-of-year, summer, and upcoming school year.
Field Trips
BOOST offers several unique opportunities for our attendees to explore Coachella Valley and flexible learning at alternative venues throughout the local Palm Springs area. Choose your own adventure!
Click here to learn more about BOOST Field Trips on Friday.
Please note: Name badges are required to attend all BOOST Conference events including all meals and all workshops.
