Reaching Teens Summit 2027: Strengthening Relationships, Elevating Youth Voice
In our work in trauma-informed care, we know the number one buffer against childhood adversity and long-lasting impacts of trauma, is a positive, healthy relationship with a supportive adult.
This is at the heart of Reaching Teens, an evidence-informed framework developed by pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Ken Ginsburg. Reaching Teens equips adults with strengths-based, trauma-sensitive strategies to build trust, foster resilience, and support healthy development. Rather than focusing solely on youth behaviors, it encourages youth-serving professionals to look beyond the behavior to better understand the experiences, strengths, and needs of a young person in their care.
This relationship-centered approach will be showcased at the 2027 Reaching Teens Summit on February 25-26th in Atlanta, hosted by Wellroot Family Services and Resilient North Georgia. The summit will bring together educators, behavioral health professionals, youth advocates, school personnel, child welfare professionals, healthcare providers, and other youth-serving adults to strengthen relational skills and trauma-sensitive practices that support adolescent well-being.
Attendees will get to hear from Dr. Ken Ginsburg himself, and explore three learning tracks: the Youth Voice Track, featuring sessions on Teen Photovoice, social media and well-being, and youth-centered resilience and mindful self-compassion practices; the Reaching Teens Track, offering hands-on training in Community Resiliency Model (CRM), motivational interviewing, de-escalation, restorative practices, and the Reaching Teens AI & Digital Toolkit; and the Advocacy Track, focused on advancing youth well-being through Handle With Care, QPR suicide prevention, and advocacy and policy in action.
New This Year! Youth Photovoice Project
We are also very excited about the focus on amplifying youth voice at the 2027 Summit. This year, teens can share their voice through Teen Voices 2027, a statewide youth photography project presented by Wellroot and the Quinlan Visual Arts Center.
They are inviting Georgia youth ages 13-18 to share their perspectives through photography and storytelling. Participants are encouraged to submit up to two original photographs that capture experiences, strengths, relationships, challenges, resilience, or hopes for the future, along with a brief artist statement for each image.
Selected photos will be featured at the 2027 Summit giving educators, clinicians, advocates, and other youth-serving professionals an opportunity to see the world through a young person's eyes. First-place winners in three age categories will receive a $500 award, with an additional $100 awarded to their school's art department. Honorable Mention recipients will receive $100. Youth are encouraged to submit entries by January 9th, through this online submission form.
If you know a creative young person with a story to tell, please consider sharing this opportunity widely! You can download the flyer and share kit here or contact photovoice@wellroot.org with any questions.
2027 Reaching Teens Summit Details
February 25-26, 2027
Peachtree Road United Methodist Church- 3180 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30305
Continuing Education: Earn up to 9 Continuing Education credits
Registration: Register now to save your seat and receive discounted pricing!
$75 Early Bird (through December 11, 2026) | $100 Regular Registration
Includes lunch on Day 1 and an official Summit T-shirt
Teen Voices Submission: Teen Voices Youth Photography Project and Contest
The Reaching Teens Summit is more than a conference. It is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of adolescent development and strengthen the relationships that help youth thrive. At Resilient Georgia, we know meaningful change happens when adults build trusting, supportive relationships with young people and when youth are given opportunities to share their voices. By investing in the adults who support youth and creating spaces where young people can share their ideas, we know we can build more resilient communities where young people feel supported, heard, and valued.
We hope you'll join us in Atlanta this February to cultivate an environment where relationships, resilience, and youth voice remain at the center of our collective work!
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