The 2026 Northwest Conference on Resettlement will include expert-led workshops
and opportunities for professional development credits.
Workshop Schedule
Each day will feature two workshop sessions. Participants can choose from options areas of Employment/Entrepreneurship, Program Enhancement, Skill-Building, Trauma & Healing, and Youth Focus.
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Continuing Education Units are available. Please learn more and sign up here.
WORKSHOP SESSION #1 - TUESDAY, 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Understanding Worker Labor Rights

By Andrea Rasmussen - U.S. Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division


​Most workers do not know and understand their labor rights under the law. Refugees are especially vulnerable to employers violating their worker rights. This workshop will help empower both refugees and their advocates to understand worker rights and what to do if an employer violates those rights. This workshop will cover the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and the PUMP Act.
SHARE Studio - 1st Floor
Employment & Entrepreneurship
Knowledge Level: Beginner
CEUs: LMSW

Organizational Design, Development, and Direct Health Service Modeling for Resettlement Agencies

By Mackoy Turpen - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Idaho

Drawing on evidence-based practices, the session will highlight models and methods for integrating mental health, case management, medical care, and peer support into an intentionally unified but non-“one-size-fits-all” approach that reduces barriers and promotes trust. Learn modeling and redesigning strategies for building effective multidisciplinary teams, implementing streamlined referral and intake systems, and designing culturally and linguistically accessible services.
MOVE STUDIO - 5th Floor
Program Enhancement
Knowledge Level: Advanced
CEUs: LMSW

Building Community in a Post-Truth Era

By Elizabeth Ramsey and Audra Green - Albertsons Library at Boise State University
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Asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants in general have often been the subject of false and misleading information, but these days they are targets of particularly virulent disinformation online. In this presentation we’ll learn about factors that make us vulnerable to believing misleading information, review tactics for strengthening our resistance to disinformation and more. Ultimately, this presentation aims to help build our abilities to work together in support of the well-being of all in our communities
THE LOFT - 5th Floor
Skill-Building
Knowledge Level: Beginner

Beyond Survival: Building Confidence

By Joyce Gagarin, Sajra Celovic, Jeanie Levinski and Gaby Thomason - One Refugee
​In this workshop, we will discuss what comes after refugee families gain basic needs and the new set of challenges families and young adults face post resettlement. We also include the experiences of second generation children that were born or raised in the United States and the unique set of challenges they face. We will explore topics on building confidence, self-reported challenges from our scholars, and bridging gaps in employment opportunities. Our workshop will highlight how to empower individuals to pursue opportunities that have the power to increase generational prosperity and uplift communities.
INSPIRE STUDIO - 4th Floor
Trauma & Healing
Knowledge Level: Beginner

Culturally Relevant Violence Prevention Through Intergenerational Youth Partnerships

By Shannon Montaño - TANTA, Inc.
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​Facilitated by TANTA’s Advocates for Cultural Empowerment (ACE) Committee, a group of young adults, this workshop explores strength-based, culturally relevant violence prevention with resettled and Third Culture youth. Grounded in Positive Youth Development, ACE’s young adult leaders share strategies for recognizing youth strengths, building trust across generations, and addressing intersectionality in resettled experiences. Participants will examine biases and unhelpful norms while learning culturally responsive ways to partner with youth, parents, and caregivers who did not grow up in U.S. culture.
JUMP ROOM - 5th Floor
Youth Focus
Knowledge Level:​ Beginner
WORKSHOP SESSION #2 - TUESDAY, 1:00 - 2:15 PM

Building Employment Pathways Together

By Heather Webster and Jess Hope - Neighbors United
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A collaborative, hands-on workshop designed to help participants understand employment pathways for job seekers. Through interactive discussion and practical tools, attendees will explore strategies for partnering with employers, supporting career advancement, and aligning skills with workforce needs. Participants will leave with actionable steps to strengthen connections, improve job readiness, and connect to pathways that lead to long-term career success.
MOVE STUDIO - 5th Floor
Employment & Entrepreneurship
Knowledge Level: Beginner

Come Join the Party: A Guide to Strategic and Inclusive Engagement

By Aanish Shamim, Danny Galvez-Suarez, and Officers Lori Bourgeau and Travis Buffi - City of Boise

Many event planners, neighborhood associations, and organizations may only understand engagement at a surface level. Relying on generic outreach ignores Boise’s cultural and linguistic diversity. A single engagement plan limits the success of community events. Our goal is to teach partners how to engage with intention and move from one-size-fits-all outreach plans to strategies that reflect the needs of specific communities. This intermediate workshop will cover strategies for inclusive engagement, tools and resources available for support, and event guidance. Partnering with the Boise Police Department, join us for an interactive workshop that’ll challenge your current event planning.
JUMP ROOM- 5th Floor
Program Enhancement
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Building Bridges: Strong Landlord Partnerships for Sustainable Refugee Housing

By Chandra Upreti - USCRI Twin Falls
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Every successful refugee housing placement begins with a willing landlord—and every willing landlord is built through relationship, respect, and clear communication. This session dives into the art of partnership: how to establish connections, nurture trust, and collaborate for stable housing outcomes. Whether you’re new to housing work or looking to strengthen your approach, this workshop will empower you to become a bridge between landlords, families, and the broader community.
INSPIRE STUDIO - 4th Floor
Skill-Building
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Joyful Healing and Connective Play: Acculturation in the Face of Separation

By Sangam Stanczak and Alicia “Ali” Belzer - Collective Healing Lab

​This interactive workshop explores how colonization and forced separation shape the experiences of immigrant and refugee communities, and how play can support cultural connection, resilience, and belonging. Through accessible movement- and relationship-based activities, participants will experience the healthy balance between individualism and collectivism and learn how play can serve as a tool for acculturation without pressure to assimilate. This session is welcoming to all bodies, languages, and levels of participation.
THE LOFT - 5th Floor
Trauma & Healing
Knowledge Level: Beginner
CEUs: LMSW

Safe Spaces, Strong Futures: Afterschool Programs for Resettled Youth

By Natalia DiGiosia (Idaho Out-of-School Network) and Buta Mulezi (African Community Development)
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​More than 80% of a child’s waking hours are spent outside of school. For resettled youth, afterschool and summer programs can provide spaces for skill-building, developmental support, and belonging. The Idaho Out-of-School Network will share new, Idaho-specific data for funding requests and quality program design. African Community Development will share impact stories from resettled youth in Idaho. Attendees will leave with resources to help them start, strengthen, or partner with afterschool and summer programs.
SHARE STUDIO - 1st Floor
Youth Focus
Knowledge Level: Beginner
CEUs: LCSW
WORKSHOP SESSION #3 - WEDNESDAY, 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Consensus Based Assessment: Balanced Collaboration and Confidentiality in an Ethical Way

By April Auker and Molly Perotti - Idaho Department of Health & Welfare Division of Behavioral Health
​This session explores how professional codes of ethics (NASW, ACA, AAMFT) support collaboration while maintaining confidentiality within Idaho’s TCOM framework. This training emphasizes transparency, shared decision-making, and curiosity as foundations for effective teamwork with clients, families, and other professionals to improve outcomes across systems of care.
MOVE STUDIO - 5th Floor
Program Enhancement
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
CEUs: LCSW (Clinical)

Empower Together: Building Community & Support for Refugee Women

By Sacha Brown - Northern Nevada International Center

​Focusing on resiliency and building support, this interactive workshop explores how a refugee resettlement agency can design women’s empowerment groups. Here we will view refugee women not as recipients of aid, but as powerful individuals rich in wisdom, compassion, and diverse skills. We will move beyond just identifying needs to designing a collaborative map that integrates internal group skills with external community resources. Learn how to transform shared experiences into tangible, everyday solutions — from navigating services to overcoming language barriers — all while fostering deep, sustainable community bonds. Leave with a clear, first-step action plan to launch a successful group founded on mutual strength and accountability.
INSPIRE STUDIO -  4th Floor
Skill-Building
Knowledge Level: Advanced
CEUs: LMSW

A Guide to Giving Powerful Legislative Testimony

By Olivia Luna and Gabrielle Wright - BABE VOTE

​BABE VOTE is a pro-democracy organization that works to give people the skills they need to feel empowered to advocate for themselves and their communities. In this workshop, you will learn the logistics of testifying before a legislative committee, writing strong testimonies, and insights we’ve gained from working with legislators. This is an entry-level presentation that we would encourage anyone to attend, because no matter who you are or how “qualified” you feel, your voice matters. It is your right to be heard by your representatives, and stories like yours need to be shared now more than ever. Join us to learn more about how to be the most effective testifier you can be!
JUMP ROOM - 5th Floor 
Skill-Building
​Knowledge Level: Beginner

When a Smile Ended 22 Years of Uncertainty

By Wael Rabeay and Saratiel Mugisha, Canopy NWA

Saratiel Mugisha, now a case manager at Canopy NWA, describes the beginning of his 22-year journey as a refugee in Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya (Kakuma is the Swahili word for Nowhere). Some wounds never fully heal — the waiting, the uncertainty, the loss of home and loved ones — and Kakuma was both a place of hardship and a testament to extraordinary human resilience. A simple smile and a warm greeting from Canopy staff at the airport marked the end of those 22 years of uncertainty and the beginning of a new chapter for Mugisha. We will explore how Canopy responded, mobilized community resources, and upheld its commitment to ensuring that every refugee in our community feels welcomed, supported, and seen.
THE LOFT - 5th Floor
Trauma & Healing
Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Begin With the End in Mind - Preparing Refugee & Immigrant Youth for Success Beyond Graduation

​By Jaimie Skinner (Boise Schools) and Kayla Groat (One Refugee)

This workshop focuses on empowering — not enabling — students with refugee backgrounds to think beyond graduation and plan for long-term success. Educators will learn how to shift from a short-term mindset to a holistic approach that builds self-advocacy, family engagement, and leadership skills. The session will offer practical strategies to help students recognize their strengths, set goals, and navigate unfamiliar systems. High school and college students from refugee backgrounds will share what they wish they had known in high school, giving educators insight into the impact of early encouragement and high expectations. By the end, participants will leave with tools and frameworks that help students see themselves not only as future graduates, but as future professionals and leaders.
SHARE STUDIO - 1st Floor
Youth Focus
Knowledge Level: Beginner
WORKSHOP SESSION #4 - WEDNESDAY, 1:00 - 2:15 PM

Culturally Rooted Microenterprise: Cottage Industry Entrepreneurship for Refugee Women

By Saja AlShafeay and Bethany Carter - Canopy NWA
Canopy NWA’s Cottage Industry Initiative was developed in response to a clear and persistent challenge: many refugee women want to contribute economically but face barriers. This workshop will introduce attendees to how the initiative intentionally addresses these challenges by creating safe, flexible, home-based opportunities for women to earn income while leveraging cultural strengths. Whether you are a service provider, nonprofit leader, educator, or community advocate, this workshop offers actionable strategies to replicate or adapt home-based microenterprise efforts in your own community. It is an engaging, solutions-oriented session for anyone committed to economic mobility, gender equity, and holistic support.
INSPIRE STUDIO- 4th Floor
Employment & Entrepreneurship
Knowledge Level: Beginner

More Than a Voice: Interpreters as Cultural Brokers

By Sadia Abdulkadir, Dhuha Ali, Fatuma Mnongerwa, Hannya Ornelas, Alice Mwamba, Sarah Darney, Busola, Adebusola Oluwatoba-Adeyemi, Katherine Doyon - Boise State University

What happens when the words that are spoken don't hold the full truth of someone's experience? This interactive workshop, through real stories, guided discussion, and role play, invites participants to step into the shoes of interpreters who serve as the vital link between refugee clients and the healthcare team. Drawing from insights from the resettled community, we will explore how interpreters act not only as translators, but as cultural brokers who navigate trust, emotion, and meaning across languages and cultures.
THE LOFT - 5th Floor
Program Enhancement
Knowledge Level: Beginner
CEUs: LSW

The Journey from Hostility to Hospitality

By Nick and Laura Armstrong (Glocal Community Partners) and Reshma Kamal (Islamic Center of Boise)
This workshop provides a brief exploration of our past and present social/political context of hospitality and explores some of the obstacles to hospitality. Together, we'll look at some of the ways we can overcome those obstacles to hospitality and become agents of depolarization. We'll learn from each other through presentation, stories and discussions, deepening our understanding of welcome, hospitality and depolarization.
SHARE STUDIO - 1st Floor
Skill-Building
Knowledge Level: Beginner

Neuroscience of Hope

By Myja Maki and Jean Mashimango - International Rescue Committee
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Hope isn’t just wishful thinking, it’s something our brains are wired for, helping us adapt and find strength even when times are tough. This session will explore the brain systems that underlie hope and resilience and how trauma and chronic stress alter, but do not erase, our capacity for neuroplastic change. Together, we will examine research showing that growth and distress often coexist, and which neural states make coping more likely. Workshop participants will engage in an interactive Play-Doh “Build-a-Brain” activity to visualize brain circuits and connect neuroscience to lived experience.
JUMP ROOM -5th Floor
Trauma & Healing
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
CEUs: LCSW

Raising Third Culture Kids

By Roger Sherman (Idaho Children's Trust Fund/Prevent Child Abuse Idaho) and Salome Mwangi (Mwangi’z Inc.)
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Raising children in America is hard but even harder for families unused to the culture and going through their own transitions. Add to that the trauma that both the children and adults have gone through on their journeys through war, camps, and mistreatment along the way and it is a wonder that families have the wherewithal to persevere. But many do. This workshop will focus on understanding the impact of both adverse (ACEs) and positive (PCEs) childhood experiences on life in general and parenting in particular. We will also discuss the realities of raising a “third culture” child who is not fully of the country of origin nor fully an American kid.
MOVE STUDIO - 5st Floor
Youth Focus
Knowledge Level: Beginner
CEUs: LSW
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​​Conference Details: 
  • Dates: Tuesday & Wednesday, Feb. 3-4, 2026
  • Location: JUMP Boise
  • Features: Presentations, interactive workshops, networking, cultural performances, and lunch/freshments
  • Register here!​
Brought to you by the Idaho Office for Refugees and community sponsors.