Lazarus Letcher (they/them) is a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at the University of New Mexico, focusing on linking homophobia and transphobia to white supremacy culture and examining art as resistance. Letcher has written for Autostraddle, them, El Palacio, and the occasional dry academic journal. They’ve taught courses like Southwest Studies, Race and Ethnic Studies, and Peace and Justice Studies.

Letcher plays viola in the environmental justice folk band Eileen & the In-Betweens and for art installations/durational performances with the group Stages of Tectonic Blackness. With the support of a National Performance Network Grant, Stages of Tectonic Blackness set out to the New Mexico desert to create a film, Blackdom, performing on and connecting with the land of an abandoned all-Black ghost town. While working on Blackdom, the group connected with descendants of this former utopian experiment and shared their stories in an exhibit at New Mexico State University. Stages of Tectonic Blackness’ work has been shown at the NMSU Art Museum, Armory Center for the Arts, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and other museums across the U.S.

In addition to this work, Letcher is a trainer for Sins Invalid, a performance-based disability justice organization. After surviving a murder attempt involving an assault weapon in 2023, Letcher has used their voice to push for gun safety and to support other survivors of gun violence.

One of the exciting ways students can play a leadership role on the conference day is to serve as a student facilitator. Facilitators learn key skills including bonding, how to start a discussion, how to manage conflict, and much more — skills that will help them lead conversations on social change back in their clubs, schools, and communities.

The first interactive session of the conference day involves informal group discussions of 15-20 students per room from all over the state led by these trained student facilitators. Trained facilitators are paired with one another so they have a partner to help lead the conversation in their discussion group.

Do you know students who are ready to take a leadership role on the day of the Conference? YCD will be hosting a student facilitator training on Saturday, March 29 @ 10:30 am – 4:00 pm at Highland High School.

Adult Mentor Training

Are you new to YCD’s youth-led model? Looking for help and training on how to empower youth leadership without taking over or doing everything yourself? Join this adult-only workshop to learn from those who have been coaching youth for years to learn tips, tricks and ideas that will help you become a better adult mentor! This workshop is for educators and adults only.

Art and Social Justice

Join a local artist to talk about how to use art (all forms) to make a statement for social justice.  Then, participants will actually create a piece of art during the workshop.

Building Your Skills for Conflict Resolution

Everyone experiences conflict—over who we are, what we believe, and so many other things. Sometimes that conflict grows until it harms or even ends those relationships. It doesn’t have to be that way. We will discuss conflicts that you are experiencing and effective ways to deal with them. We will use small-group discussion and practical tools to help each other address conflict in positive ways.

Combating Ableism in Our Daily Lives

This workshop is a crash course on ableism, or the oppression of people with disabilities, led by an activist within the disability community. We will explore how ableist language and ideas exist in our everyday society, and then discuss how we can take steps to unlearn and combat ableism in our schools and communities, so that our disabled peers and friends.

Finding Your Voice for Activism

What is your “why”? What motivates your passion for change and activism? Join this workshop for a fun and interactive exploration in how to step into your power by connecting with your life’s journey. The results will amaze you!

From Ally to Accomplice: A Love Language

In this presentation we will discuss the importance of our individual and collective power when we decide to move from the space of stationary ally to a fully active accomplice. As well as what these roles look like and how they are different. We will also discuss how when we enter that space we have the opportunity to change the world. It is not enough to just listen, it is our moral obligation to act. To be an accomplice is an act of revolutionary love.

The History of Native Boarding Schools in New Mexico

Founded with the intention of assimilating Native American children, students at these schools were separated from family, and forbidden from speaking Native languages, or practicing traditional customs. Education was often limited to training as domestic and industrial workers. Children from New Mexico were also sent to schools that were located out of state. Join this session to learn about New Mexico’s history of boarding schools on Native people, and their impacts lasting to today.

Human Trafficking of Youth in New Mexico

This training will explore the root causes of the crime of trafficking and the myriad of intersecting identities, vulnerabilities, and social and systemic inequalities that can lead to trafficking. Understanding root causes and complex trauma is key to recognizing the crime in its many forms. Youth will be guided through a trauma-informed framework to connect personal and community aspects to at-risk experiences.

Islam and Islamophobia

Islamophobia is the discrimination and oppression of Muslims. This workshop will serve as an open forum for students and adults to ask questions freely as they learn some of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding the Islamic faith and Muslim people. This session will also help participants understand how xenophobia against any race, religion or ethnicity should not be tolerated.

Know Your Rights

All people in the United States enjoy the same Constitutional protections – regardless of nationality, religion, immigration status, sexual identity, disability and gender. The best way to protect your rights is to Know Your Rights. In this workshop, the ACLU of New Mexico will share information on how to handle a police interaction to keep students safe and help de-escalate a tense encounter while not giving away their rights.

Navigating Diversity Backlash

When efforts to dismantle inequities and lack of/no inclusion and diversity it can be misinterpreted for exclusion. This workshop is an interactive conversation about why there is resistance to equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts and how to work through the backlash. Learners will engage in dialogue and activities (role-play is one) to come away with strategies on how to address diversity backlash when they are faced with resistance to their work in social and racial justice. This workshop is for educators and adults only.

Responding to Transphobia and Homophobia

In this workshop we will discuss transphobia and homophobia, both in the classroom and in everyday life. We will review statistics and survey responses as well as discuss how homophobia and transphobia affect us, and what can be done to combat them. This is the perfect session for LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and allies!

Search for Truth: Exploring Lesser-Known Religions

Join this session to hear from Muslim, Sikh and Hindu religious leaders, to break down misconceptions and stereotypes about their faiths, as well as learning about how we can work together across faith communities for social justice.

Understanding and Overcoming Generational Trauma

Name it, claim it, clean it up. We don’t have to continue to accept “that’s just how it is”. By learning to identify generational trauma, you can learn how and why things that never happened to you affect you. You can learn to use the power that you have right now to break those bonds and reshape how you navigate through life.

Undoing the Manbox: Healthy Masculinities and Healthy Relationships

Youth and adults will share and learn in a creative format about how gender binaries and the “manbox” hurt all of us. Youth facilitators will also share and provide tools for healthy relationships and masculinities including learning about assets, boundaries, communication, consent, expectations, gender spectrum and storytelling.

What it Means to be an Immigrant Today

There is so much talk about immigration, but how often do you hear immigrants’ personal stories? Join this session to hear from a panel of immigrants who will share why they migrated, what their experience has been like, and how they are protecting their communities in today’s polarized environment.

Groups

Established youth clubs and groups are encouraged to register as a chapter of YCD, which includes attendance at this Conference as part of their annual membership, in addition to numerous other benefits!

Individuals

Ready to attend this event? Click the button below to select your workshops and reserve your spot!

Nikki Archuleta

Program Manager – YCD New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 804-6790
[email protected]