On a day when they had the day off from school for a teachers’ professional development day, instead of lounging around and hanging out, about 40 youth residents of CMHA properties (from the 10 managed by Wallick Communities) spent the entire day at a conference. The conference was the second annual one put on through a partnership between Resident Resources Network, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), the Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs of Franklin County (UMADAOPFC), and the Rosewind Resident Council, in addition to financial support from Huntington Bank, United Way of Central Ohio, and the Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board of Franklin County. The conference was held at Quest Conference Center in Polaris and fashioned to be a full-fledged professional conference with hot breakfast; a nationally noted keynote speaker, Javier Sanchez; workshop presentations by local professionals; catered lunch; as well as conference trinkets and raffle items. Throughout the day, youth were educated and engaged in conversations about social issues that impact their ability to do well in school, such as dealing with incarcerated family members, learning to love one’s self, “snitching”, and recognizing healthy relationships, critical issues that our youth don’t often have the opportunity to discuss in a healthy way with adults and their peers. Conference evaluations indicated that youth thoroughly enjoyed the day and look forward to attending next year’s conference!