Passport to Careers
State Conference

May 14, 2026 | Virtual

Passport to Careers 2026

Planting Seeds for Generations

May 14 | Virtual

Like a seed that takes root and flourishes long after it is sown, the contributions we make as a community of providers and educators ripple outward, shaping lives, advancing understanding, and cultivating a more just and sustainable future. Together at the 2026 Passport Conference, we honor the legacy of those who planted seeds before us while recommitting to our responsibility to plant generously, wisely, and with the vision to continue uplifting generations to come. This virtual conference serves as a platform to turn hope into action, bringing us together to learn and develop as practitioners dedicated to supporting foster and unaccompanied homeless youth.

Registration

Registration will open on March 9 and close at midnight on May 8. If you have questions, please contact us.

Early Bird Registration

Available from March 9 through April 17, 2026

General Registration

Available through April 18 through May 8, 2026

^$75

^$100

Online registration includes processing fees
Did you know? Campus staff can use your student support funds to cover registration costs!

One full day of workshops, lived experience panel presentation, and networking
Access to our conference app, Whova, to enhance your conference experience
Workshop materials post-conference

Keynote Speakers

We are thrilled to announce our keynote speakers for the 2026 Conference! Tania Santiago, Special Projects Administrator for the Local and Regional Affairs Team at King County Council, will kick off the conference with her keynote address. Sebastian Sanders, passionate educator teaching history at a Title I high school in southern Massachusetts, will share his experience with the Passport program as our alumni speaker. Head over to our speaker section to check out their bio!

Tania Santiago

Sebastian Sanders

Schedule

Check out the conference schedule below! More details will be added soon.

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Conference Speaker & Presenter Information

We are excited to announce information about the rest of our conference speakers for the 2026 Passport Conference. Check them out below!

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Workshop & Panel Submissions

Submissions to present a workshop, participate in our lived experience panel, or nominate our keynote speaker have closed. If you are still interested in submitting a workshop proposal, please contact us.

We are eager to highlight the amazing thought-leaders, innovators, and change-makers in our community and can’t wait to spotlight your insights, successes, and experiences. Each lesson taught, each discovery made, and each question asked carries within it the potential for a young person to grow into something greater than themselves. This year’s conference invites us to reflect on the ways our work in teaching, research, and service nurtures not only the minds before us today, but also the generations yet to come.

We invite professionals, people with lived foster care or homelessness experience, and community members to submit proposals to present a 75-minute workshop session.

We are looking for four people with lived foster care or homelessness experience (or both) to speak on a lived experience panel on May 14. Panelists’ first-hand experience offers insight into how providers can support young people who have experienced foster care or unaccompanied homelessness to persist with their education.

We are looking for someone with lived foster care OR homelessness experience (or both) to moderate the lived experience panel on May 14. The moderator is responsible for asking the questions (some are pre-planned and some may be live) and moving the panel in a way that feels comfortable for the panelists.

Do you know someone who you think would be an engaging and invigorating keynote speaker? We’d love to hear your suggestions!
Broadly, we’re looking for:

Experience: We are particularly interested in speakers with lived experiences that resonate with our conference theme.
Expertise: Candidates with a background in higher education and/or apprenticeships are highly desirable.
Location: Ideally, our speaker would live in Washington.

Do you know someone who fits this description? Please email Giselle Blanco with their name and a brief overview of their qualifications, experiences and LinkedIn or personal webpage if readily available. Thank you for your contribution!