HCDE left a large impression at the National AfterSchool Association’s NAA24 convention this week in Dallas, from opening the event to presenting.

Helping kick off the national conference was Jasmine Castleberry, a Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids’ (CASE for Kids) project manager who was elected to the NAA board of directors in June. Castleberry joined NAA Chief Executive Officer Gina Warner for the opening general session on March 17, welcoming the more than 1,600 convention participants to her home state and offering valuable advice for first-time attendees.

Castleberry joined CASE for Kids project coordinator Monique Smith and program coordinator Andrew Milburn in leading a presentation titled, “To Infinity and Beyond! Maximizing Community Partnerships.” The session discussed the importance of building relationships to expand learning resources for children and their families and how to maximize impact across partnership sectors.

Milburn received a convention registration after he was named a 2024 NAA Next Generation Afterschool Leader earlier this year. A total of 21 honorees across 13 different states were identified as young leaders in the field of afterschool.