The Power of Knowledge: Integrating Research, Policy, and Promising Practice Around the World

Conference attendees will:
• Learn about the importance of deliberate planning to optimize knowledge translation
• Learn about the latest in knowledge translation practices and research
• Learn about practical knowledge translation tools and strategies
• Have opportunities to network with experts in the field and other conference delegates from a variety of disciplines

This interdisciplinary conference is designed for researchers, trainees, and graduate students in health sciences and related fields who want to learn from others about how to be successful in efforts to foster knowledge translation.

The McGill University School of Social Work, together with the Schools of Social Work at Université de Montréal and Université du Québec à Montréal, welcome conference participants to the 2010 Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Congress held in partnership with the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE). This conference provides us with an opportunity present how we can build on existing and future bridges between micro– and macro– aspects of practice in various sectors.

The conference’s main theme will be “Youth in mind. Beyond risk: the developmental needs.”

• Youth in mind…because young people are everybody's concern and must be a central priority of Québec society.
• Beyond risk: the developmental needs… because we must protect children and youth while allowing them to develop optimally. At the same time, we must not lose sight of the developmental needs of the community, research, organizations with regard to clinical and administrative personnel, future practitioners, cutting-edge practices, and information systems.

This joint conference will be an opportunity to address specific issues related to assessing the needs of children and youth and the strategies for responding to these needs. Issues will be grouped under seven selected topics: approaches centred on the developmental needs of children and youth; parenting support; integrated approaches; participatory approaches; planning of intervention and services; quality of services; and organizational challenges. Issues of stability and continuity cut across all seven topics. Submissions may relate to intervention initiatives (approaches, programs, tools), research results, or administrative and support services.

This conference, our second, brings together presenters from six continents to explore aspects of resilience such as how we:
• design clinical interventions and social programs to make resilience more likely
• offer informal community supports in ways young people want
• nurture healthy family, school and community relationships
• celebrate cultural traditions that support children’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being
• design schools for vulnerable learners
• negotiate social policy that is child and youth friendly
• secure peace and contribute to social justice and citizenship for children
Together, as an interdisciplinary group, we will discuss not only how children beat the odds stacked against them, but how professionals and caregivers can change those odds so that young people around the world experience resilience in culturally meaningful ways.