Welcome to the BATES YOUTH CONFERENCE AND THEATER FESTIVAL 2026!

🌟 Empowerment Through Partnership 🌟

📚 Leverage Our Rich Resources

🌐 Stay Informed and Inspired

💫 Together, We're Stronger

🌟 Empowerment Through Partnership 🌟 📚 Leverage Our Rich Resources 🌐 Stay Informed and Inspired 💫 Together, We're Stronger

 

  • As we swing open the doors to a world of creativity, learning, and empowerment, we're thrilled to welcome you to a milestone event – the 30th Annual BATES Youth Conference and Theater Festival. Since its inception, the BATES Network has been at the forefront of fostering youth development through innovative, arts-based education. Our journey began with a vision to create a platform where young minds could explore their talents, challenge societal norms, and advocate for positive change. Today, we stand as a testament to the power of community, creativity, and youth leadership.

  • The BATES Youth Conference and Theater Festival is not just an event; it's a movement. Born from the desire to harness the transformative power of theater and the arts, we've spent three decades crafting an environment where young people lead the charge. Through non-traditional teaching modalities, we've seen firsthand how creativity can inspire action, foster empathy, and build resilient communities. This year, we're celebrating our rich history while looking forward to the innovative ways in which our attendees will shape the future.

    The purpose of the BATES network is to address the soaring rates of HIV Infection among at-risk youth with an emphasis on Black and Latino adolescents residing in Brooklyn. BATES fosters coalition work and leadership development activities for participating agencies.

  • Youth-Led Coordination: Experience a conference designed for youth, by youth. Our coordinators and presenters bring fresh perspectives and boundless energy, ensuring every session is as engaging as it is enlightening.

    Non-Traditional Teaching Modalities: Say goodbye to conventional classrooms and hello to interactive workshops, dynamic performances, and hands-on learning experiences that cater to diverse learning styles.

    Community and Connection: At the heart of BATES is our vibrant community. Connect with peers, mentors, and industry professionals who share your passion for making a difference.

  • As we celebrate 30 years of impact, innovation, and inspiration, we invite you to join us on this remarkable journey. Whether you're here to learn, share, or connect, there's a place for you at the BATES Youth Conference and Theater Festival. Let's make history together.

🛠 Resources at Your Fingertips

Dive into a treasure trove of resources tailored to empower and educate. From partner tables showcasing groundbreaking projects to presentations that delve into crucial topics like HIV prevention and positive goal-setting, there's a wealth of knowledge waiting to be discovered.

  • Explore Partner Tables: Engage with our community partners and learn about the incredible work being done in youth development and beyond.

  • Engage with Presentations: Gain insights from expert-led sessions designed to spark conversation and inspire action.

  • Navigate with Your Digital Passport: Embark on a journey through our digital landscape. Your digital passport is your key to unlocking exclusive content, connecting with community partners, and exploring our online platforms.

📲 Stay Connected

This festival is just the beginning. Follow us on social media and visit our website to keep the momentum going. Share your experiences, connect with fellow attendees, and stay updated on our youth development projects.

🔗 Follow Us on Instagram
Like Us on Facebook
Watch Our YouTube Channel
Network with us on LinkedInn
Visit Our Website

Welcome aboard!

The stage is set, and the spotlight is on you.

Dr. Jack DeHovitz started the Adolescent Education Program (AEP) in 1990. Christine Rucker, one of the original founding members of THEO, started the THEO Program Peer Leadership Initiative in 1991. Ms. Rucker is also the Founder of the Brooklyn Association of Teen Educators (BATES) Youth Network.

Discover Our Community Partners & Resources:

The BATES Youth Conference and Theater Festival is more than an event; it's a community. By engaging with our partners and leveraging our resources, you're joining a movement dedicated to empowerment, creativity, and change. Let's harness the power of partnership to build a brighter, more inclusive future for all.

Welcome to the family. Let's make an impact together.

  • The mission of the Special Treatment and Research (STAR) Program is to achieve health equity through quality care, education, research and community empowerment while creating a culture of continuous improvement, integrity and respect for patients and employees. STAR HEALTH CENTER - SUNY DOWNSTATE: 450 Clarkson Ave Suite J, Brooklyn, NY 11203

  • Click here to visit our websites and social media channels
    https://qrco.de/letsplaysure

  • Our mission is to provide outstanding education for physicians, scientists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

    Advance knowledge through cutting-edge research and translate it into practice.

    To care for and improve the lives of our globally diverse communities.

    To foster an environment that embraces cultural diversity.

  • The HEAT Program is a non-profit organization that prides itself in servicing teens and young adults in Brooklyn.

    Catering to youth ages 13-29, we specialize in providing HIV/STI testing and prevention services, community outreach events, clinical care, PrEP services, sex education, and referrals to mental health resources.

    Our Specific Programs Include:

    The Goddess Project: Women’s Services

    Renaissance Project: Men’s Services

    Project Harmony: LGBTQIA+ Services

    Brooklyn is PrEP’d: PrEP and PEP Services

  • Instagram:

    @heatprogram @heatgoddessproject @therenaissanceproject

    Facebook:

    HEAT Brooklyn

    TikTok:

    @theheatprogram

  • New York City Teens Connection works with schools, healthcare clinics, and community

    groups to improve teens’ sexual and reproductive health. We help youth get the

    information and resources they need to make healthy decisions and feel empowered to act.

Project Reach Youth

  • Project SAFE of Family Health Centers at NYU Langone has been providing teen leadership and HIV peer education programming since 1989 at the Project Reach Youth site in Brooklyn. Project SAFE trains youth between the ages of 14 and 19 to provide life-saving information to their peers through workshops, performances, and community outreach. Project SAFE provides youth with the support and the opportunities they need to not only avoid risky behaviors, but to develop to their full potential and become agents of change in their communities.

    We seek to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by empowering an inclusive network of individuals and communities that build upon the existing strengths of young people to increase their access to culturally appropriate information and services concerning their sexual health.

  • Instagram: https://@prysafe

    Facebook: /prysafe

    TikTok: @prysafe

  • CAMBA’s Brooklyn Outreach and Prevention is a program geared towards

    HIV/STI educational and preventative services for the LGBTQIA+

    community in Brooklyn and the rest of NYC.

    We offer survey opportunities, linkage to PrEP, PEP, and ART medications;

    on-site rapid HIV/STI testing; take-home HIV Self-Testing Kits; harm

    reduction items such as condoms, Narcan, and Fentanyl/Xylazine test strips;

    referrals to substance use counseling, and for our youth demographic, a job

    readiness workshop that helps you get into the industry you’ve always

    dreamed of.

    We also host various events throughout the year; be sure to follow us on our

    social media to keep in touch!

  • Instagram: @navigaytebrklyn

    Facebook: Navigayte 2.0 Brooklyn

    TikTok: @navigaytebrklyn

    Twitter: @CAMBAYMHP

    @NavigayteBrklyn

Protecting the East

  • Protecting the East is a community health project of United Community Centers with an emphasis on HIV prevention and sexual health. The mission of PTE is to create an environment in which young people are able to create safe and healthy relationships. We currently off FREE: at home HIV Self Tests, Plan B, pregnancy test, hygiene kits, condoms, lube and more! We utilize a paid peer education program to create meaningful connections with our community through social engagements, community events, and work with schools and after school programs to provide sexual health education, STI prevention and decision making workshops!

  • Instagram:

    ProtectingTheEast

    Facebook:

    Protecting The East

    Website:

    https://ucceny.org/protecting-the-east/

  • The Young Adult Community Access Program is within the Public Health Solutions Sexual and Reproductive Health Center in Brooklyn. The program aims to connect queer and BIPOC youth between the ages of 13-29 to STI/HIV testing, STI treatment, PrEP/PEP, and referrals to community services. We aim to eradicate young people's barriers when navigating complex healthcare systems.

  • https://www.instagram.com/wearephsny/

    https://www.x.com/wearephsny/

  • The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) was established in 1983 at the height of the AIDS crisis to provide a safe and affirming place for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to respond to the urgent threats facing the community. Over the past 40 years, The Center has grown to meet the changing needs of New York’s LGBTQ+ community, delivering services that empower people to lead healthy, successful lives. At The Center, we work to ensure our values are reflected in our programs and policies, our culture, and our decisions.

    We acknowledge that specific communities have been historically neglected or harmed by racism, transphobia, sexism, and poverty. This includes LGBTQ+ people who are Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), transgender, poor/working-class, living with HIV/AIDS, immigrants, and/or youth. We center these communities in all of our work and remain committed to serving all members of the LGBTQ+ community.

  • Website: gaycenter.org

    Instagram: lgbtcenternyc

    Facebook: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

  • The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health utilizes a model of community health empowerment and engagement to promote health equity and social Justice through strategic partnerships, innovative community-based health promotion & research programs, and the preparation of a more diverse and inclusive workforce of health professionals.

  • Website:

    https://www.arthurasheinstitute.org/

    Instagram: @arthurashe

    Facebook: Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health

Diaspora Community Services (DCS)

  • Diaspora Community Services (DCS) addresses community needs by

    providing access to quality healthcare, effective youth services, and HIV

    Prevention & care. DCS youth development programming expands

    educational, social, recreational, vocational, and economic opportunities that

    Provide adolescents with alternatives to sexual activity. This facilitates the acquisition of life skills that support a successful transition into healthy young adulthood. Through our programs, youth in North and Central Brooklyn are becoming knowledgeable about their sexual and reproductive health and have access to information and resources in their communities that will empower them to make responsible and proud choices.

  • Website: https://www.diasporacs.org/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diasporacs

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diasporacommunityservices

  • ARIAH utilizes art, education, advocacy, and holistic healing programs to mitigate the long-lasting impact of systematic racism and oppression on sexual reproductive health and birth outcomes within BIPOC communities. ARIAH's work amplifies and validates the voices of BIPOC-birthing people to ensure that their stories are known and their vision for co-creating, nourishing, and raising their families is defined by and for them. We are committed to increasing public awareness around reproductive health disparities, especially for those outside of BIPOC communities who wield power and have authority within institutions that perpetuate bias, discrimination, and oppression.

  • https://www.theariahfoundation.org/

Sexual Health Education & Advocacy Club

  • Our organization is committed to providing sexual health education for medical students and our Brooklyn community. The purpose is to help others develop clinical skills and educational strategies related to the promotion of sexual health and well-being. Our events focus on advocacy for sexual function, quality of life, sex education, trauma informed care, and vulnerable populations.

CHAMPS Program

D-State Pediatric Department