2026 APRIL Youth Conference 

 

 

Conference Center Facility Map

Image of Niagara Falls Conference Center Facility Map

 

 

8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Foyer): Registration for Pre-Conference and Youth Conference

 

8:00 am (Tesla): Sensory Free Room Opens

 

8:00 - 9:00 am (Foyer): Continental Breakfast

[If you have not finished breakfast before the 9:00 am activities start, you are welcome to bring breakfast with you and eat during morning activities]

 

9:00 am - 12:10 pm (Red Jacket): Youth Conference Activities

  • 9:00 - 10:00 am: Youth Conference Panel & Various Activities
    • Icebreaker Activities designed to challenge and encourage Youth Conference participants to communicate, get out of their comfort zones and talk to strangers! These are activities that will help build relationshiops and rapport!
    • Small Group Exercises designed to build communication and teamwork
  • 10:00 - 11:00 am: Goal Setting Activity
    • Goal Setting Activities will also include a review of the Blooming Collective Activity. Youth Conference participants will create a SMART goal on how to to engage with their community and creating a script template for reaching out to their local CIL or disability led organization.
      • SMART goals: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timebound
  • 11:00 - 11:10 am: Break
  • 11:10 am - 12:00 pm: Team Buiding Activity
    • Make Decorations for the Youth Dance

 

12:00 - 1:30 pm (Cascade Ballroom): Lunch

 

1:30 - 2:00 pm: Transition Back to Youth Conference Session Activities

 

2:00 - 6:00 pm (Red Jacket): Youth Conference Activities

  • 1:30 - 3:00 pm: Creating Visuals and Story Telling
    • Creating a Vision Board that reflects goals or specific message to keep Youth Conference attendees motivated in their disability activism and advocacy. At the end of the APRIL Conference, Youth Conference attendees will have the opportunity to discuss and explain their vision board, tell their story, and a goal they want to work on post-Conference.
  • 3:00 - 4:00 pm: Return of the Geezers - Q&A Panel with Former APRIL Youth
    • Youth Conference Attendees: if you have any questions you want to ask the "Geezers", email them to Genesis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • 4:00 - 6:00 pm: Break OR Continue working on Decorations for the Youth Dance

 

6:00 - 7:00 pm (Porter/DeVeaux): Annual Membership Meeting

[This meeting is Mandatory for Blooming Collaborative Scholarship recipients!]

 

7:00 - 9:00 pm (Cataract): Welcome Reception - Optional for Youth

[Light Snacks Provided]

 

 

Youth Dance Information for Saturday, October 24, 2026

Fall-themed APRIL Dance Party flyer featuring diverse illustrated dancers, including people using mobility aids, surrounded by autumn leaves and flowers. The party is October 24, 8–11:45 p.m., in the Cataract room at Niagara Falls Convention Center. Included with conference registration, with light snacks, photo props, karaoke, and activities. Wear a “Seasons of Change” outfit. Contact Genesis G Lezama for questions and accommodations.

 

 Click Here to Download a PDF Version of the Youth Conference Schedule

 

Make sure to purchase Youth Conference Swag!

  • T-Shirts = $20 each
  • Stickers = $3 each
  • Postcards = $5 each
  • Bundle Deal (T-shirt, Sticker, and Postcard) = $26

APRIL 2026 Youth Conference graphic showcasing the winning T-shirt design by Poppy Ann of the Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living. Against a black background, colorful dots inspired by the disability pride flag surround a turquoise watering can watering a green seedling in a terracotta pot. The pot reads “Planting the Seeds of Tomorrow.” White text below reads “APRIL Youth Conference 2026, Niagara Falls, NY.” The artist’s statement describes the growing plant as a metaphor for inspiring the next generation of disability advocates. The APRIL logo and gold title appear at right on a dark green background. APRIL 2026 Youth Conference graphic with a dark green background, gold heading, and APRIL logo. The featured sticker shows a green tree covered in light pink flowers, with a brown trunk rooted in a patch of soil labeled “APRIL” in pink letters. The artist, involved with the Vermont Center for Independent Living, describes the tree as a symbol of resilience, growth, and support for blooming flowers.

APRIL 2026 Youth Conference graphic featuring artwork signed “Luci Stubbins.” Two hands come together to cradle a green seedling in a small mound of soil. Colorful wildflowers, green mountains, and a cloudy blue sky fill the background. The accompanying statement from the Vermont Center for Independent Living explains that the hands represent collaboration, the seedling represents new growth, and the blooming flowers represent growth made possible through care and support. The APRIL logo and gold title appear on a dark green background.

 

 

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