Reflections on the 9th Annual NACRJ Conference

Last week, RJI staff, Youth Advocacy Council members, and community members attended the 9th NACRJ conference in Washington, D.C. It was a great opportunity to connect with RJ colleagues and co-conspirators across the country, to learn about cutting-edge applications of RJ, and to dive deep into some of the most challenging aspects of this work, while joyfully embracing its promise with fellow champions. 

On Tuesday, July 30th, after the first full day of the conference, we hosted a reception at a DC restaurant (Coco Lezonne) for New Yorkers attending the conference. Nearly 50 people came out to nosh and mingle, some of whom were new to RJI, and others who have been active participants in our network for years. The crowd included YAC members, facilitation partners, community partners, board members and past board members. It’s worth noting that this year, New York was among the top 5 most well-represented states at the conference, with 141 attendees out of 2,000 from the Empire State.