Building Bridges of Opportunities, Not Walls of Limitations

April 7-11, 2025 | Live & Interactive via Zoom Webinar
Powered by Fathers and Families Coalition of America
Building Bridges Through Technology & Removing Walls of Limitations

The 26th International Families and Fathers Conference offers a fully immersive virtual experience—directly bringing you world-class speakers, cutting-edge workshops, and meaningful connections. No need to worry about travel arrangements or time away from home. Experience high-impact learning from anywhere without the need for travel. Our virtual format ensures that you can participate in the conference from the comfort of your home or office without compromising the quality of the content.  Real-time interaction with experts and fellow attendees, making your learning experience more engaging and dynamic. Join us from the comfort of your home or office and experience the full power of this transformative event through Zoom Webinar Multi-Language Access.

What Virtual Attendees Will Experience

• Live, interactive access to all general sessions and three breakout workshops per day

• Multi-language accessibility to ensure inclusivity for all attendees

• On-demand content for continued learning at your own pace

• Exclusive networking with professionals, parents, and thought leaders

• Dedicated tech support to provide a seamless conference experience

Full workshop descriptions & speaker bios: https://fathersandfamiliescoalition.org/conferences/building-bridges-schedule.html. Download the Conference App: https://26th-international-families-and-fathers.sessionize.com/

Virtual Conference Registration & Pricing

Attend Any Single Day: $100.00

Bundle All 3 Days (April 8-10, 2025): $170.00 (Best Value!)

Exclusive Bonus for Bundle Registrants:

• QPR Suicide Prevention Certification with CEUs and issued by Florida A&M University 

• Upgrade your experience by adding the Advanced Practitioner Credential Course or Nurturing Fathers Program. Each costs an extra $100.00, but they are discounted by at least $200.00.

Secure Your Virtual Spot Today:https://17121.ezfacility.com/login?SmuFormId=C59894DF-13EB-4E73-94C8-FDD1F35F2EBD

Monday, April 7, 2025 – Virtual Meet & Greet

5:00 PM – 6:15 PM
La Jolla A
Building Bridges Group Meet-Up: Team Almaty, Kazakhstan

La Jolla B
Building Bridges Group Meet-Up: Team Melbourne, Australia

Carmel
Building Bridges Group Meet-Up: Team New Jersey

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 
7:00 AM – 8:25 AM  
Room: Pacific Ballroom Expo Area

8:30 AM – 10:20 AM  
International Ballroom
Inspiring Connections: Building Bridges Through Relationships  
Opening Day Morning General Session Speakers:
Bishop Henry Hearns - Welcome Address
Thao Vanessa Tran - Greetings
Dr. Alicia Jackson, PhD - Greetings
Rhonda Stewart Jones, LCSW - Opening Remarks
Tom Krause - Keynote Speaker
Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW - Closing Remarks 
 Morning Workshops
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM  
Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous via Zoom Webinar)
Girl Dad: A Daughter's Perspective on What Gets Remembered
Madeline Anderson
  
Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Breaking the Stereotype: The True Role of Fathers and Their Mental Well-Being
Dr. Ovett Chapman, Ph.D.

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
Engaging Families with the 3Rs (Reading, Racial Equity, and Relationships) Dr. Rhonda Hall with Linda Vincent
 
12:00 PM – 1:35 PM  
Room: International Ballroom (Zoom Webinar Multi-Language Access)
Luncheon Keynote
Creating Inspirational Programs to Strengthen Families  
Remarks Speaker: Dr. Brandi Eichstedt, LMFT
Keynote Speaker Dr. John Van Epp
  
Afternoon Workshops
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM  

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous via Zoom Webinar)
Dads Matter: Empowering Fathers for Positive Child Development and Risk Reduction
Alexander Schwarz
 
Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Best Practices for Building and Sustaining Father Engagement
Dr. Nicole Scott
  
Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
The Invisible Parent: Helping Fathers to Be Seen in Society
Dr. Laura Borland, MBA, DSW

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Late Afternoon Sessions  

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous via Zoom Webinar)
Empowered Fathers, Safer Mothers: Reducing Maternal Mortality Together Ambrial Ugoji, MSW,
Ashley Torres,
Tatiyana Stubbs

Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Building Relationships That Last
William Shackelford

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
Evaluation of Azhé’e Bidziil: Improving Outcomes Among Rural Fathers Tiffani Begay, MPH, with Jeremy Begay

5:00 PM – 7:15 PM  

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous via Zoom Webinar)
Breaking the Cycle of Trauma - Women2Women Café
Rhonda Stewart Jones, LCSW
 
Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Men2Men Cafe - Building Our Purpose For Generations
Dr. Chacko Abraham with Bishop Henry Hearns

Wednesday Conference Schedule – April 8, 2025
Early Morning Sessions
7:00 AM | Pacific Ballroom Expo Hall
Early Riser Coffee & Conversation – Let's Inspire Action for Social Justice

7:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Registration Area (Second Floor)
Morning Check-In & Support

Morning General Session
8:25 AM
Room: International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)
Morning General Session: Getting Off the Cycle of Trauma to Transcendence
Juan Solis
Carlos Christian
Xavier Cardona

Morning Workshops – 10:30 AM
Featuring a diverse range of topics to cater to different interests and needs

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous Workshop)
Everyone Assumes Dads Have It Figured Out: They Don't
Dr. Laura Borland, MBA, DSW

Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Healing Generations: Addressing Intergenerational Trauma among African American Fathers
William Davis

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
I Was Loved
Dr. Roderick Logan, DPTh, DAAETS

Midday General Session

11:55 AM
Room: International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)
Opening Remarks: Making Lemonade – Dr. Carolyn Curtis, LMFT
Keynote Session: Nurturing Family Positivity
Supporting Mental Health at Home
Dr. Rosina McAlpine, MCom(Hons), MHEd, PhD

Afternoon Check-In & Support
1:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Registration Area (Second Floor)
Afternoon Workshops – 1:35 PM

Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Fathering the Traumatized Child
Dr. Roderick Logan, DPTh, DAAETS

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous Workshop)
Re-Unifying Families: Strategies and Methods to Support Fathers' Participation in Groups
Michael Nobles, M.A.
Kimberly Murphy, MA
Marcus Baker

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
How to Be a Father with Faith, Hope, and Love
Eddie Garcia

Networking Break & Massage Therapy
2:55 PM – 3:25 PM
Room: Pacific Ballroom Expo Hall

Afternoon Workshops – 3:30 PM
Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Live It List™: How It Saved My Life and Can Save Yours
Nicole Middendorf

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous Workshop)
Self-Regulation: Supporting Children to Develop This Important Life Skill
Dr. Rosina McAlpine, MCom(Hons), MHEd, PhD

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
Changing the Narrative: Engaging Fathers in Their Children's Education
Dr. Deborah R. Higdon
Dr. Chacko Abraham

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Room: Pacific Ballroom
Massage Therapy and Expo Networking Meet the Authors

6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Room: International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)
Evening General Session President's Opening Recption

Early Morning Sessions and Massage Therapy
7:00 AM to 8:45 AM
Room: Pacific Ballroom Expo Hall
Morning Coffee & Networking Break – Early Riser Session

7:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Registration Area (Second Floor)
Morning Check-In & Support

Morning Film Premiere
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Room: International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)
Bridging Generations: Connecting Fathers and Kids Through Film
Allan Shedlin

9:00 AM to 10:25 AM
Room: International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)
Coaching for Wellness: The Path Towards a Life of Flourishing and Fulfillment
Dr. Anna Marie Frank
David Kobelin
Kerry L. Brooks, MBA
Dr. Rosina McAlpine, MCom(Hons), MHEd, PhD

Morning Workshops – 10:45 AM
Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Embracing Neurodiversity: Facts, Myths, and Advocacy
Dr. Gloria Andrade

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous Workshop)
Health, Parenting, and Community Perspectives on Black Fatherhood: Defying Stereotypes
Dr. Tasha Alston, Ph.D., MSW
Dr. Brianna Lemmons, LMSW

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
Fatherhood & Intersectionality: Navigating Diverse Experiences
Dr. Laura Borland, MBA, DSW
Dr. Alana White, MBA, DSW

Luncheon General Session
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Room: International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)
Socially Just-Us: Fatherhood – A Fireside Chat Luncheon
Dr. Laura Borland, MBA, DSW
Dr. Alana White, MBA, DSW
Judge Lauren Lake
Dr. Pamela Powell, M.Ed., DSW
Dr. Benjamin Nakamura, DSW
Afternoon Check-In & Support

1:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Registration Area (Second Floor)

Afternoon Workshops – 1:30 PM
Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
Creating an Emotionally Safe Home: Techniques for Family Well-being
Bill Stierle

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous Workshop)
Unlock Your Extraordinary Mental Potential by Rewiring Your Mind!
Dr. Anna Marie Frank

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
Decisions vs. Consequences: Understanding the Impact of Choices on Family Dynamics
Marcus Meneese, M.A.

Networking Break and Massage Therapy Sessions

3:00 PM – 3:25 PM | Pacific Ballroom Expo Hall
Afternoon Networking & Expo Break

Afternoon Workshops – 3:30 PM

Room: La Jolla A (Spanish/Hybrid Simultaneous Workshop)
Not Only for Kids: A Workshop on Social Media Branding, Self-Esteem & Self-Expression
Thao Vanessa Tran

Room: La Jolla B (Hybrid Workshop)
What Is in or on Our Food and What We Should Avoid
Alan Attridge

Room: Carmel (Hybrid Workshop)
Woven Threads: The Tapestry of Fatherhood in a Changing World
Dr. Laura Borland, MBA, DSW
Dr. Alana White, MBA, DSW

Evening General Session
5:00 PM | International Ballroom (Hybrid General Session)