Our 2026 Annual Forum: We Free Us will be held from August 18-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana!
This year NYJN’s Annual Forum is focused on Amplifying Intersectionality in Youth Justice! We will work together to strategize around creating a unified movement to abolish the overlapping systems that punish and traumatize youth. By using a holistic lens we will center issues that impact our fight for youth justice ranging from the youth crimmigration system, school-to-prison-pipeline, and family policing system, to mental health. If you are a movement advocate, youth leader, organizer, attorney, donor, or ally in the fight to free youth from all systems of criminalization, this forum is for you!
Our Annual Forum is a time for youth justice advocates to come together to learn, heal, strategize, and build community. Our 2025 Annual Forum was a transformative experience, and we hope to see both new and familiar faces this year.
We are excited to be partnering with Operation Stop CPS, DayOneNotDayTwo, Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, JMACforFamilies, and ALAS who are co-sponsoring this year’s Forum. These organizations have been integral to planning and putting together this year’s Forum, especially connecting the event with a wide variety of people, organizations, and movements to stay true to our theme of intersectionality.
Details:
- Dates: Full conference days on August 19 and 20, with optional pre-conference and post-conference programming on August 18 and August 21
- Location: NOPSI Hotel, New Orleans – we have secured a special discounted rate for Forum attendees
- Check out the schedule here
- Registration Costs: The 2026 Forum Registration fee is tiered. This fee includes the material costs of the forum and meals, but not lodging.
- Non-NYJN member (includes funders and allies): $400
- NYJN organizational member: $200
- NYJN individual member: $50
- YJLI alumnus: $100
- Current YJLI or YJCI participant: no cost
- Youth (age 17 and under): no cost
This year, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to provide limited scholarships for travel to and from forum, lodging, and registration for the forum. You can apply for a scholarship in the registration form, but please note that applying for a scholarship doesn’t guarantee that one will be granted. You will be notified of your scholarship status via email.