# Event Details - **Event Name**: Pulling Together Conference 2026 - **Event Start and End Date**: Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 08:30 am – Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 02:30 pm (-07:00) - **Event Description**: Breaking Bread Together - The Importance of Social Cohesion and How to Achieve ItAbout this EventLand AcknowledgementThe Mission Child and Youth Committee acknowledges that we work and learn on the Traditional, Ancestral, Unsurrendered, and Shared territories of Stó:lō people, of Leq'á:mel, Semá:th, Máthxwi, Sq'éwlets and Qwó:ltl'el First Nations, stewards of this land since time immemorial.Halq'eméylem is the language of this land and of Stó:lō ancestors. The place from where Halq’eméylem (Upriver dialect) originates is Leq’á:mel. The language comes from the land, and it has been this way since time immemorial.We, as members of the Mission Public School District community, embrace our commitments to strengthening partnerships and relationships with all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.WelcomeWelcome to the 14th Annual Pulling Together registration site. Here, you will find information for the day of the event, as well as register for morning and afternoon workshops.The theme for this years conference thoughtfully chosen by the Mission Child and Youth Committee - we have carefully sought out speakers to fit this theme are hopeful that it resonates with attendees.Breaking Bread Together: The Importance of Social Cohesion and How to Achieve itOur morning will begin with a keynote address from Indigenous speaker, Qwustenuxun.Jared “Qwustenuxun” Williams is a Hul’q’umi’num language speaker, Indigenous chef, Salish culture educator, and consultant from Quw’utsun. Raised in Salish culture by his father and late grandmother, he carries forward teachings of traditional harvesting, Indigenous foods, and community history. After a decade in western kitchens, Qwustenuxun returned home to cook for Cowichan Elders and deepen his knowledge of Indigenous foodways. Today, he shares those teachings widely from Cooking in Two Worlds with FeedBC to a TEDx talk, national food sovereignty projects, and his role as Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council to BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Whether presenting at the UN World Food Forum or paddling the Salish Sea with his sons, Qwustenuxun’s work is grounded in humility, self-determination, and the relationships that keep culture alive.Keynote Address: Honoring The LightEvery child carries a light within them. Our responsibility as adults is to recognize it, protect it, and help it grow.In this keynote, we will reflect on Indigenous teachings about how we connect with children and the role we play in shaping the next generation. When we meet children where they are in their journey and lift up their sacred gifts, we help raise strong, grounded leaders for the future. Drawing on Indigenous ways of knowing, we will explore how language, food, and a relationship with the land support the well-being of children. These teachings benefit all children, and they are especially important for Indigenous children as they grow in identity, belonging, and strength. This talk also invites us to reconsider how we show up for young people. Rather than approaching children from a place of authority, we can walk beside them as mentors, guides, and role models. Children learn not only from what we teach them, but from how we live, listen, and care for them. As the elders in Quw’utsun remind us, we should talk to our children, not talk at them.Honoring the light within our children begins with how we see them, how we listen to them, and how we choose to walk alongside them. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/cdaf2310-9af8-11f1-9bc6-8b4f56db6c43-rimg-w740-h740-dc080808-gmir.jpg Schedule8:30-9:00AM Registration9:00-9:15AM Opening and Welcome9:15-10:15AM Keynote Address10:15-10:30AM Break10:30-12:00PM Morning Breakout Sessions12:00-12:45PM Lunch1:00-2:30PM Afternoon Breakout Sessions*Please look through the Agenda for Breakout Session offerings at the bottom of this page. You will need to choose both a morning and afternoon option when you register.AM Breakout Sessions🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PMIndigenous Food Systems: Food as Culture, Law, and RelationshipHost: QwustenuxunInfo: Food is never just food. It is culture, law, economy, and relationship. This workshop explores how Indigenous food systems sustained our people while actively strengthening the lands and waters we depend on. Through coastal and river-based examples, we will look at how foods were harvested, processed, preserved, and shared in ways that created abundance, upheld governance, and supported ecosystem health over generations. Grounded in lived experience, the session follows the work of an Indigenous chef navigating modern kitchens and public institutions while remaining accountable to community, culture, and land in the province of so-called British Columbia. We will examine how contemporary food safety and regulatory systems interact with traditional Indigenous foods, where they create barriers, and where change is possible. From Salish teachings, this workshop presents Indigenous food systems as living, adaptive systems that continue to guide how we care for land, water, and one another.🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PMCooking Up ConnectionHost: Scott Abbott - Chef SD75Info: Cook for the Crowd. Steal the Show. Skip the sit-and-listen session—this is where the action is. Join two chefs for a high-energy, hands-on workshop where you come together as part of the kitchen crew, creating a full lunch for everyone: a loaded pasta bar, garlic bread, fresh salads, and a colourful fruit platter. It’s fast, fun, a little chaotic (in the best way), and incredibly rewarding. You won’t just walk away with ideas—you’ll have fed a room full of people. If you want laughs, connection, and a workshop everyone will be talking about—this is your spot🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PMCreating Safer Schools: Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ ...continued in description.Host: Doug HughesInfo: Creating Safer Schools: Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ Students Through Inclusive Practice. Every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and valued at school. This interactive workshop explores practical strategies for creating inclusive environments that support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth while strengthening school culture for all students. Participants will learn why representation, belonging, and affirming practices matter, examine common barriers faced by queer and marginalized youth, and explore actionable ways to foster safer classrooms, programs, and communities. Through discussion, reflection, and real-world examples, attendees will leave with tools to uplift diverse voices, build meaningful connections, and create spaces where every young person can thrive.🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PMPeer to Peer Sexual Health Education: Creating Deeper Connection & UnderstangHost: Justin van Westen - BLUSH Vancouver Coastal HealthInfo: Sexual Health education through a peer to peer model has been an excellent practice of creating social cohesion. In our breakout groups, we will speak to the multiple levels of cohesion this has been created for the facilitators as a group, as well the social cohesion it fosters between the youth educators and the student they teach about sexual health. We believe that peer to peer youth education models cultivate better connection and understanding while providing less of a hierarchical approach and resistance to learning. Youth Educators will come and lead this breakout session to talk about the benefits of youth informed approaches and the importance of youth voice as the lead voice in the creation of programming and education for youth. Some of the best and most integrated learning comes from those that reflect our own experience and this drives the BLUSH philosophy of teaching.🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PMIt Starts With Breakfast: Creating Community Through FoodHost: Melissa Moore - Education Assistant SD75Info: Join speaker Melissa Moore, alongside her Breakfast Club EA partner Laura Satchell, as they explore hidden hunger, the connection between food and education, and the impact school food programs can have on student success and well-being. Drawing from the success of their school’s Breakfast Club program, Melissa and Laura will share practical ways to build and grow a sustainable food program through community partnerships, teamwork, and creating a strong network of like-minded people within a school. This session will focus on how food not only supports learning, but also builds connection, belonging, and community within a school environment.🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PMIncreasing Trusted Connections Between Children and Youth to AdultsHost: Georgina Mitchell - Fraser House SocietyInfo: Connection and a sense of belonging with peers, family and community are key to positive physical & mental well-being. Over the last 20 years, consistent numbers of BC youth report having an adult in their family they can lean on, but the numbers for an adult outside the family dropped significantly between 2008-2013 and have just started recovering (mcs.bc.ca AHS). We will explore ways in which we can rebuild our children and youth’s confidence in the adults around them. How do we nurture connections and trust with young people? How do we cultivate our own creativity in this area? How do we enrich our relationships with each other to keep our vision and enthusiasm going? Come explore with us!PM Breakout Sessions🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PMCreating Safer Schools: Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+...continued in description. Host: Doug HughesInfo: Creating Safer Schools: Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ Students Through Inclusive Practice. Every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and valued at school. This interactive workshop explores practical strategies for creating inclusive environments that support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth while strengthening school culture for all students. Participants will learn why representation, belonging, and affirming practices matter, examine common barriers faced by queer and marginalized youth, and explore actionable ways to foster safer classrooms, programs, and communities. Through discussion, reflection, and real-world examples, attendees will leave with tools to uplift diverse voices, build meaningful connections, and create spaces where every young person can thrive.🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PMPeer 2 Peer Sexual Health Education-Creating Deeper Connection & UnderstandingHost: Justin van Westen - BLUSH Vancouver Coastal HealthInfo: Sexual Health education through a peer to peer model has been an excellent practice of creating social cohesion. In our breakout groups, we will speak to the multiple levels of cohesion this has been created for the facilitators as a group, as well the social cohesion it fosters between the youth educators and the student they teach about sexual health. We believe that peer to peer youth education models cultivate better connection and understanding while providing less of a hierarchical approach and resistance to learning. Youth Educators will come and lead this breakout session to talk about the benefits of youth informed approaches and the importance of youth voice as the lead voice in the creation of programming and education for youth. Some of the best and most integrated learning comes from those that reflect our own experience and this drives the BLUSH philosophy of teaching.🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PMIt Starts With Breakfast: Creating Community Through FoodHost: Melissa Moore - Education Assistant SD75Info: Join speaker Melissa Moore, alongside her Breakfast Club EA partner Laura Satchell, as they explore hidden hunger, the connection between food and education, and the impact school food programs can have on student success and well-being. Drawing from the success of their school’s Breakfast Club program, Melissa and Laura will share practical ways to build and grow a sustainable food program through community partnerships, teamwork, and creating a strong network of like-minded people within a school. This session will focus on how food not only supports learning, but also builds connection, belonging, and community within a school environment.🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PMConnected Fathers, Connected Communities:...title continued in description.Host: Darren Watts - Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Com. ServicesInfo: Connected Fathers, Connected Communities: Male Caregiver Engagement as a Pathway to Community Well-being. Male caregiver engagement strengthens the bonds between individuals, families, and communities, creating greater trust, belonging, participation, and collective wellbeing — all key components of social cohesion. Participants will examine how engaged male caregivers contribute to positive youth development, stronger family systems, community participation, and resilience. Through discussion, reflection, and practical examples, the seminar will highlight how male caregiver engagement can support safer communities, healthier relationships, and greater collective wellbeing.🕑: 01:00 AM - 02:30 AMFood as Care: Why Language and Connection Matter in School Food ProgramsHost: Kirstin Berrington - Breakfast Club of CanadaInfo: Join Breakfast Club of Canada for a workshop that reaffirms care, dignity, and human connection as essential ingredients in successful school food programs. This session highlights how human connection sits at the heart of all successful school food programs, regardless of the model. Through shared stories and reflections, we’ll consider how language, presence, and everyday interactions shape students’ experiences of food; creating spaces that are welcoming, safe, and respectful. Participants will be invited to reflect on how care already shows up in their programs and explore small, meaningful ways to strengthen human connection in their work. Together, we will look at relational care, nutrition, mindful eating practices, and the role of language around food.🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PMTeach Food First: The Power of Language in Shaping...continued in description.Host: Heather Anderson - Fraser HealthInfo: Teach Food First: The Power of Language in Shaping Student’s Well-Being Through Food. This workshop covers how to support students to have a positive relationship with food and why we are shifting to a strength-based, trauma-informed, equity-centered and culturally inclusive approach to teaching and talking about food. This session includes content on factors that can negatively impact our relationship with food; how food is more than nutrition and can support social connection; what a positive relationship with food looks like; and an overview of the Teach Food First toolkit for supporting a food exploration approach to learning about food.🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PMMore Than a Meal: How Food Builds Belonging, Dignity and CommunityHost: James Bradford - SD35Info: James Bradford supports the development of Feeding Futures programming within Langley School District. He brings more than 15 years of experience in restaurant operations, food service, cooking, and organizational leadership across Canada, Japan, and the Philippines. Having lived and worked across several cultures, James has seen how food can create community, preserve identity, and provide a sense of belonging. His current work focuses on developing inclusive, nutritious, sustainable, and dignified school food programs that strengthen connections among students, families, schools, and community partners. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/mission/pulling-together-conference-2026/100001987350026427 - **Event Categories**: workshops, health-wellness, business, food-drinks, art, fine-arts, conferences, it, trips-adventures, kids - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - door_time: 2026-10-23T15:30:00Z - Duration: 6 hours - Location: Clarke Foundation Theatre - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 25, max: 25, currency: CAD ## Event venue details - **city**: Mission - **state**: BC - **country**: Canada - **location**: Clarke Foundation Theatre - **lat**: 49.14346 - **long**: -122.2903943 - **full address**: Clarke Foundation Theatre, 33700 Prentis Avenue, Mission, Canada ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Pulling Together Conference 2026 - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events5/banners/53bbf6aefbc44cd32085001f794376594c1491990eac71b4bd0c5b3b285c29a9-rimg-w381-h386-dcffffff-gmir.jpg?v=1781258707 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Pulling Together Conference 2026 being held? - **A:** Pulling Together Conference 2026 takes place on Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 08:30 am to Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 02:30 pm at Clarke Foundation Theatre, 33700 Prentis Avenue, Mission, Canada. - **Q**: Who is organizing Pulling Together Conference 2026? - **A:** Pulling Together Conference 2026 is organized by Mission Child and Youth Committee and Mission Public Schools. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Pulling Together Conference 2026 is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Mission, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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