Annual Conference
April 28-29, 2026
2026 Keynote Speaker
Heather Kennedy is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. Dr. Kennedy is the Director of the Hub for Youth Engagement, which houses grant and contract-funded projects to amplify the voices of young people to create community change through participatory inquiry and organizing. The flagship offering of the Hub is UpRISE, Colorado’s youth tobacco control movement. In each offering, her team provides coaching for adults to build authentic partnerships with youth. Dr. Kennedy has led dozens of youth leadership groups and YPAR projects with middle, high school, and college-aged youth.
Heather started in public health as a 16-year-old participant in a youth tobacco control movement and has since been a stalwart advocate for ensuring that youth can exercise the full power of their voices.
Location & Stay Information
Conference Location & Hotel Information
Courtyard by Marriott, Denver Cherry Creek
1475 S. Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80222
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Please note that CDPHE will be hosting sessions for grantees at the nearby CDPHE offices on April 30th.
Planning to Stay Overnight from April 27-May 1, 2026?
We have a block of courtesy rooms at the Courtyard on first-come, first-serve basis via this link or via phone at 303-757-8797 (with a reference to YHA).
This block is available until April 6, after which point, the hotel may honor any available rooms at the discounted rate upon request.
Conference Details for Attendees
This year's conference will have a different format than years past. The general format for 2026 is as follows:
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April 28 - YHA's Conference begins in the afternoon for half-day at Courtyard
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April 29 - YHA's Conference continues for full day
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April 30 - CDPHE grantees will convene at CDPHE offices down the street from Courtyard for all-grantee meeting in the morning and SBIRT MITEY training in the afternoon
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Conference registration will open in February. YHA encourages all organizations to renew their YHA membership for 2026 as soon as possible in order to access conference discount codes before the time of conference registration. Any discounts not taken will be received as a donation for Youth Healthcare Alliance -- we do not have the capacity to administer partial refunds.
A more detailed conference agenda will be available soon. Check back for updates!
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​​Attendees will be able to receive continuing medical education and continuing education (CME/CEs) credits through Weitzman Institute for various professional associations. Details for submitting for CME/CE and obtaining documentation for them will be provided as part of the conference program. (Note: CME/CEs are not provided for CDPHE-hosted sessions after the YHA conference concludes on April 29).
Become a Sponsor
​​We made it easy for you to become a Sponsor with an online form!
If you are interested in a custom package or need other information about sponsorship, please contact Aubrey Hill, Executive Director.
We appreciate your participation and your sponsorship means a lot to us!
See how each package can benefit your organization.
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View the full sponsorship packet here.
