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Forward2026 Building Brighter Tomorrows Conference: A pathway to healthy communities
The 2026 Building Brighter Tomorrows Conference, co-hosted by the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH) at Furman University and the Institute for Child Success (ICS) will bring together practitioners, policymakers, researchers, educators, and community leaders from across South Carolina and beyond. Participants will choose from 12 thoughtfully curated breakout sessions and one keynote address, organized into three thematic tracks, each designed to explore innovative, place-based solutions that drive equity and well-being across the lifespan:
- Track 1: The Jairy Hunter Community Health Track: Exploring the social and environmental factors that shape health across the lifespan. Exploring how housing, education, food security, transportation, and neighborhood environments influence health outcomes from early childhood through adulthood.
- Track 2: Adversity, Resilience, and Well-being for Families & Communities: Examining how both positive and adverse life experiences affect health, behavior, and social outcomes. Sessions may focus on trauma-informed care, resilience-building, and healing-centered practices.
- Track 3: The Nurturing Developing Minds Track: Strengthening Families & Supporting Neurodevelopmental Health: Highlighting how family stability, caregiver well-being, and social supports contribute to community health, with a focus on the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities, autism, and neurodivergence. This track may include strategies from healthcare, education, and social services.
To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-brighter-tomorrows-conference-2026-registration-1644904115489?aff=oddtdtcreator
Target Audience
Pediatrics
- Primary Audience: Practicing Physicians, Fellows, Residents
- Secondary Audience: Affiliated Mental Health Staff, Allied Health, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, Psychiatrists, Psychologists
- Specialties: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychology
Learning Objectives
As a result of participating in this educational activity, learners will...
- Deepen their understanding of how social, environmental, and systemic factors—such as housing, food security, education, and social isolation—interact to shape child development, behavior, and long-term health outcomes.
- Build skills to translate knowledge of social drivers of health into practical, coordinated interventions across healthcare, education, and social service sectors.
- Be equipped to better support more integrated and responsive care that addresses developmental, behavioral, and mental health needs within the broader context of family and community systems.
- Be able to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and communication to reduce siloed services, increase community connection, and advance more equitable, systems-level approaches to health and well-being.
Additional Information
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 CME Quick Guide for the Ethos Learning Management System | 175.64 KB |
Time | Session Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 am | BREAKFAST AND REGISTRATION | |
| 08:50 am | Opening Remarks | |
| 09:00 am | Desmond P. Kelly, MD Keynote: "The Power of Connection: Building Healthier, Safer, and More Resilient Communities" | Risa Wilkerson, Executive Director, Healthy Places by Design |
| 10:00 am | BREAK | |
| 10:15 am | Breakout Session 1 A. Healthy Places by Design: Social Connection B. Supporting Families in Early Relational Health: Strategies from Clinic to Communities C. Healthcare Experience for Patients and Caregivers | |
| 11:15 am | LUNCH | |
| 12:30 pm | Breakout Session 2 A. Turning the Tide Against Youth Gun Violence B. Addressing Child Care Needs Beyond the 9-to-5 C. State of the Field: Screenings and Interventions | |
| 1:30 pm | BREAK | |
| 1:45 pm | Breakout Session 3 A. Justice for Healthy Communities B. Connecting Shocks, Stressors, Resilience, and Health C. Tiny Humans, Big Worries: Understanding and Supporting Anxious Kids | |
| 2:45 pm | BREAK | |
| 3:00 pm | Breakout Session 4 A. Innovative Financing to Catalyze Place-Based Change B. Powerful Communities are Resilient Communities C. The Policy and Practice Landscape for Preventing Exclusionary Discipline in Early Childhood | |
| 4:00 pm | ADJOURN | |
Risa Wilkerson will present the Desmond P. Kelly, MD Keynote Address, "The Power of Connection: Building Healthier, Safer, and More Resilient Communities."
Across the nation, loneliness and social isolation have quietly become public health challenges across the lifespan, impacting everything from physical wellness and mental health to academic performance, economic security, and civic participation. But there’s good news: connection is the antidote. Communities where people of all ages feel seen, supported, and engaged thrive in every measurable way—they’re healthier, safer, and more resilient. This inspiring keynote goes beyond the statistics to reveal practical strategies for strengthening social bonds across generations through the places and experiences that shape daily life. Discover how even small actions can spark big community impact—and why our collective wellbeing depends on rebuilding the social fabric that holds us together.
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and Furman Institute for the Advancement of Community Health. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Available Credit
- 7.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. - 7.00 Attendance
To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-brighter-tomorrows-conference-2026-registration-1644904115489?aff=oddtdtcreator
After the conference, return to this site to claim credit for this course and receive your certificate. Please click the Take Course button and use the buttons at the bottom of the page to proceed through the evaluation and attest to your learning time. You will then have the option to print or download a certificate of attendance.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CME department at [email protected].