Collective Conversations

Setting Hope In Motion

Now Seeking Speakers!

Collective Conversations: Setting Hope in Motion is the first conference co-hosted by Change the Conversation and Springboard Community Services, two organizations committed to cross-sector action to prevent harm and promote protection and healing. We’re intentionally keeping the format flexible at this stage – the sessions we receive will help shape the flow of the day. So bring your perspective, your energy, and your best ideas to your submissions, and we’ll build something meaningful together.


The Collective Conversations conference is all about sparking real conversations across roles, disciplines, and systems. We’re especially excited about proposals that speak to more than one audience or invite people outside your usual circle into the conversation.

May 11 & 12, 2026

The Center Club, Baltimore, MD


Erin Merryn is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and child abuse advocate andactivist. She earned her MSW from Aurora University. For six years of her childhood she was sexually abused keeping her secret locked away in her childhood diary. Before graduating high school Erin published her diary into a book called Stolen Innocence. She has since published 4 more books. 


In 2013 she had Erin’s Law passed in her home state of Illinois. A law that requires personal body safety taught in public schools every year. She has made it her mission to have it passed in all 50 states. To date Erin has passed Erin’s Law in 38 states and most recently Ontario Canada. 



Since 2004, Erin has shared her story in over 500 hundred media publications and appeared on Oprah, NBC Nightly News, Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning CNN, Fox, Access Hollywood, among others. Glamour magazine named Erin Woman of the Year in 2012, and People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world. 


Erin lives in Chicago, Illinois where she is married and the mother of 4.

Keynote Speaker

Erin Merryn

What To Expect

5:00 - 6:00 PM

We're delighted to include a VIP Cocktail Reception for our sponsors and their guests this year, offering an intimate space for connecting with community leaders and the Change the Conversation team.

A Glimpse into Safety Planning for Online Child Exploitation

Presented by Chelsea McGonigle, Director of Prevention and Education


Step into the shoes of a student during this brief, interactive experience drawn directly from Turn the Talk. Attendees will explore a real-life scenario used in classrooms to help young people recognize online red flags, identify safe adults, and build personalized safety plans. This activity offers a powerful window into how we equip youth to navigate digital spaces safely, and why your support is critical to expanding this life-saving work.

Speaker Details Coming Soon!

This year's Blossom & Bloom will feature 2 remarkable speakers from local schools, joining us to share their experience with Turn the Talk. These individuals work daily with students, and will share their firsthand perspective on how Turn the Talk helps students practice safer habits, and prepares them to take action if they notice signs of child sexual abuse (CSA). 

About Turn the Talk:

Evidence-Inspired Prevention Education

Equipping Young People with Tools to Address Child Sexual Abuse

Turn the Talk is Change the Conversation's flagship prevention education program that partners with educators across Maryland to deliver comprehensive awareness and training directly to school communities. Our evidence-inspired approach equips students with a foundational understanding of child sexual abuse—including its definition, legal and policy context, and effects—while building practical skills in reporting, resource evaluation, and survivor advocacy.

2024 - 2025

Academic Year Highlights

Lorem Ipsum

10,562

through 395 classroom presentations in 24 unique schools, working alongside 35 dedicated teachers who serve as champions for prevention education in their communities.

Educator Approval

100%

of surveyed educators reported that the majority of students gained valuable knowledge and skills from Turn the Talk presentations. All respondents affirmed they would recommend the program to colleagues.

New Learning

96%

 of students report learning something new, with key takeaways including understanding reporting procedures, recognizing that abuse affects all demographics, identifying online safety risks, and learning about legal protections for survivors.

Become a Sponsor

Our 2025 sponsorship levels are designed to reflect the specific outcomes and impact areas of Turn the Talk programming, and your leadership in supporting this work. Each level outlined below represents a meaningful investment in the safety and wellbeing of Frederick County students.

$10,000

Prevention Impact Patron

This sponsorship level helps us deliver eighty Turn the Talk sessions.


  • 10 VIP tickets to private cocktail reception & full event
  • Name/Logo on Dessert Table
  • Logo on event signage
  • Logo on Change the Conversation's website
  • Logo on Event Digital Invitation


For your business:

CtC will provide Parent/Guardian Training to work force 1x year

Materials to include with annual benefit enrollment period

$7,500

Online Safety

Sponsor

This sponsorship level helps us deliver sixty Turn the Talk sessions.


  • 10 VIP tickets to private cocktail reception & full event
  • Name/Logo on Dessert Table
  • Logo on event signage
  • Logo on Change the Conversation's website
  • Logo on Event Digital Invitation


For your business:

CtC will provide Parent/Guardian Training to work force 1x year

Materials to include with annual benefit enrollment period

$5,000

Crucial Conversations Sponsor

This sponsorship level helps us deliver forty Turn the Talk sessions.


  • 8 VIP tickets to private cocktail reception & full event
  • Logo acknowledgement on custom cocktail sign(s)
  • Logo on event signage
  • Logo on Change the Conversation's website
  • Logo on Event Digital Invitation


For your business:

CtC will provide Parent/Guardian Training to work force 1x year

Materials to include with annual benefit enrollment period


$2,500

Prevention Strategy Sponsor

This sponsorship level helps us deliver twenty Turn the Talk sessions.


  • 6 VIP tickets to private cocktail reception & full event
  • Name/Logo placement around band
  • Name on event signage
  • Name on Change the Conversation's website
  • Name on Event Digital Invitation

$1,000

Advocacy for Survivors Sponsor

This sponsorship level helps us deliver six Turn the Talk sessions.


  • 4 VIP tickets to private cocktail reception & full event
  • Name on event signage
  • Name on Change the Conversation's website
  • Name on Event Digital Invitation
  • Take floral centerpiece home

$500

Friends of Change the Conversation

This sponsorship level helps us deliver forty Turn the Talk sessions.


  • 2 VIP tickets to private cocktail reception & full event
  • Name on Change the Conversation's website
  • Name on Event Digital Invitation

About Change the Conversation

Change the Conversation (CTC) is a trusted leader in trauma-informed education, training, and service expansion for CSA survivors in Maryland and surrounding states. With over 20 years of experience advancing trauma-informed care, child sexual abuse prevention, and professional development for the victim services workforce, CTC expands access to specialized, evidence-based trauma care through prevention programming, professional learning for providers, and grant-supported intervention services while strengthening systems that support child and youth recovery.

About Springboard Community Services

Empathy

We create space for people to share their experiences honestly and without fear.

Learning and Growth

We commit to learning, growth, and change – both individually and collectively.

Support

We acknowledge that we all need support in our lives to thrive.

Integrity

We act boldly to ensure everything we do advances our community outcomes and aligns with our values and beliefs.

Springboard  Community Services is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1849. SCS is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and has been licensed by the State of Maryland as an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) since 2018. Its mission is to transform the lives of children and adults by providing opportunities to build self-confidence, resilience, and hope. SCS is home to The Family Violence Project, a program that provides services to families impacted by crime, violence and trauma in Central Maryland.