Keynote Speaker

Richard Santana was born in California and became the third generation of his family to join one of the largest gangs in California. After several years of drugs, crime and violence on the streets, he left that life, crediting education and teachers with paving the way. Unlike his family members and homeboys, Richard found power through education. Education provided him with opportunities to achieve personal and social growth. Through positive leadership experiences and the learning process, Richard experienced a transformation. Eventually, in 1995, he graduated from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, Human Development and Psychology/Risk & Prevention Program.

In his presentations, Richard uses personal gang-life experiences to illustrate his former destructive attitudes and behaviors. Richard heightens educators' awareness and takes them through a process of understanding "at-risk" youth. He helps educators design strategies for tapping into youth's resiliency and leadership qualities. Richard encourages educators to take an introspective look at how current educational methodologies impact youth. Those who partake in one of his presentations learn how to re-channel their energies toward strategies that produce positive outcomes in "at-risk" behavior.