In November 2025, we hosted the 6th Annual CSU Young Males of Color Consortium Conference at Cal State Fullerton, bringing together more than 600 attendees, including 375 young men. The conference served as both a statewide student convening and a strategic accelerator for our Networked Improvement Community.

It opened with an invite-only NIC Partner Convening where CSU and community college teams reviewed early retention data, reflected on rapid-cycle testing, and aligned on next-phase improvement strategies, strengthening shared accountability and common measures.

The broader conference reinforced practitioner-led, evidence-based improvement through a keynote by Dr. Victor Rios, a plenary with student speakers, and breakout sessions on mentorship, transfer success, faculty engagement, and program design. A Networking Mixer and Poster Session showcased campus logic models, research, and tested interventions, supporting the sharing and adoption of effective practices.

By integrating student voice, practitioner training, data reflection, and cross-sector collaboration, the conference strengthens network cohesion and advances retention, persistence, transfer, and graduation outcomes for young men.