What If is a 45-90 minute presentation designed to inspire middle school and high school students to look beyond their current situations and to ask questions about the potential their lives may hold.The presentation equips students with a tool to help them make good decisions. What If prompts students to begin to think about their lives from new perspectives through the use of engaging questions, creative thinking exercises and interaction among students and educators.
What If is about the present and the future. It is not about the past in any way. It is not about things beyond our control. There are no questions about “what if I was born a different person?” or “what if my parents were rich?”. We have been shaped by events of the past, and what has happened in the past cannot be changed, but the future is full of possibilities.
Main Presenter: Brad Lademann, Missouri AfterSchool Network
Brad Lademann is a dynamic speaker with 16 years of public speaking experience and 12 years of experience working with middle school and high school students. He has worked with teens in many capacities including teacher, youth pastor, coach, and mentor. Brad worked with Communities In Schools (CIS) as the supervisor of an after school program for “at-risk” middle school students as well as CIS site coordinator for a Title 1 middle school. He currently serves as the Resource Center Coordinator for the Missouri AfterSchool Network. Brad lives in Columbia with his wife, three kids, and one extra large dog.
