October 12-16, 2026
Opening Keynote Session
October 14 , 2026 | 8:30-10:00 AM
Justin Tutt, known as The Man in the Black Chucks, is a nationally recognized speaker and mentor but nothing comes before his family. Based in Chicago, Justin and his wife, Rachel—a professor and playwright—share a mission to inspire the next generation while raising their daughter, Sanaa. For Justin, family is his greatest inspiration, driving his passion to create a lasting impact for his community and tomorrow’s leaders.
When Justin Tutt laces up his iconic, battle-worn black Chucks, he steps into more than just a pair of sneakers—he steps into purpose. A symbol of resilience and unstoppable determination, his shoes remind us all: It’s not about where you come from or what you’ve been through, but where you’re headed.
For over a decade, Justin, known nationwide as The Man in the Black Chucks, has been a force of change in education, partnering with school districts and organizations to ignite hope, inspire action, and transform lives. Through electrifying school assemblies, game-changing staff training sessions, and life-altering keynote speeches, he has empowered over one million students across thousands of schools and conferences to rise above obstacles and take charge of their future.
Visit his website HERE.
I have been to management workshops, not leadership training. This has totally changed my perspective and encouraged me to propel forward in developing my skills.
I am honored and humbled to be a recipient of the Head Start WEST’s Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship helped me get one step closer to achieving my goal of becoming a Head Start Director.
I took part in The disproportionate impact of COVID 19, and how to provide “real” support for black/brown children and families and I just want to say this was an amazing webinar. I hope we can look forward to further conversation on this topic.
Thank you so much for making events like this! I really enjoyed and learned so much teaching strategies to implement STEM in the classroom.
The HR Network was an excellent opportunity to network and learn the best practices from other HR professionals within Head Start programs. You will be amazed by the level of talent and experience of the participants.
The Summer Camp training was powerful and inspiring! Each presenter was very engaging, it’s hard to even pick a favorite session!
The Leadership Challenge training was very relevant to my work as a Head Start leader! Great facilitation; stayed with the program yet allowed time for individual and small group reflections.
Regular price $12.00
Regular price $39.00
Questions? Contact us at headstartr9@headstartwest.org.
