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Includi-Con 2024

Summer Inclusion Institute

 

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Logo for Includicon 2023. Photographs of diverse students and educators underlie the words: 2023 Summer Inclusion Institute. Includicon. Reconnect to the Power of Inclusion and Educating, June 20 - 22, 2023. Virtual Event

 

Join us for our virtual 2024 Summer Inclusion Institute!

Includi-Con is a 3-day, virtual event designed to provide opportunities for school personnel and parents to build their inclusion skills. Life in schools and their respective communities has been difficult and more challenging than ever, as the impact of the pandemic for students, families and schools was fully understood and felt. 

We’ve put together a program and speakers that we believe can help all to remember our “why”, to forge positive pathways for students and ourselves; learn new strategies; and expand our circles of connection with others who embrace inclusive education.  And we will also have some fun!

We hope that Includi-Con will inspire and energize you as you continue your work to support all students learning together in general education classrooms, find new connections, and feel supported in your efforts.

 

Click the areas below to explore the program and register!

 

Featured Speakers & Keynote Sessions

Tuesday, June 25

Keynote: “Inclusive Lesson Planning”
Speakers:
Dr. Julie Causton & Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontzchak

Improve Tier One – So ALL Students Succeed

Are you ready to improve classroom practices so that inclusion is nearly a snap? If you are here to lead your teachers away from outdated practices like the raise-and-respond, lectures, packets, ability groups, worksheets, treats, and timeouts, then this is for you.

Lead your teachers towards innovative, differentiated, engaging practices where students are inspired to be creative, and classrooms are joy-filled.

 

Wednesday, June 26

Keynote: “Emotional Intelligence and Inclusive Schooling”
Speaker:
Dr. Mary Jo Podgursky

Dr. Mary Jo is the author of 38 books, including Inside Out: Your Body is Amazing Inside and Out and Belongs ONLY to YOU, a program on child abuse prevention for elementary students. She is the creator of the 12 books in The Nonnie SeriesTM for children ages 8 and up on challenging topics like death, consent, disability, gender, sex, trauma, relationships, mental health, quarantine, race, pregnancy and birth, and puberty.

Dr. Mary Jo’s work with people of different abilities led her to create the program Me Too to empower professionals, parents, and self-advocates. The book Me Too: Real Talk about Sexuality for People of ALL Abilities, accompanies her training on this vital topic. Her latest book for adults, Sex Ed is in Session: An Adult Guide to Connecting with Young People about Life’s Topics, won a 2021 Silver Award from Living Well Books.

 

Thursday, June 27

Keynote: “Hidden Curriculum and Strategies for Social Engagement”
Speakers:
Dr. Bev Evans

Beverley Cush Evans teaches in the special education programs in the Lesley Colllege, Graduate School of Education. She has worked with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder for over 30 years, and has been a consultant for the Pennsylvania State Department of Education for Inclusive Education. She has served in higher education for 18 years, first at Duquesne University and most recently at Lesley University. Prior to her entrance into higher education she worked in both segregated and inclusive settings as a special education teacher for 14 years.

In 2021, The Run Around, created by youth designers in partnership with Beverley, iThrive Games, and Transition HOPE’s Janelle Ridley, won a gold medal in the category of Educational Tabletop Games at Serious Play Conference’s 2021 Serious Play Awards. The game authentically communicates the emotional, mental, and spiritual bondage the juvenile justice system creates.

 

3-day Includi-Con Agenda

 

Tuesday June 25

8:30 – 9:00 am
Includi-Con Welcoming and Opening

9:00 – 12:00 pm
Keynote: Planning Inclusive Lessons
Speaker: Julie Causton, PhD & Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, PhD, Inclusive Schooling

 

Wednesday June 26

8:30 – 9:00 am
Opening

9:00 – 11:00 am
Keynote: Emotional Intelligence and Inclusive Schools
Speaker: Dr. Mary Jo Podgursky

11:00 – 12:00 pm
TBD

Thursday June 27

8:30 – 9:00 am
Opening

9:00 – 10:30 am.
Keynote: Hidden Curriculum and Engagement Strategies
Speakers: Dr. Bev Evans

10:30 – 10:45 am
Break

10:45 – 11:05 am
SAID IT Student Presentation

11:05 – 11:15 am
Break

11:15 – 12:00 pm
Session: Extra Curricular Activities and Unified Clubs

Registration and Cost

 

Registration opens April 1st, 2024

 

Registration Fee*: $30.00

*Include Me School Districts: There is no fee for educators, administrators, or parents from Include Me participating school districts. Please contact Anthony Chan (achan@includemepa.org) to receive a registration code.

Scholarships: Parents of students with disabilities can apply for a scholarship to cover their registration fee. Contact Anthony Chan at achan@includeme.pa.org

NEW Module Just Arrived - Trauma-Informed Care. Visit our E-Learning Module Series. This series provides information and strategies for teachers, families, and paras to support the education of all students.

The Arc of Pennsylvania’s Making Employment Work course is an ACRE Basic Certification Training. In order to receive certification, participants must attend a 3 day, in-person training and then complete a self-paced, online curriculum. Completing this certification course will qualify individuals to provide Supported Employment services with Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Office of Developmental Programs. Our training combines lessons learned from traditional Supported Employment and Customized Employment techniques.

Arc Discovery Employment Transitions (ADEPT) is The Arc of Pennsylvania’s customized employment program. The Arc of Pennsylvania supports individuals with significant impact of disability to seek and maintain customized employment in their community. As a result, The Arc of Pennsylvania’s consultants are trained and nationally certified by Marc Gold & Associates, a national leader in customized employment, to provide Discovery, Customized Employment Job Development, and Systematic Instruction to individuals with disabilities in Pennsylvania who are seeking employment. In addition to providing customized employment services, The Arc of Pennsylvania hosts several certification courses with Marc Gold & Associates for individuals and organizations interested in national certification in Discovery, Job Development, and Systematic Instruction.

Include Me is a new model for inclusive education and gaining meaningful employment for Pennsylvania’s students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc of Pennsylvania and Include Me believe all individuals with significant impact of developmental and intellectual disability deserve equal educational and competitive employment rights. Our mission, build and strengthen the inclusive education capacity for all public-school students, and discover meaningful employment opportunities meeting Pennsylvania employee and employer needs. Include Me strives to ensure all impacted students have equal access to all aspects of life and the community throughout their lifespan.

Include Me is an initiative that was part of the agreement on final terms between the plaintiffs and the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the Gaskin Settlement Agreement. We were initially assigned to work with school districts with the lowest inclusion rates. After the initial success, we have grown in reputation among school districts. Currently districts voluntarily chose our services, which are provided free of charge to the district. In addition to our School Age services, we offer transition-age services to help teams plan a path to customized employment for students transitioning from high school.

Donation Refund Policy

We are grateful for your donation and support of our organization. If you have made an error in making your donation or change your mind about contributing to our organization please contact us. Refunds are returned using the original method of payment. If you made your donation by credit card, your refund will be credited to that same credit card.

Automated Recurring Donation Cancellation

Ongoing support is important to enabling projects to continue their work, so we encourage donors to continue to contribute to projects over time. But if you must cancel your recurring donation, please notify us.

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