dream it forward conference

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Pathways is having our annual conference this year on November 14th. It is

titled " Dream It Forward " and will be about " building inclusive programs

that bridge the gap between school and community. " We have invited Dr.

Shea who is a Project Consultant for " Kids Included Together " located out of

San Diego, California to be our guest speaker. She has over thirty five

years of experience training and helping communities and schools to build

inclusive after-school and recreational programs.

The instructors who have built our very successful " Magic of Reading, "

" Magic of Writing, " and " Project Win-Win " programs will be speaking. The kids

from our employment program will be our featured disc jockeys during lunch.

The Lead Mentors from Pathways will also be key note speakers, as well as

mentors from other towns in break-out sessions.

Students who would like to find out about mentoring are welcome to come and

see all the opportunities for mentoring, leadership growth, career exposure,

and employment in Pathways. See the attached brochure for details and feel

free to pass it on!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!!

Melinda Jennis, President

Pathways for Exceptional Children

Children Teaching Children:

Opening Doors to Inclusion

In order to make the concept of inclusion a reality,

we must begin to promote it as a " lifestyle of

action " that permeates school, community, and the workplace.

This keynote presentation will highlight how the " children teaching

children " model has effectively utilized mentors in a variety of

settings, programs, and activities to bring all children together to

work, play, and learn. Rusty Van Riper and Jennis, Lead

Mentors, and Dr. a Wohle, Director of NJOSEP, will address

how training mentors can facilitate the process of inclusion, as

well as create the kind of leadership within our youth that can

exponentially move inclusion forward into future generations.

21st Century Reflections on " Authentic "

Inclusion (Parts 1 & 2)

Dr. Shea will emphasize the importance of getting schools

and communities to realize the critical role recreational and afterschool

programs play in the lives of children with disabilities and

explore innovative strategies for including all children in these

programs. Dr. Shea will encourage reflection on the social versus

medical model of disability, discuss the barriers and benefits of

inclusion, emphasize how inclusive after-school and recreational

programs can reinforce many skills taught in schools, identify

specific strategies for creating and sustaining these programs, and

discuss respectful accommodations that must be considered so that

all children can effectively participate.

" Leading the Dream "

Pathways for Exceptional Children has

successfully broken down and simplified

the process of inclusion into practical

steps that can be incorporated more naturally into the daily fiber of

communities and schools. Melinda Jennis, President, will share

how this vision to build a more comprehensive but common sense

approach to inclusion has and will continue to empower leadership

at the community and

grassroots level toward

building measurable

outcomes where all

children benefit.

Keynote Presentations

1) Making the Dream a Reality

This class is for youth and adults and will

explain how after-school programs and

mentoring are win-win propositions for everyone.

Parents, professionals, and mentors from Park

Ridge, River Vale, Summit, and Plains,

New Jersey will discuss the strategies they used

to begin successful after-school and recreational

programs.The Lead Mentors will also address community

service, internships, and employment options that Pathways

offers for youth that can assist them to build college resumes,

learn important leadership skills, and provide exposure to

careers in teaching, business, and related disability services.

2) Developing After-School Literacy

Programs for Children Ages 4-11

Pathways has developed inclusive " Magic of

Reading " and " Magic of Writing " programs that

have effectively serviced over 126 children since

January 2008. Instructors will discuss how

they have creatively provided direct instruction

within a positive environment where children

learn to read and write with teachers acting as

coaches.They will show how simple tools can reinforce and

motivate functional reading and writing skills. Mentors will

also explain the essential role they play as " reading buddies. "

3) Integrating Employment

Skills into Everyday Life

Instructors, youth with disabilities, and job

coaches will present " Project Win-Win, " an

after-school program that trains children with

disabilities for employment starting at age 12,

and uses trained mentors 16 years of age and older as job

coaches.This program reinforces the functional reading, writing,

technology, and math skills within the context of business,

employment, and everyday life applications.They will talk about

experiences they have had volunteering and working in

businesses, as well as hands-on training they have received from

professionals that work in their specific areas of interest.The

kids from " Project Win-Win " will be our Disc Jockeys during the

lunch break, providing a variety of music and fun for everyone.

Building Inclusive

Programs that Bridge

the Gap Between

School and Community

A PATHWAYS CONFERENCE

Dream

It Forward

November 14, 2009

9:00am - 3:30pm

Alfred Vail School

125 Speedwell Ave.

town, NJ 07950

Breakout Sessions