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Children's Annual Conference.

Regards,

Myriam Alizo

Parent Group Specialist, START Project

Northeast Regional Parent Associate, PtP

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network

www.spannj.org

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Subject: Pathways for Exceptional Children

Hi Everyone,

Pathways for Exceptional Children has our annual conference November 14,

2009. It is titled Dream It Forward focusing on building inclusive programs.

We have Dr. Shea who is a well known speaker at the national level

coming from San Diego to share about inclusion. Our Lead Mentors (ages

13-18) will be doing a keynote speech with Dr. a Wohle, Director of

NJOSEP, as well as many of our programs will be highlighted. We would like

to have you send out the attached newsletter and conference brochure to

professionals and parents inviting them to come to the conference.There will

be 5.25 hours of continuing education credits available as we are certified

providers. The conference is at the Alfred Vale School in town.

Pathways has received awards from the NJ Department of Consumer Affairs, New

Jersey Recreation and Parks Association, Family Resource Network, and

GlaxoKline this year in recognition for our collaborative efforts,

inclusive programs for children with special needs, and mentor training

program. We have achieved many great outcomes and look forward to sharing

them with you so you can take what you need back to improve inclusion in

your schools and communities.

As always, thank you for your time,

Melinda Jennis,

President - Pathways for Exceptional Children

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PATHWAYS for Exceptional Children hasreceived three prestigious awards in

2009from the New Jersey Recreation and ParksAssociation, New Jersey

Department ofConsumer Affairs, and Family ResourceNetwork in recognition of

the quality,inclusive, after-school and recreation programswe have developed

in the areas ofsports, literacy, life skills, and employment.The hallmark of

our success can largelybe attributed to the emphasis we placeon the Children

Teaching Children model,which is our mentor program. Our mentorsare children

ages 8-18 who volunteertheir time to help children with disabilitiesto

participate in our programs. In reality,we have found that there is no

better wayto motivate children to learn than by givingthem the opportunity

to play, imitate,and develop a true sense of belongingwith their peers.The

Lead Mentors of Pathways are agroup of young adults ages 12 andabove. As

members of this program, weare very excited to announce our newinitiative

called Dream It Forward. Ourdream is to promote the inclusion of

childrenwith special needs throughout theUnited States, beginning in the

state ofNew Jersey. Our challenge is to get schooldistricts and

community-based programsto motivate children to get involved inhelping to

support children with disabilitiesand their families.To kick off

thischallenge, we have designed a conferenceslated for Saturday, November

14,2009 where the mentors of Pathways willbe speaking about their dream and

howthey plan to make inclusion a reality forevery child.The conference will

detail howto build inclusive programs and to learn how toeffectively use the

Children Teaching Childrenmodel in schools and communities.The Magicof

Reading and Magic of Writing programs willbe highlighted, and mentors will

be speakingalongside program instructors about the criticalrole they play as

" reading buddies. " Childrenwith special needs and their peer job coacheswill

be speaking about Project Win-Win, ouremployment program for children 12

andabove.The young adults who participatein this program will be our disc

jockeysat lunch, where everyone will have theopportunity to join in as they

play the roleof " Masters of Ceremony, " with the possibilityof putting your

feet in motion with alittle dancing!This conference is about the children

andhow adults can empower them to leadinclusion into the future. It is our

beliefthat we, the next generation, hold manyof the answers to finding

" authentic " inclusion.We will be the next teachers, politicians,advocates,

attorneys, commissionersof education, employers, and leaders oftomorrow who

will improve the outcomesfor people with disabilities in the future.We

strongly believe that inclusion does nothappen passively through osmosis,

but isan active process of helping people tounderstand each other and

bringing themtogether to spend time appreciating thedifferences that make

each of us unique.Dr. Shea, Program Coordinator for " Kids Included

Together, " based out ofSan Diego, will be our keynote speaker.She has over

35 years of experience trainingand assisting people across the nationto make

modifications that effectivelyinclude children with disabilities.The

conferenceis designed for both children andadults, and our hope is to

inspire everyoneto get involved.The conference brochure ison our website,

www.PathwaysKids.org.Please feel free to distribute the brochureand invite

children in your communityand schools to the conference to see

theopportunities for mentoring and how theycan get involved and make a

difference!- Jennis (age 13),Rusty Van Riper (age 18),Lead Mentors

of PathwaysNext StepsThe Monthly Publication from Pathways for Exceptional

Children October 2009A Special Invitation To YouRedefining the future for

people with disabilitiesFor the latest news and information about Pathways

for Exceptional Children, visit www.PathwaysKids.orgPathways has always

placed greatemphasis on early intervention andproviding a continuum of

qualityservices that gives all childrenopportunities to learn from

eachother. Our Magic of Reading andMagic of Writing programs havebeen a

major success, giving assistanceto all children ages 4-10 whoneed a

jumpstart in literacy.Pathways and the Montville RecreationDepartment are

very excited toannounce the addition of somewonderful new teachers to our

staffwho will be developing additionalprograms that focus on buildingbasic

motor, social, and communicationskills for children ages 3-7 ina variety of

settings.Mrs. Judy McNabb (top left photo)will be teaching our Social

Gamesand Activities class. She has beenteaching for 31 years, has a BA

inElementary Education, an MA inEarly Childhood Education, and acertificate

as a Learning DisabilitiesTeacher Consultant. She taught preschoolchildren

with disabilities for22 years in the and LincolnPark public school

systems. She isknown for her love of watchingyoung children learning new

thingsabout the world around them. Shehas been married 35 years and hasthree

children, one with disabilities.Russ Van Ness and Neuhof(top right

photo, l-r) have joined usfrom 1 on 1 Athletics. Both arestate certified

Physical Educatorsand Personal Trainerswith years of experience workingwith

children with special needs.They have always been drawn tothese children,

motivating them tocultivate their love of sports and collaborativeplay.

and Russ willbe working with us to develop sportsprograms,

specifically the Introductionto Team Sports with an Emphasison Building

Social Skills. Visit theirwebsite at www.1on1athletics.net.© 2009 Pathways

for Exceptional ChildrenPathways Expands EarlyIntervention

ProgramsRecreation Programs: Upcoming programs are postedon our website at

the beginning of each month.You can visitwww.PathwaysKids.org and click on

" Children's Programs, " or theRecreation Department's website:

www.montvillenj.org, Click onMunicipal Services, then Parks & Recreation,

then Forms & Flyers.My " Dream ItForward " Challenge!My name is Dinallo.

I am 13years old and I am going into the 7thgrade at the Craig School in

MountainLakes, New Jersey. I started volunteeringin the Magic of Reading

program last spring. My friend told me about the mentor program at the

Montville Township Libraryand asked me to go with her one day. I loved it

from that day on. Iam dyslexic myself and realized that as I helped the kids

with their reading,I was also becoming a stronger reader. By working with

the kids,I have learned so much about living with the learning

disabilities.I get a lot of enjoyment and pride each day that I take part in

thePathways Mentor Program. I mentor two days each week andplan to continue

this Fall. My goal when I am an adultis to be a special education teacher. I

like to give backand to help others.This June, I had my 13th

birthday.Instead of receiving gifts, I asked my friends and familyto make

donations to the Pathways' Program, whichreached over $1,000.00. I hope it

benefits all the greatkids I met this year. - DinalloPathways

Recognizedfor Collaborative EffortsPathways for Exceptional Children

developed an innovative program fouryears ago called Learning Through Life.

It was designed as an after-schoolprogram where academic skills such as

reading, writing, and math wereintegrated into functional life skills needed

to help children with disabilitiesachieve independence.The Family Resource

Network received a grant to pilotLearning Through Life in eight schools in

Cumberland and Atlantic Counties.Pathways shared ideas and visited several

times to provide mentor training.The Family Resource Network implemented the

program using three curriculums:a) Community Resources & Healthy Choices,

Money Management,and c) Vocational Skills and Choices, and effectively

serviced a totalof 182 students.The Learning Through Life program has now

been adoptedand funded by two of these school districts as a part of their

curriculum.As a result of these efforts, Pathways for Exceptional Children

was chosenby the Family Resource Network as the 2009 recipient of the

DistinguishedService Award.This award was presented to Pathways on September

22,2009 in recognition of our collaborative efforts in many communities,

makingpossible full inclusion of children with special needs in society. A

specialthanks to the Family Resource Network for allowing Pathways to share

inthis outreach! Visit them online at www.familyresourcenetwork.org.Children

Teaching Children:Opening Doors to InclusionIn order to make the concept of

inclusion a reality,we must begin to promote it as a " lifestyle ofaction "

that permeates school, community, and the workplace.This keynote

presentation will highlight how the " children teachingchildren " model has

effectively utilized mentors in a variety ofsettings, programs, and

activities to bring all children together towork, play, and learn. Rusty Van

Riper and Jennis, LeadMentors, and Dr. a Wohle, Director of

NJOSEP, will addresshow training mentors can facilitate the process of

inclusion, aswell as create the kind of leadership within our youth that

canexponentially move inclusion forward into future generations.21st Century

Reflections on " Authentic " Inclusion (Parts 1 & 2)Dr. Shea will

emphasize the importance of getting schoolsand communities to realize the

critical role recreational and afterschoolprograms play in the lives of

children with disabilities andexplore innovative strategies for including

all children in theseprograms. Dr. Shea will encourage reflection on the

social versusmedical model of disability, discuss the barriers and benefits

ofinclusion, emphasize how inclusive after-school and recreationalprograms

can reinforce many skills taught in schools, identifyspecific strategies for

creating and sustaining these programs, anddiscuss respectful accommodations

that must be considered so thatall children can effectively participate. " Leading

the Dream " Pathways for Exceptional Children hassuccessfully broken down and

simplifiedthe process of inclusion into practicalsteps that can be

incorporated more naturally into the daily fiber ofcommunities and schools.

Melinda Jennis, President, will sharehow this vision to build a more

comprehensive but common senseapproach to inclusion has and will continue to

empower leadershipat the community andgrassroots level towardbuilding

measurableoutcomes where allchildren benefit.Keynote Presentations1) Making

the Dream a RealityThis class is for youth and adults and willexplain how

after-school programs andmentoring are win-win propositions for

everyone.Parents, professionals, and mentors from Plains, town,

River Vale, and other townsin New Jersey will discuss the strategies

theyused to begin successful after-school andrecreational programs.The Lead

Mentors will also addresscommunity service, internships, and employment

options thatPathways offers for youth that can assist them to build

collegeresumes, learn important leadership skills, and provide exposureto

careers in teaching, business, and related disability services.2) Developing

After-School LiteracyPrograms for Children Ages 4-11Pathways has developed

inclusive " Magic ofReading " and " Magic of Writing " programs thathave

effectively serviced over 126 children sinceJanuary 2008. Instructors will

discuss howthey have creatively provided direct instructionwithin a positive

environment where childrenlearn to read and write with teachers acting

ascoaches.They will show how simple tools can reinforce andmotivate

functional reading and writing skills. Mentors willalso explain the

essential role they play as " reading buddies. " 3) Integrating

EmploymentSkills into Everyday LifeInstructors, youth with disabilities, and

jobcoaches will present " Project Win-Win, " anafter-school program that

trains children withdisabilities for employment starting at age 12,and uses

trained mentors 16 years of age and older as jobcoaches.This program

reinforces the functional reading, writing,technology, and math skills

within the context of business,employment, and everyday life

applications.They will talk aboutexperiences they have had volunteering and

working inbusinesses, as well as hands-on training they have received

fromprofessionals that work in their specific areas of interest.Thekids from

" Project Win-Win " will be our Disc Jockeys during thelunch break, providing

a variety of music and fun for everyone.Building InclusivePrograms that

Bridgethe Gap BetweenSchool and CommunityA PATHWAYS CONFERENCEDreamIt

ForwardNovember 14, 20099:00am - 3:30pmAlfred Vail School125 Speedwell

Ave.town, NJ 07950Breakout Sessions