Each year, teachers, administrators, service professionals and families gather to explore ways to support and expand learning opportunities for children with disabilities.
The annual Planting the Seeds of Inclusion: Supporting the Growth of All Children conference will be held Saturday, March 5 at Sage Hall on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus.
This year’s conference focuses on intentionality, inclusion and arts integration. Keynote speaker Tom Pease will discuss how music and movement can be used to enhance the classroom experience.
“I get excited about the conference every year,” Susan Finkel-Hoffman, conference co-chair, said. “ It’s a great local conference to gather together with other professionals and make new connections. We bring in top notch keynotes to speak on topics relevant to the teachers and students in our communities.”
Saturday will kick off with morning Zumba. Breakout sessions about understanding kindness, supporting LGBT+ students, integrating the arts across curriculum, as well as other topics around inclusion in educational settings will be presented. Feature breakout speakers include Mary Peters and Stuart Stotts.
On Friday night two events will take place in association with the conference. At 5:30 p.m., learn what individuals with disabilities and their families need to know about the voting process with Voter Trainings for the Disability Community, and at 7 p.m., enjoy a free concert performed by Pease, which is sponsored by ArtsCore and open to the public.
The conference is hosted by the UW Oshkosh College of Education and Human Services department of special and early childhood education and the ArtsCore program.
“The mission of ArtsCore is to support teachers in their efforts to teach in and through the arts, which aligns with the Seeds conference,” Donna Nelson, ArtsCore program manager, said. “We are delighted to sponsor Tom Pease, the keynote speaker at the conference.”
Cost of the conference is $60 for professional educators and $30 for students and family members of children with disabilities. The registration fee includes lunch. Students, educators, therapists, caregivers, teachers and parents are welcome. Preregistration is suggested and closes Feb. 29 at midnight, however, there will be onsite registration the day of the conference. For more information and to register, visit uwosh.edu/coehs/seeds
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