2010 Special Olympics National Education Conference

Purpose:
The 2010 Special Olympics National Education Conference will provide an opportunity to engage educators while increasing their knowledge and skills to motivate, educate and activate students with and without intellectual disabilities.

To that end, in collaboration with the University Of Nebraska Omaha College Of Education, Special Olympics Project UNIFY will host an Education Conference for special education and general education teachers and pre-service teachers.

Where and When: ·
Sunday, July 18 - Wednesday, July 21, 2010 ·
University of Nebraska at Omaha

Design:
The inaugural 2010 Special Olympic National Education Conference will focus on all teachers and all students. The four-day Education Conference will engage teachers in large and small group sessions focused on building their knowledge, skills and attitudes to motivate and educate students with and without intellectual disabilities. In addition it will examine how Special Olympics Project UNIFY is an effective youth engagement, school climate and sports-oriented set of strategies that will identify future leaders of the movement.

The following topics are part of the curriculum and are consistent with the principles of equity, justice and effective teaching and learning:

• Classroom Climate (consistent manifestation of values and habits that create quality teaching and learning environments)
• Youth Engagement (effective strategies to engage students in education and leadership activities)
• 40 Developmental Assets (focus on all students’ gifts, talents and capabilities)
• School and Community Collaborations (maximizing community contributions to quality education experiences)
• Social Justice (an movement towards a community based on human rights and equality)
• Physical Activity for Children of All Abilities (use of sports to strengthen bonds between all youth in schools)
• Assessment (effective practices to assess all students)
• Project UNIFY (how this program can serve as a catalyst to create a movement where youth become agents of change)

Among the unique Education Conference components are (1) interactions with students with and without intellectual disabilities in shared experienced focused on effective youth engagement and advocacy; and (2) teachers peer exchanges to share and learn effective teaching and learning strategies.

The Education Conference faculty includes university faculty, national education and social leaders, current teachers and students. Education Conference registrants will have the opportunity to receive graduate credit or continuing education units for their participation and successful completion of follow-up assignments.

Outcomes:
The measurable outcomes of the Education Conference are increased teacher knowledge and skills to:

• Effectively motivate, educate and activate students with and without intellectual disabilities; ·
• Create and sustain quality equitable school climates;
• Create sustainability school-community collaborations that benefit students, school and communities;
• Build a network of practitioners and a national conversation among educators and youth regarding the ability of Special Olympics and Project UNIFY to improve school climate, producing more engaged students who are achieving greater academic success;
• In addition to these impacts on individuals, the Education Conference will showcase the launch of the new SO Get Into It ™ curriculum for adoption by schools.