University of Nebraska at Omaha
 |
 |
2010 Special Olympics National Education Conference |
|
Teri Dary
Topic: Service Learning
Teri Dary currently works as the Service-Learning Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She provides service-learning training, support, and resources to school districts throughout the state as they develop an infrastructure to sustain high quality service-learning. An educator for the past 27 years, Teri has taught in both EEN and regular classrooms in grades K-6. Teri was selected as a Christa McAuliffe Fellow in 2000, during which time she developed a pilot service-learning model for Wisconsin which helped educators infuse service-learning methodology into core subject areas. As co-chair of the State Education Agency Service-Learning Network, Teri leads collaborative efforts to advance academic service-learning in the school setting among state-level service-learning experts. She also continues to serve as a national consultant on a number of projects, including the America’s Promise Ready for the Real World Initiative.
Dr. Charles Haynes
Topic: Social Justice
Charles C. Haynes is senior scholar at the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center and directs religious liberty initiatives at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Haynes is best known for his work on First Amendment conflicts in public schools. Over the past two decades, he has been the principal organizer and drafter of consensus guidelines on religious liberty in American schools, endorsed by a broad range of religious, civil liberties, and educational organizations. He is the author or co-author of six books, including First Freedoms: A Documentary History of First Amendment Rights in America and Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion in Public Schools. His column, “Inside the First Amendment,” appears in more than 250 newspapers nationwide. Haynes holds a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate from Emory University.
Bill Hughes
Topic: Classroom Climate
Dr. William Hughes has worked in education for 31 years as a teacher, principal, superintendent of schools. He has served as Superintendent of the Greendale School District in Greendale, Wisconsin for the past 14 years. Greendale is a garden community and one of three greenbelt communities in the United States. It is a suburban district of about 2,600 students located in the Milwaukee metro area; an area known for high achieving schools. Greendale is known for its high level of student achievement with over 90 percent of graduates attending higher education institutions, ongoing community engagement on multiple levels, along with collaborative relationships with bargaining groups while retaining a focus on children, service, citizenship and learning. He is a former board member of the Milwaukee Area Technical College, a member of the National School Climate Council, board member of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship and adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Beth Leader-Janssen, Ph.D.
Topic: Assessment
Dr. Elizabeth Leader-Janssen is an assistant professor in the department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Prior to joining the UNO faculty, Dr. Leader-Janssen taught secondary students with mild to moderate disabilities, but more specifically students who struggled in the areas of reading and writing. Dr. Leader-Janssen serves on the executive board of the Nebraska Federation for the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Leader-Janssen currently teaches undergraduate and graduate methods courses in special education. Her research interests include research-based interventions for students struggling in the areas of reading and writing, pre-service teachers perceptions of inclusive practices, and the use of technology for teaching students with disabilities.
Dr. Brad Mears
Topic: Autism
Dr. Mears is an associate professor at the University of Central Missouri in the Department of Kinesiology. For the last 14 years he has focused his research on the developing child specializing in developmental neurology, Autism and Neuroeducation. Dr. Mears is considered to be one if the top presenters in his field and works extensively with professional organizations, school districts and early childhood education programs across the country. He also serves as a board member for the Midwest Center for Autism. Prior to the completion of his Doctorate degree and his appointment with the University of Central Missouri Dr. Mears was a teacher in a kindergarten and early childhood special education school. He is dedicated to developing a better understanding of autism and demonstrating the importance of quality early intervention.
Jim Rich
Topic: Adapted Physical Education
For over three decades, Jim Rich has helped school districts across the United States gain a better understanding and insight on how to implement a sound K-12 physical education curriculum. With a strong background in teaching special needs students, Jim was appointed the State Consultant for Adapted Physical Education for the North Carolina Department of Public Instructions in 1984. Through this position, he worked extensively with regular and special education personnel to improve the quality of physical education services being provided to all children including those with disabilities having special physical education needs. In 2004, Jim was named a Master Teacher in a national study being conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As one of seven sites, this study is funded by national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to create research-based methods to reduce the onset of Type II diabetes in adolescents. The purpose of the study is to investigate the use of specific classroom strategies designed to increase physical activity in school youth focusing on the physical education classes.
Clay Roberts
Topic: 40 Developmental Assets
As an entrepreneur, author, consultant, and national speaker, Clay Roberts has provided recommendations for asset development training, consulting and technical assistance; conducted studies on asset development in education; and completed a book and video about asset development in education.
Mr. Roberts is the founder and President of Roberts and Associates, a company dedicated to the development of healthy, contributing young people. He is formerly the C.E.O. of Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (C.H.E.F.).
A program developer, trainer, and speaker, Clay Roberts has produced five national model programs, including Here’s Looking at You, 2000®, a K-12 drug education program; Natural Helpers, a peer-helper program; and Get Real about AIDS©, a 4-12AIDs prevention program. Clay and his prevention programs have been highlighted on NBC’s “Today Show;” PBS’s “Frontline.” “Hour Magazine,” and in Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and Instructor Magazine.
Clay has been a consultant and keynote presenter in over 35 states and in several foreign countries.
Dr. Kristine Swain
Topic: Assessment
Dr. Kristine Swain is an associate professor in the department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Prior to joining the UNO faculty, Dr. Swain taught elementary and middle school students with disabilities. Dr. Swain currently serves as chair of the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders and is on the board for the Nebraska Federation for the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Swain teaches graduate level assessment courses. Her research interests include academic interventions for students with disabilities, attitudes of special and general education pre-service teachers towards special education practices, and implementing and monitoring research-based interventions.
Anderson Williams
Topic: Youth Engagement
Anderson Williams currently serves as the Director of Consulting at Oasis Center in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2002 Anderson began working with Community IMPACT! Nashville, now a nationally recognized youth organizing initiative based in East Nashville where he also spent two years as the Director after a merger with Oasis Center. His work with the youth of Community IMPACT was recognized as a finalist for the 2006 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation and is the subject of a documentary entitled "College on the Brain." In addition to regional, national, and international training and consulting work, Anderson co-authored "The Core Principles for Engaging Young People in Community Change" with the Forum for Youth Investment and his writing was published in a special issue of the international Journal of Community Psychology on "Youth and Democracy."
Anderson received his B.A. from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Sara Wolff
Topic: Personal Experience
Sara Wolff is an incredible young woman and a very gifted inspirational speaker who has spoken to many audiences over the past years on her views of Down Syndrome advocacy, living with disability and overcoming adversity. These groups include community and business organizations, schools, churches, charities and corporate outings. Her life experience with Down Syndrome, and her work with the National Down Syndrome Society, has given her the insight to understand and address a wide variety of subject matters, making Sara's motivational speaking engagements easily tailored to inspire any audience.
Youth Activation Committee
Topic: Project Unify
The Youth Activation Committee (YAC) is composed of 20 youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities from across the nation. Together, they brainstorm, plan, spearhead, and conduct the "educate, motivate, and activate" initiatives of Project UNIFY (PU). During their time on the committee, YAC members provide leadership to Special Olympics and Project UNIFY by participating in Special Olympics major events, providing advice and counsel on strategies to reach other youths, engaging in and promoting Special Olympics activities in their home environments, communicating and networking via Web connectivity with other youth in their communities, countries, and around the world, and reviewing Project UNIFY materials for innovation and viability. Previous accomplishments include advocating for PU at Capitol Hill Day, leading the Global Youth Activation Summit at the Special Olympics 2009 Winter World Games, conducting a Special Olympics State Program and youth Bridge Meeting, and they are now hoping to see a successful collaboration between the NEC and the National Youth Activation Summit. The YAC is well into its second year and looking forward to achieving greater goals in the future.