2013 Spring Conference : Think College : University of Vermont

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Opening Doors to College & Careers Conference

picture of four different colored doors with four different numbers

April 16 ^th, 2013
9:00am-4:30pm

Sheraton Conference Center
Burlington, Vermont
Click here to visit the Sheraton Burlington's website containing directions to the Conference

Please feel free to download our conference "Save the Date!" flyer (in 'accessible' PDF format) and share it among you friends and colleagues!

Opening Doors to College & Careers: Opportunities for people with disabilities including intellectual disabilities (ID) are constantly expanding to include University/College, Customized Employment, Post-Secondary Education (PSE), & Self-Employment. Feel free to explore our day of exciting presentations on inclusive community options; a detailed agenda and materials from the event are available, here!

CDCI and Think College Vermont are honored to sponor this unique event under VT-APSE. Please feel free to visit VT-APSE's website for additional information and the conference registration.

Missed last year's conference and want a glimpse of what it is all about? You can explore last year's website, agenda, and resources here, as well!

Schedule of Events

You can click on some of the agenda items for more information and to download presentation materials!

AGENDA
8:00 - 9:00	Registration & Continental Breakfast (Explore Vendor Tables)
9:00 - 9:30	Welcome and Overview Bryan Dague & Nicole Villemaire
9:30 - 10:30	Keynote Address: Denise Bissonnette "Beyond Barriers to Passion and Possibility
10:30 - 10:45	Break (Coffee Social, Explore Vendor Tables)
10:45 - 12:00	Breakout Sessions Postsecondary Education & Employment Strands
12:00 - 1:00	Lunch (Explore Vendor Tables)
1:15 - 2:30	Breakout Sessions Postsecondary Education & Employment Strands
2:30 - 2:45	Break (Explore Vendor Tables)
2:45 - 4:00	Breakout Sessions Postsecondary Education & Employment Strands
4:00 - 4:30	Closing Session Bryan Dague, Jeanne Nauheimer, & Kiersten Hallquist

BREAKOUT ROOMS: Emerald I, Emerald II, Valcour, and University Amphitheater

NOTE: The Carlton Room will be available to all conference participants should anyone want a quiet space.

View a list of our wonderful SPONSORS!

Did you attend the conference this year? Please click here to take our conference survey!

Registration Fees

Pre-Conference/Job Development Training Day ONLY (April 15^th): $125.00

Click here for information on the Pre-Conference: "Beyond Traditional Job Development"

Opening Doors To College & Careers Conference Day ONLY (April 16^th): $100.00
Pre-Conference & Conference (April 15^th & April 16^th): $200
Self-Advocate, Assistant, or Student (must provide valid student ID when you register on the day of the conference): $50
Vendor/Display Table ONLY (at Conference - April 16^th): $50
Vendor/Display Table with Meal Pass (includes Breakfast, Lunch, and Break snacks at the Conference - April 16^th): $100

APSE Members were able to deduct $10.⁰⁰ from the total fee. An APSE Membership Number was required. You can feel free to join APSE now, and attend our next conference at the reduced rate!

Scolarships may be available to persons with disabilities upon request. Call 802-656-1345 for more information.

For more information please contact Bryan Dague, Ed. D.

OPENING REMARKS

Presentation Materials:

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Denise Bissonnette - "Beyond Barriers to Passion and Possibility"

In this dynamic keynote Denise Bissonnette will challenge us to stretch our thinking, question our assumptions, and turn our traditional way of looking at ourselves, our students, and the world on its head! Drawing on her experiences and deep reservoir of work assisting individuals from marginalized populations to find their rightful place in the work world, Denise will present practical tips for applying “possibility thinking” to our work with individuals with disabilities. By equipping us with new questions and a fresh perspective, we will be inspired to move beyond barriers in our thinking about what we have to offer the work world and what the world of work has to offer them! This session offers a wonderful mix of the practical and the philosophical, offering a big picture view with small, doable ways to begin and continue one’s journey towards passion and possibility in the world of work.

Denise Bissonnette will also conduct a pre-conference, all-day job-development training on Monday, April 15^th.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Denise Bissonnette is an internationally renowned writer, trainer and keynote speaker. For two decades, she has inspired people and organizations throughout North America to look beyond traditional concepts of career development and to craft livelihoods rooted in the individual "genius" of each person. Denise has authored several publications on creative job development, state of the art job search techniques, the cultivation of the human spirit, and how to "shine" on the job. Her work is a rich tapestry of her talents as a poet, writer, storyteller, teacher and career developer.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS A (10:45AM - 12:00AM)

Research & Evaluation Outcomes in Post Secondary Education: Where's the Beef?

Educational Coordinator, The Institute for Community Inclusion

Evergreen Consulting Services

Director, The Center on Disability and Community Inclusion

Project Director, Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI

Associate Professor, Johnson State College

Program Coordinator, Think College Vermont @JSC

Continuing Education Student Researcher

UVM Undergraduate Student Researcher

This session will present the state-of-the-state in terms of research and evaluation of the effectiveness of post secondary education for people with intellectual disabilities in the U.S. in general and at UVM and JSC specifically. Debra Hart from UMASS Boston will share research and evaluation results from 27 model post-secondary higher education programs in the United States. How effective is PSE? What are the benefits and challenges? Specific research and evaluation results will be shared from the UVM and the JSC Think College programs. Finally, an innovative participatory action research course at UVM will be described. Students with and without disabilities will share the research process they engaged in and some emerging results from their research projects.

Presentation Materials:

Global Campuses Foundation Presentation

Jim Tewksbury, Sheryl Tewksbury, Andreas John

Acknowledging differing abilities in all learners, a Global Campus reorients traditional conceptual models of learning to a broader and more inclusive understanding of the learning experience. A key curriculum strategy of Global Campus Foundation is to use the process of developing a campus as a tool for learning. Participants demonstrate to themselves and to others, personal and professional growth as they influence the design of campus and program offerings. Individuals can participate as teaching faculty, as student learners, or as campus staff.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Internships and Employment Training

Ph. D. Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, UVM

Universal Design for Learning [UDL] is an approach to designing instruction that takes into account the wide variety of potential learners. The goal of UDL is to guide teachers in choosing ways of presenting information and engaging learners to make it likely that students can comprehend and use the information. Done well, UDL often makes it unnecessary to use accommodations for students with special needs. The session will include a brief introduction to UDL and then illustrate and discuss how it can be used effectively in internship and employment training.

Presentation Materials:

Cultivating the Human Spirit: Motivating Change and Moving through Transition

Keynote Speaker, 2013 Opening Doors to College & Careers Conference

In this dynamic workshop, Denise will present a unique and inspiring framework around the critical and often elusive issues of motivation and self-esteem, as they relate to transition and making positive changes in our lives. Based on her compelling model of the human spirit, she will lay out practical tools and ideas for strengthening courage, affirming belief and fostering hope in those who feel lost, discouraged, or overwhelmed with the path before them. Although, the tools provided in this workshop are especially helpful in the realm of employment, they can be tailored for use with any kind of change. (Beware – participants in this session will put Denise’s model to the test by examining changes and transitions in their own lives!)

BREAKOUT SESSIONS B (1:15PM - 2:30PM)

Student Portfolio Presentations

Continuing Education Certificate of Professional Studies recipient, University of Vermont

Certificate of Higher Education recipient, Johnson State College

Continuing Education Certificate of Professional Studies recipient, University of Vermont

Certificate of Higher Education recipient, Johnson State College

Think College Vermont students from the University of Vermont and Johnson State College will highlight their learning and experience as they complete their programs.

Presentation Materials:

Exploring the Invisible Disability as it Relates to Employment and Education

The Wellness Co-op

Pathways Vermont

The Wellness Co-Op is a peer community drop-in center in Downtown Burlington. Abby Levinsohn will discuss her role as the Peer Employment Specialist and opportunities for building community and providing mutual support in a welcoming space.

Pathways Vermont is an agency focused on provision of Housing First and Harm Reduction throughout the state of Vermont. Felicia Sullivan to discuss her role with Pathways Vermont and services provided through ICS.

The Invisible Disability; challenges Mental Health can present in general and as it relates to barriers faced within employment, education, etc.

Explore Vermont's College Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Project Director, Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI

Senior Manager, HowardCenter's SUCCEED

Director of Programs & Academic Coordinator, Global Campuses Foundation

Assistant Director, College STEPs

Associate Professor, Johnson State College

Program Coordinator, Think College Vermont @JSC

This panel of providers from various programs and colleges throughout Vermont will share the academic, social, employment, and independent-living aspects offered to students. Participants will understand the various choices students with intellectual disabilities can explore when they decide to attend college in Vermont.

Presentation Materials:

Creative Tools for Uncovering Assets, Strengths, & Work Preferences (Part 1)

Keynote Speaker, 2013 Opening Doors to College & Careers Conference

In this two-part workshop Denise will share some of her favorite tools and games from her popular curriculum, “Cultivating True Livelihood”. Included in the tools are ways to uncover the gifts and strengths of those who have never worked, ideas for identifying a person’s work preferences and key values, and a way to get around what appears as “unrealistic expectations” when it comes to setting vocational goals. The tools presented in this workshop can be used one-on-one or in group or classroom settings.

Presentation Materials:

BREAKOUT SESSIONS C (2:45PM - 4:00PM)

Students Helping Students: Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI's Peer-Mentor Support Program

Academic Coordinator, Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI

UVM Continuing Education Student

UVM Undergraduate Student

UVM Continuing Education Student

UVM Undergraduate Student

Certificate of Higher Education recipient, Johnson State College

Johnson State College Undergraduate Student

This session will explore the relationship between Think College students and their UVM mentors. Mentor pairs will share how Think College students are supported on campus in the areas of academic, social, employment, and independent-living skills. Participants will understand the benefits and the challenges of a student mentor program.

Film Screening and Post Screening Q&A: "I am in here." A View of MY Daily Life with Good Suggestions from my Intelligent Mind

Mark Utter - VSA Vermont: The State Organization on Arts and Disability
Emily Anderson - VSA Vermont: The State Organization on Arts and Disability

The film, I am in Here, humorously reveals Mark’s unique observations of our world. The premise is a typical day in his life filled with communication barriers, social obstacles and Mark’s wry observations as he negotiates them. Mark is touring the film to promote access to alternative forms of communication for others trapped in their heads like he once was. Question and answer period to follow the film. You can visit VSA's website for more information on the film.

Tech Tools APPlied at Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI

Program Manager, Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI

Continuing Education Student, University of Vermont

Undergraduate Student, University of Vermont and Lead Mentor, Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI

Think College Vermont Program Manager, Kiersten Hallquist, will present on how she uses iCalendar and Facebook as a program management tool. Moreover, co-presenting students will discuss how the iPad helps them succeed in a post-secondary setting and helps build essential communication and independent-living skills. Whether you have been wondering what these iToys are, or know all of the benefits of iOS 6, this session will prove fun and useful for all! Bring your iPad if you have one!