Thursday, June 2, 2011: Room

8:00 - 9:00 am Breakfast Paris Foyer &

Paris B & C

Athens Board
8:00 am - 3:00 pm Tech Lab/Office Open
Room

8:45 - 10:00 am Keynote Paris B & C

I Want to be Heard
Isaac Baldry, Public Speaker, Miles City, MT
Not everyone communicates the same way, but all communication is important. Most
people with disabilities do not expect to be listened to. Together, we have to teach self-
advocates that their thoughts and their choices have value.

10:00 - 10:30 am BREAK

10:30 am - 12:00 pm Morning Breakout Sessions (2)

1. Using Culturally and Linguistically Competent Approaches to Collect and Report Race, Paris B
Ethnicity and Language Data
* Session Presented Remotely

Wendy Jones, Director of Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Project, National
Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child & Human
Development, Washington, D.C.
More and more family-serving organizations are being asked to collect and report data on
the individuals and families that they serve. This request, often from funders, is required to
ensure that underserved and underrepresented populations are being reached. However,
there is more to collecting such data than meets the eye. Many organizations report that
staff and families are reluctant to ask and share such information, and that when in a bind,
some make assumptions about who is in the room or who’s being served based upon what
they see. In absence of collecting this data, organizations miss critical opportunities to (1)
develop policy, (2) accurately identify populations served as well as those who are not being
reached, and (3) plan for relevant services and supports.
Session Takeaways:
• Collecting data on race, ethnicity and language is easier than it is thought to be.
• Developing an organizational philosophy and script for responding to family’s questions
about the purpose and intended use of such data are critical keys to success.
• There are a number of tools to assist organizations on their journey to culturally and
linguistically competent data collection.

2. Literacy 2.0 in Practice Paris C

Kim Elliot, Instructor and Alex Gonzalez, Technology Coordinator, Health Sciences High &
Middle College, San Diego, CA
Our students, as dynamic as they are, require a structured learning environment that fosters
personal success. Every student deserves the opportunity to develop skills critical to
performing in the real world. Literacy 2.0 is not a departure from traditional effective
teaching, but a look at how technologies, also as dynamic as our students, have an essential
purpose that carries throughout all and can be included in our lessons to help provide
students an engaging and diverse learning environment. Attendees are encouraged to bring
their laptops!
Session Takeaways:
• Literacy and Technology
• Support and Implementation
• Web Literacies
• Multi-Dimensional Literacies
• Interdisciplinary Collaborative Projects
• New Ways Instruction is Designed

12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch Paris Foyer &

* Please be sure to be in Paris B & C by 12:30 pm - this is when we will take our Region Paris B & C
5 group photo!
Thursday June 2, 2011 (Continued): Room
1:00 - 2:30 pm Early Afternoon Breakout Sessions (2)

1. Refugee School Impact Grant (RSIG) Program: Support for Parents, Schools, and Youth Paris B
Lisa Bright, Community Education Coordinator, Colorado African Organization, Mirjana Bijelic
Olujic, International Kid Success Coordinator and Vicki Tomlin, Refugee School Impact Grant
Coordinator, Jewish Family Service of Colorado
This session will provide an overview of the Refugee School Impact Grant (RSIG) Program.
Specific program components will be highlighted including: a refugee parent engagement
model which uses “Community Navigators” to strengthen partnerships between schools and
refugee parents (Colorado African Organization), and an overview of the adjustment process
for refugee families and youth, along with key issues and concerns that accompany this
major life transition (International Kid Success, Jewish Family Service). The session will be
interactive with opportunities for questions and discussion. The RSIG Program overview will
provide participants with knowledge about the RSIG program components, implementation
sites, and intended outcomes.
Session Takeaways:
• Description of a model in which community members are empowered to take on leadership
roles and engage fellow community members in promising practices for engaging parents
• Use of the train-the-trainer model for information delivery among isolated communities as
an effective approach to provide needed information for often "hard to reach" communities
• Use of the Community Navigator model as a preventive approach to ensure support for
refugee student success and increased opportunities for integration of refugee children,
parents, and communities
• An overview of the adjustment process for refugee youth and families
• The impact and signs of trauma
• Factors affecting refugee students’ success in school
• Key issues and concerns that accompany this major life transition

2. What? My Child With Disabilities Could Have A JOB? Paris C

Connie Zienkewicz, Executive Director, Families Together, Inc., Wichita, KS
The FEAT (Family Employment Awareness Training) project is a partnership between the
Kansas Health Policy Authority and the Beach Center on Disability at the University of
Kansas. The premise is to raise the awareness of families that employment should be the
FIRST expectation for all students as they move from school to adult life. The presentation
will give an overview of our first year of implementing this training, its plans for year 2 and
beyond. The most exciting outcome is to help families once again dream about employment
for their sons and daughters with disabilities.

Session Takeaways:
• Families can dream the dream of employment for their children with disabilities
• There are ways to inspire, empower and encourage employment options for all students
and adults

2:30 - 3:00 pm BREAK - Sweet Snack Served Paris Foyer

3:00 - 4:30 pm Late Afternoon Breakouts (2) Paris C

1. Helping People Transition Through Change
Jennifer O'Donnell, Organizational Development Consultant and Trainer, Mountain States
Employers Council
We often hear that “change is the only constant.” This may never be more true than today. A
resilient staff is essential to help the organization successfully adapt to continuous change
and effective leadership is essential to foster a resilient workforce. Part of effectively leading
oneself and others through change is understanding the psychological transition every
person experiences while change is underway. By aligning organizational needs with
individual needs, change efforts are more likely to take hold and be sustainable, and the
organization as a whole becomes more resilient to future change.
Session Takeaways:
• Define the differences between change and transitions
• Explore the three-phase transition model
• Discuss characteristics and needs of each phase
Thursday, June 2, 2011 (Continued): Room

3:00 - 4:30 pm 2. Engaging with Families across the Literacy Spectrum: What Family Organizations Paris B
Can Do
* Session Presented Remotely

Wendy Jones, Director of Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Project, National
Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child & Human
Development, Washington, D.C.
Current research on literacy in the United States tells us that ninety million Americans or
approximately 45% percent of the adult population have limited functional literacy. This
means that family members and consumers may experience a high degree of difficulty
reading and understanding information, completing forms, navigating systems, accessing
services and supports, and communicating with service providers. Low literacy is a cross-
cutting issue regardless of geographic locale, gender, age, racial and ethnic diversity, and
socio-economic status. For educational, outreach and advocacy organizations there is a
critical need to tailor messages to meet the unique literacy and communication abilities of all
constituencies.
Session Takeaways:
• The importance of considering a range of options for addressing literacy, health literacy
and functional literacy when developing and adapting materials for families
• Culturally and linguistically competent outreach and engagement includes making
information available and accessible to families in a range of formats
• Low literacy can have a great impact on family’s ability to access needed services and
supports
• There are a number of approaches to assist in identifying preferences and needs of
individuals with low or no literacy for receiving information, and
• Tailoring educational messages and communication methods to increase accessibility of
services for families across the literacy spectrum is a necessary task.

4:30 - 5:00 pm Travel to Reception: Only about a 5 minute walk - maps will be available!

5:00 - 6:30 pm Reception: Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret

16th Street Mall at Arapahoe Street, Downtown Denver (1601 Arapahoe Street,
Denver 80202)
We hope you have RSVP'd for this evening reception at Lannie's Clocktower
Cabaret, located inside the historic Clocktower in downtown Denver! A variety of
hors d’oeuvres will be provided, a cash bar will be available, and eclectic
entertainment will include performances from a magician and an aerialist!