KIT’s National Conference on Inclusion: Each year KIT presents a three-day conference on inclusion in out-of-school time that brings several hundred people together for inspiring presentations, practical workshops and networking opportunities. People from all over the United States have attended. Visit www.kitconference.org for more information.
National Affiliates, sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF): In the Spring of 2008 KIT inducted four organizations as National Affiliates. These organizations will receive training and technical support from KIT using a combination of live visits and cutting-edge technology over a two-year period. In the Spring of 2009, 6 more organizations will apply and be inducted as National Affiliates. The first cohort of National Affiliates are: Camp Fire USA, Heartland Council, Kansas, Family YMCA of Blackhawk County, Iowa, Imagination Stage, Bethesda, Maryland and The After-School Corporation, New York City.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America: A two-year collaboration with this national youth development organization, funded by Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, resulted in the creation of inclusion training materials tailored to the unique programs of Boys & Girls Clubs. Embracing Inclusion: It’s About All of Us, a self-paced instructional manual, was created by KIT for use by youth development professionals in 3,700 Clubs nationwide. A companion training curriculum will be delivered by National Training Associates at Boys & Girls Clubs conferences all over the United States, beginning in September 2007. Other project elements included a series of program activities during Disability Awareness Month in October 2006 and a presentation at the national Youth Service Institute Conference in New Orleans in December 2006. In August 2007 four members of BGCA’s national staff and six representatives from Clubs around the country visited KIT’s National Training Center on Inclusion for a two-day workshop on inclusion.
Easter Seals: KIT has partnered with Easter Seals affiliates in the Bay Area of California and in Maui and Oahu in Hawaii to present extensive training projects for recreation providers. In the Bay Area KIT presented five training sessions for staff of Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) Extended School Services staff. A strategic planning session was held for staff of LARPD, Easter Seals and their community partners. In November of 2006 at the Easter Seals Recreation and Camping Conference in Alabama, KIT presented a Training-of-Trainers session for directors of Easter Seals camps around the country. Easter Seals National contracted KIT to provide a thorough evaluation of their own Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation project Full Participation in Recreation and Sports, which resulted in a 51 page document detailing the efforts toward inclusion by 4 Easter Seals affiliates and providing recommendations for the future. In addition to the evaluation document, KIT created inclusion tools and materials for use by Easter Seals affiliates which are housed on an extranet site.
21st Century Community Learning Centers: KIT has presented training on inclusion at 21st Century national conferences in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Miami. KIT Vice-President of Organizational Outreach, Mary Shea, Ed.D. was honored with a plenary session presentation for the 2,250 participants in Miami in July 2007. In addition, in July 2007 Dr. Shea gave a keynote address at the statewide 21st Century conference in Houston, Texas.
Opening Doors in Oregon: In 2005 four KIT trainers traveled to Oregon to present a one-day conference on inclusion to 77 child care and youth development providers. In August of that same year Dr. Mary Shea and Torrie Dunlap, Director of KIT’s National Training Center on Inclusion traveled back to Oregon to train 17 trainers to present KIT’s four core modules around the state. These efforts led to the formalization of the Opening Doors Initiative in Oregon, bringing together representatives from recreation departments, child care resource and referral agencies, universities, parents of children with disabilities and self-advocates with a goal of increasing training and technical assistance in inclusion to programs in Oregon.
North Carolina: KIT has trained 39 trainers representing Community Partnerships, Inc to present KIT’s Opening Doors to Inclusive Programs series to staff at YMCAs around the region.
Florida: KIT has trained 19 trainers representing CCDH’s All Children Together program to present KIT’s Opening Doors to Inclusive Programs series to out-of-school time programs in Miami-Dade County.
Minnesota: KIT has trained out-of-school providers in Edina, Minnesota’s large after school program and through the Minnesota School Age Care Association statewide conference.
LA’s BEST: A year-long training project resulted in the training of nearly 200 site supervisors in LA’s BEST after school program. Six KIT trainers presented the Opening Doors to Inclusive Program series and an advanced workshop on observation and coaching to LA’s BEST traveling staff members.
Statewide Inclusion Institutes: The California State Council on Developmental Disabilities provided funding for KIT to present one-day conferences on inclusion in out-of-school time in all 13 regions of California. The project ends in October 2007 and it is anticipated that 1,000 people will receive training.
National conferences: KIT staff regularly present workshops at national conferences in the out-of-school time and early childhood education fields. National conferences include 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Conference, National Afterschool Association (NAA), National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and National Institute on Recreation Inclusion (NIRI).
Statewide and Regional Conferences: Presentations and workshops at state and regional conferences include the Bridges to Afterschool Conference in Washington, Indiana Kids Count conference, California School Age Care Alliance (Cal SAC), Minnesota School Age Care Alliance conference, California Council on Family Relations, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Youth Development Conferences, Region 9 After School Leadership Conference, CA, and Region 1 Healthy Start Conference, CA.
Keynote and General Session Presentations: Dr. Mary Shea has presented keynote and general session presentations for the Alameda Child Care Links conference, 21st Century national conference, 21st Century Texas conference, and the San Diego Involved Exceptional Parent Day (IEP Day).
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Copyright 2007
