2017 may be winding down, but the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will have plenty of exciting events lined up to usher in 2018.
Mark your calendars for the following Winter/Spring 2018 events. All events will be held in Room 241 of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/One Magnolia Circle Building (110 Magnolia Circle, Nashville) unless otherwise noted:
2018 Educate to Advocate
The 2018 Educate to Advocate public policy workshop will be held Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, 4-5:30 p.m. Whatever our perspective—trainees and students, researchers, health care professionals, service providers, educators, individuals with disabilities or family members, or simply concerned citizens—we see ways that the disability service system can be improved. One dimension of changing service systems is educating legislators and other public policy makers. This event will feature panels of experienced public servants, disability professionals, and parents of individuals with disabilities to teach you about making your voice heard.
There is no charge to attend, and the event is open to the public. Register to attend by clicking here.
Those who are unable to attend Educate to Advocate in person can view the event from their computer or smartphone via Zoom livestream. Register to attend, and connection information will be provided in the registration confirmation email.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Kennedy Center Lecture: Supported Decision-Making: Protecting Rights, Ensuring Choices
Jonathan Martinis, J.D., Senior Director for Law & Policy, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University, will present the 2018 Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Kennedy Center Lecture titled “Supported Decision-Making: Protecting Rights, Ensuring Choices” on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, 4:10-5:10 p.m.
This presentation will introduce the theory and practice of Supported Decision-Making (SDM), where older adults and people with disabilities work with trusted friends, family members, and professionals to understand the situations and choices they face, so they may make their own decisions. SDM is associated with increased self-determination, or life control, which has been linked with improved life outcomes.
Click here to register before the Jan. 12, 2018, deadline. For more information, call (615) 322-8240.
2018 VKC Science Day
The 2018 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day will take place Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, beginning at 12 noon at Vanderbilt University’s Student Life Center. Science Day activities include lunch, poster sessions, a keynote address, and Data Blitz presentations by poster award winners, closing with a wine/cheese reception. Giving the keynote address will be Len Abbeduto, Ph.D., Tsakopoulos-Vismara Endowed Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the MIND Institute, University of California Davis. He will speak on “Technology as a Tool for Bringing Services and Research to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, Families, and Communities.”
Register to attend by clicking here. For more information, contact Science Day coordinator Elizabeth Turner at elizabeth.turner@vanderbilt.edu or (615) 322-8240.
Assistive and Alternative Communication (AAC) All-Day Workshop: AAC for All: Autism and Visual Impairments
The 2018 Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Workshop will be held on Friday, Mar. 2, 2018, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in Rooms 237 & 235 in the Vanderbilt Commons Center. The theme of the workshop is “AAC for All: Working with Specific Populations.” Teachers, speech-language pathologists, and other clinicians who work with children who use AAC face a wide variety of diagnoses, settings, and needs. This workshop will provide intervention and teaching strategies for the effective use of AAC for children with visual disabilities, multiple disabilities, and autism.
Registration fees for the all-day workshop are $175 for professionals; $125/person for two or more from the same school or agency who register at the same time; and $50 for students and parents. The workshop fee includes lunch/breaks and instructional resources. Attendees can earn .6 ASHA CEUs if they attend the entire workshop. For more information or to register, click here.
Other important dates:
- The VKC Reading Clinic is currently accepting applications for the Reading Clinic Spring 2018 term, which begins on Jan. 16, 2018, and runs through Apr. 16. The Spring session consists of two one-on-one tutoring sessions per week, Monday through Thursday, for 12 weeks. For more information, contact readingclinic@vanderbilt.edu.
- Next Steps at Vanderbilt is accepting applications for Fall 2018 entry. Next Steps welcomes students who want to engage fully in a college community, develop their skills, gain more independence, and work toward a meaningful career. The regular consideration application deadline is Jan. 13, 2018. After that date, applicants may still be considered after the completion of early and regular consideration deadlines on a space available basis. Visit http://nextsteps.vanderbilt.edu or call (615) 322-3978 to learn more about admissions and on-campus events.
- The next Neuroscience & Education Symposium: The Connection will be held May 31-June 1, 2018, at Currey Ingram Academy in Franklin. The event team is hard at work coordinating plenary speakers and breakout sessions for the two-day event. For more information, contact Karen Buckner at karen.buckner@curreyingram.org or call (615) 507-3180, ext. 218.
Elizabeth Turner is associate program manager for VKC Communications.
