WINNIPEG, MB – Journalists are invited to attend the official opening of an international conference devoted to at-risk youth on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 6:00 pm in Riddell Hall with a keynote session by Ken McCluskey, Phil Baker, Alan Wiebe entitled Finding and Celebrating Greatness.
The University of Winnipeg’s Faculty of Education is hosting the conference from July 10 to 13, 2013 on campus at 515 Portage Avenue, with renowned educators gathering to share best practices and strategies for supporting at-risk-youth in a series of seminars.
The joint Lost Prizes/International Centre for Innovation in Education Seminars will focus on areas of creativity, enrichment, and identifying and developing the talents of marginalized, disengaged populations.
Conference, seminar and course details.
CONFERENCE CONTACT
Kari McCluskey, Coordinator, Lost Prizes
Faculty of Education
E: ka.mccluskey@uwinnipeg.ca
Lost Prizes office 204.988.7533
BACKGROUND: KEYNOTE SESSIONS FROM JULY 10 – 13, 2013
FINDING AND CELEBRATING GREATNESS
July 10, Riddell Hall, 6:00 pm
Ken McCluskey, Dean of Education, UWinnipeg
Phil Baker, Director of ACCESS Programs, UWinnipeg
Alan Wiebe, Coordinator of Mentoring and Outreach, UWinnipeg
Too frequently, educators and other caregivers fail to identify and nurture the gifts of marginalized, relationship-resistant young people. For example, “tough bright,” challenging students rarely find their way into enrichment programs (which are typically reserved for the “teacher pleasers”). However, as a society, we can scarcely afford this waste of talent capital. Indeed, it behooves us as educators to serve as talent scouts who are willing to start “looking for gifts in all the wrong places” – in special education classrooms, in correctional facilities, and among often ignored children and youth not of the dominant culture. This session emphasizes the importance of talent spotting with traditionally disconnected populations, the impact of mentoring on identifying and developing talent, and the possibilities of alternative, second-chance programs to give disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to succeed in post-secondary settings.
LIVING THE CIRCLE OF COURAGE: MANAGING AND CHANGING INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR
July 11, Eckhardt Gramatté Hall, 9:00 am
Steve Van Bockern, Professor, Augustana College, South Dakota, Co-founder of Reclaiming Youth International
Using the Circle of Courage as the philosophical base in which to build caring environments for all children, a “way of being” that models and teaches caring will be explored. Ideally, relevant curriculum delivered by competent and caring adults will inspire youth to learn without negative behaviours. The reality, however, is that students, for many reasons, don’t always respond as adults would like. Consequently, educators need a variety of skills and techniques to help them manage inappropriate behaviours and crisis situations. Techniques and strategies will be shared.
CREATIVITY FROM A MULTIVARIATE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
July 11, Eckhardt Gramatté Hall, 1:00 pm
Todd Lubart, Professor Université Paris Descartes
Creativity will be explored from the multivariate perspective according to which a combination of cognitive, conative (personality and motivational), emotional, and environmental factors come into play interactively to yield creative performance. Based on this line of work, the relative domain specificity of creative potential, and the wide range of creative accomplishment from minor-everyday to eminent-outstanding levels can be understood. The link between the multi-variate factors and the creative process will be described. Finally, practical issues concerning the measurement and development of creativity will be examined for children and adults.
21st-CENTURY EDUCATION: OPPRESSIVE INEQUALITY, ASPIRATIONS, AND HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
July 12, Convocation Hall, 2nd floor Wesley Hall, 9:00 am
Don Ambrose, Professor of Graduate Studies, Rider State University, New Jersey and editor of Roeper Review
The globalized 21st-century is creating an uncertain, evolving, problem-filled context for the development of young people. This session provides a big-picture overview of 21st-century global trends and issues and their implications for education. A particularly troubling aspect of the globalized 21st-century is the intensification of socio-economic inequality in most nations worldwide. In such conditions the “creative intelligence” of the privileged can become distorted to the point where many bright, young, affluent people become self-deceptively vainglorious, ethically vacuous, and hyper-materialistic. Meanwhile, deprivation, segregation, and stigmatization suppress or crush the aspirations and talent development of bright but less fortunate young people. In such conditions efforts to discover “lost prizes” become more important.
EXCELLENCE IN GIFTED EDUCATION: TOWARDS A NATIONAL AGENDA
July 12, Convocation Hall, 2nd floor Wesley Hall, 1:00 pm
Taisir Subhi Yamin, General Director International Centre for Innovation in Education and President, World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
This session highlights the major components of a national agenda that aims to expand opportunities for gifted, creative, and talented children. The overall objective of the proposed national agenda is to enhance the capacity of gifted education to contribute more to the cultural, political, and economic strengths of society. Excellence in gifted education is aimed at preparing high-ability children to become adult innovators. This implies that the educational system should invest in innovation education, taking into consideration that innovation is an integral part of giftedness, and that creativity is the first step in the dynamic innovation process. The question becomes, “How can we promote inter-cultural dialogue to stimulate creativity and innovation in education in order to understand the world better and improve standards of life?”
BULLYING VICTIMIZATION AND ANTI-INTELLECTUAL ATTITUDES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
July 13, Riddell Hall, 9:00 am
John Hoover, Assistant to the Dean for Assessment and Accreditation, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota
Experts estimate that bullying affects millions of young people every year in North America. In dissecting the relationship between bullying and suicidality, this session focuses on the ultimate “lost prize.” In addition, it also explores the extent to which bullying victimization and anti-intellectual attitudes in secondary schools discourage young people from exploring their gifts and talents. The results from a literature review on the relationship between bullying and learning conclude the presentation.
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Communications Officer, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
