Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Parents, teachers and special education professionals seeking information about improved post-secondary opportunities for students with disabilities in Mississippi are encouraged to attend Mississippi State's inaugural Transition-based Education and Advocacy in Mississippi Fair.
Taking place Saturday [April 11] at Bost Extension Center's Conference Room B, the 9 a.m.-2 p.m. free seminar sponsored by the university's curriculum, instruction and special education department will focus on transition and post-secondary educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities for students with moderate or severe disabilities in Mississippi.
Experts and representatives from a dozen agencies, as well as teachers from school districts around the state, will be available to discuss opportunities with participants.
Lunch also will be provided.
The T.E.A.M. Fair is the result of a collaboration between MSU senior special education major and Dawn Brancheau Service-Learning Scholar Rebekah L. Herald and curriculum, instruction and special education assistant professor Bethany R. McKissick.
"Students [with Individual Education Programs] are legally provided a transition plan and transition services to help prepare them for post-secondary opportunities in educational, vocational, or recreation and leisure activities, but transition planning in Mississippi often falls short of where it should be because parents and teachers are not educated about students' rights or the resources available to them in our state," Herald said.
By providing valuable training and resources and facilitating community outreach and networking efforts, the T.E.A.M. Fair will serve as a "catalyst for our Mississippi teachers and parents to do the amazing things they're passionate about doing.
"Parents will be able to connect and give advice to each other and join together to be a stronger advocating force in our state. Building a community, finding support groups and becoming an informed advocate are important tasks that can be accomplished this Saturday," said the daughter of Gregory and Nancy Herald of Mobile, Alabama.
Support for the event is being provided through the Orlando, Florida-based Dawn Brancheau Foundation and MSU's Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence, as well as a Mississippi Council for Exceptional Children mini-grant awarded to Herald.
Herald also expressed appreciation for the support of donors and partners in the Starkville area in helping to make the event possible.
Faculty advisor McKissick said this weekend's T.E.A.M. Fair is the beginning of a sustainable long-term project in the Starkville-MSU area and will continue on as the main initiative for MSU's student chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children.
Providing access to IEP resources, recreation and leisure skills training and on-site assessments, as well as establishing a local parental advocacy group, are among the student group's primary missions. For more on the national CEC, visit www.cec.sped.org.
For more "T.E.A.M. Fair" information or to register, contact Bethany McKissick at bmckissick@colled.msstate.edu or Rebekah Herald at rlh454@msstate.edu.
Founded in January 2013 as a joint venture between the Office of the Provost and Extension Service, Mississippi State's Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence is committed to promoting university ideals of citizenship and service.
Learn more about CASLE at www.servicelearning.msstate.edu, bit.ly/MSUCASLEFB and twitter.com/CASLE_MSU; Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education at www.cise.msstate.edu and facebook.com/MSUCISE.
MSU, the state's flagship research institution, is online at msstate.edu, meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate, pinterest.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using hashtag #WeRingTrue.