K-14 Educators Meet to Learn & Share

Lamar Community College and Southeastern Board of Cooperative Educational Services (SE BOCES) will host the 2012 K-14 Collaborative Communities Conference on Friday, November 16, 2012 at Lamar Community College. The event promises professional development as well as opportunities for area educators and schools to work in disciplines and clusters to articulate and expand pathways for educating area youth from kindergarten to college. Nearly 400 participants are expected to attend. Campo, Eads, Granada, Holly, Kim, Lamar, McClave, Plainview, Pritchett, Springfield, Vilas, Walsh, Wiley School Districts will participate, as well as Little People’s Preschool, SE BOCES, and Lamar Community College.

A quote “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success,” attributed to Henry Ford, best typifies the event’s philosophy.

The conference will include a presentation from keynote speaker, Lauren “LJ” Jones, professional development breakout sessions, and cluster groups where educators can discuss options to engage students in a continuum of learning.

The conference begins in the Wellness Center. Sessions and cluster groups will occur in the Betz Technology Center, Bowman and Trustees Buildings. The agenda includes:

8:00 – 8:30 a: Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30-8:45 a: Welcome & Introductions

8:45-9:30 a: Keynote Address

9:30-9:45 a: Break

9:45-10:45 a: Session I

10:45-11:00 a: Break

11:00 a -12:00 p: Session II

12:00-1:15 p: Lunch on Your Own

1:15-2:30 p: Clusters

The conference’s keynote speaker is Lauren “LJ” Jones, a trained school counselor, nationally certified counselor, past expeditionary learning teacher and past Statewide Outreach Coordinator for CollegeInColorado. Currently, she is the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Career Guidance Trainer with the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), bridging the gaps between k-12 school districts and post secondary institutions by providing training that help support the implementation of comprehensive career guidance programs and collaborative efforts that parallel Colorado’s education initiatives. Lauren also coordinates the implementation of Middle School CTE programs as well serves as Project Manager for the Workplace Gender Balance Grant.

Sponsors plan to make this a bi-annual event.

For more information, contact Lorraine Saffer, SE BOCES director of Technology & Professional Development, at 719.336.9046, ext. 20, or Loraine.Saffer@seboces.k12.co.us; or Del Chase, LCC Concurrent Enrollment coordinator, at 719.336.1514 or Del.Chase@lamarcc.edu. The Conference site is www.lamarcc.edu/k-14-conference/index.html.

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