Monday, August 17, 2009

Welcome - Winnipesaukee Ballroom

Hands-On Academics
Jill Helme, Foundations, Inc.

Offers a foundation in afterschool style, showing staff how to weave academic content into programs in ways that fit the afterschool environment. Participants will take away practical strategies to better plan and lead engaging activities to make learning meaningful and fun.

Jill Helme, Senior Director at the Center for Afterschool Education, designs professional development trainings for afterschool programs that benefit youth nationwide. Jill also coordinates the Center’s web-based training initiative. Before joining the Center, Ms. Helme taught high school language arts and mathematics in Florida and Venezuela. Her teaching experience spans traditional, alternative, and vocational high school settings where she worked with at-risk students. She has directed numerous residential summer camps and summer day camps for underserved populations. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Tamara Sniad, PhD. Senior Director, Center for Afterschool Education, designs, delivers, and evaluates the impact of professional development workshops and materials for practitioners in the field of afterschool. She has trained nationally in non-formal teaching and learning, homework, and supporting English language learning in out-of-school time programming.  She has over ten years experience in the field of language and education, including teaching English as a second language and teacher education courses in linguistics, second language acquisition, and instructional methods. Prior to joining the Center, she developed and implemented service-learning programs in West Philadelphia public schools and served as a Director of GEAR UP in Camden, NJ, overseeing the career/college awareness, tutoring, teacher professional development, parent education and advanced placement programs.  Dr. Sniad co-authored five of the Center’s publications on non-formal instructional methods, ESL learning in afterschool, and leading in-service staff development. She holds a BA and MA in Linguistics from the University of Florida and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in Educational Linguistics.

Get Started With Service Learning (Part I)
Tracy Harkins, KIDS Consortium

Learn about KIDS Consortium’s award winning service-learning model. Through interactive games and visuals, participants will learn the components and principles of the KIDS model. Participants will engage in discussions and activities regarding the steps necessary in planning and implementing a project.

Tracy Harkins is the Educational Programs Coordinator at KIDS (Kids Involved Doing Service-Learning) Consortium.  Tracy has been with KIDS since 2000 and is an experienced service-learning trainer and practitioner. She holds certificates in mediation, conflict resolution, and facilitation, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine.

Founded in 1992, KIDS is a nonprofit organization that serves schools and community organizations throughout New England. KIDS assists teachers, administrators and community partners as they work with K-12 students to identify, research and address real community challenges (an approach known as service-learning). Students are involved in powerful learning experiences, forge stronger ties to their communities, and gain the skills and confidence they need to become engaged citizens.

KIDS @fterschool (Kids Investigating, Discovering and Sharing)
Tim Porter, Boston Children’s Museum

Come learn about the award-winning KIDS @fterschool curriculum, the world’s first free online curriculum made just for afterschools. Through hands-on investigations, participants will learn about using the curriculum and about the philosophy behind this resource.

For 17 years at Boston Children’s Museum, Tim Porter has worked with educators to develop engaging learning experiences for children in afterschool and in-school classrooms.  With a focus on collaborative learning, Tim has led professional development workshops throughout New England and across the country, and continues to focus on making learning fun, inspiring and meaningful. He is also the author of the Museum’s on-line curriculum for after schools, KIDS @fterschool.

Homework Time in Action
Jill Helme, Foundations, Inc.

Helps staff make the most of homework time by creating an environment where students develop skills, work with others, gain confidence, become independent learners – and get work done. This session offers tools and strategies to (re)shape any homework program, with scheduling, room structure, extra learning activities, and grouping.

Jill Helme, Senior Director at the Center for Afterschool Education, designs professional development trainings for afterschool programs that benefit youth nationwide. Jill also coordinates the Center’s web-based training initiative. Before joining the Center, Ms. Helme taught high school language arts and mathematics in Florida and Venezuela. Her teaching experience spans traditional, alternative, and vocational high school settings where she worked with at-risk students. She has directed numerous residential summer camps and summer day camps for underserved populations. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tamara Sniad, PhD. Senior Director, Center for Afterschool Education, designs, delivers, and evaluates the impact of professional development workshops and materials for practitioners in the field of afterschool. She has trained nationally in non-formal teaching and learning, homework, and supporting English language learning in out-of-school time programming.  She has over ten years experience in the field of language and education, including teaching English as a second language and teacher education courses in linguistics, second language acquisition, and instructional methods. Prior to joining the Center, she developed and implemented service-learning programs in West Philadelphia public schools and served as a Director of GEAR UP in Camden, NJ, overseeing the career/college awareness, tutoring, teacher professional development, parent education and advanced placement programs.  Dr. Sniad co-authored five of the Center’s publications on non-formal instructional methods, ESL learning in afterschool, and leading in-service staff development. She holds a BA and MA in Linguistics from the University of Florida and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in Educational Linguistics.

Get Started With Service Learning (Part II)
Tracy Harkins, KIDS Consortium

Learn about KIDS Consortium’s award winning service-learning model. Through interactive games and visuals, participants will learn the components and principles of the KIDS model. Participants will engage in discussions and activities regarding the steps necessary in planning and implementing a project.

Tracy Harkins is the Educational Programs Coordinator at KIDS (Kids Involved Doing Service-Learning) Consortium.  Tracy has been with KIDS since 2000 and is an experienced service-learning trainer and practitioner. She holds certificates in mediation, conflict resolution, and facilitation, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine.

Founded in 1992, KIDS is a nonprofit organization that serves schools and community organizations throughout New England. KIDS assists teachers, administrators and community partners as they work with K-12 students to identify, research and address real community challenges (an approach known as service-learning). Students are involved in powerful learning experiences, forge stronger ties to their communities, and gain the skills and confidence they need to become engaged citizens.

KIDS @fterschool (Kids Investigating, Discovering and Sharing)
Tim Porter, Boston Children’s Museum

Come learn about the award-winning KIDS @fterschool curriculum, the world’s first free online curriculum made just for afterschools. Through hands-on investigations, participants will learn about using the curriculum and about the philosophy behind this resource.

For 17 years at Boston Children’s Museum, Tim Porter has worked with educators to develop engaging learning experiences for children in afterschool and in-school classrooms.  With a focus on collaborative learning, Tim has led professional development workshops throughout New England and across the country, and continues to focus on making learning fun, inspiring and meaningful. He is also the author of the Museum’s on-line curriculum for after schools, KIDS @fterschool.

Introduction to Digital Storytelling
Katrina Kretschmar, PlusTime

NH Participants will be introduced to the elements of storytelling through the use of technology and an overview of three free Digital Storytelling software programs. The goal of the workshop is to have participants leave with a better understanding of one way to engage youth by linking technology to 21st century learning skills such as critical thinking, creativity and effective communication.

Katrina Kretschmar has been a supervisor for the Franklin Recreation Department for the last four years. There she created a structured CIT program and dedicated herself to improving their summer program by incorporating leadership and teambuilding activities into the daily curriculum. Katrina is also a recent graduate from Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in Education and minor in Business. There she volunteered at Salvation Army’s Kids Café and mentored technology in education guru Audrey Rogers. Senior year Audrey and Katrina worked diligently with SNHU faculty to incorporate 21st century skills, including electronic portfolios and digital storytelling, into their curriculums. Katrina interned at PlusTime NH and is currently serving as their Program Support Staff A*Vista member.

Engaging with Youth Voice and Choice Afterschool
Jill Helme, Foundations, Inc.

Helps their programs with strategies to get – and use – youth feedback. This session shows how youth voice and choice boosts learning while building confidence, leadership, and independence. Participants will explore adult roles in youth-centered programming and gain techniques for connecting with youth’s interests.

Jill Helme, Senior Director at the Center for Afterschool Education, designs professional development trainings for afterschool programs that benefit youth nationwide. Jill also coordinates the Center’s web-based training initiative. Before joining the Center, Ms. Helme taught high school language arts and mathematics in Florida and Venezuela. Her teaching experience spans traditional, alternative, and vocational high school settings where she worked with at-risk students. She has directed numerous residential summer camps and summer day camps for underserved populations. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and her Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tamara Sniad, PhD. Senior Director, Center for Afterschool Education, designs, delivers, and evaluates the impact of professional development workshops and materials for practitioners in the field of afterschool. She has trained nationally in non-formal teaching and learning, homework, and supporting English language learning in out-of-school time programming.  She has over ten years experience in the field of language and education, including teaching English as a second language and teacher education courses in linguistics, second language acquisition, and instructional methods. Prior to joining the Center, she developed and implemented service-learning programs in West Philadelphia public schools and served as a Director of GEAR UP in Camden, NJ, overseeing the career/college awareness, tutoring, teacher professional development, parent education and advanced placement programs.  Dr. Sniad co-authored five of the Center’s publications on non-formal instructional methods, ESL learning in afterschool, and leading in-service staff development. She holds a BA and MA in Linguistics from the University of Florida and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in Educational Linguistics.

Strategies for Positive Behaviors
Amy Upton, East Side Learning Center

This workshop will provide insights to strategies that encourage positive behaviors in afterschool programs. Tools for providing inviting environments in which all children’s needs may be met will be shared. Participants will experience how a thoughtfully equipped and well designed environment can not only encourage all areas of development but have an effect on positive social interactions and behaviors.

Amy Upton has been has been providing Afterschool care for more than 20 years. In 1990, Amy founded East Side Learning Center in Concord, New Hampshire. She had been the director there since its doors have opened. It is the first and only nationally accredited school-age program in New Hampshire. Additionally, Amy holds a NH ECE Credential at the Trainer, Mentor, Faculty Level III and is adjunct faculty at New Hampshire Technical Institute.