Featured Speakers                                               
                                                     
Opening Session Keynote Speaker
Sunday, October 22, 2006  
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Dr. Crystal A. Kuykendall, Esquire 
President and General Counsel
Kreative and Innovative Resources for Kids, Inc.               

Closing Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Tuesday, October 24, 2006  
12:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dr. Lisa D. Delpit
Executive Director/Eminent Scholar
Center for Urban Education & Innovation
Florida International University

Lisa Delpit, EdD is a nationally and internationally-known speaker and writer whose work has focused on the education of children of color and the perspectives, aspirations and pedagogy of teachers of color. Delpit’s work on school-community relations and cross-cultural communication was cited as a contributor to her receiving a MacArthur Genius Award in 1990. Her book, Other People’s Children, has received the American Educational Studies Association’s “Book Critic Award,” Choice Magazine’s Eighth Annual Outstanding Academic Book Award, and has been named “A Great Book” by Teacher Magazine. Dr. Delpit has been recognized as a leading educational researcher whose work leads to improved learning for low-income, at-risk elementary or secondary students.

The Geraldine Wilson Seminar Keynote Speaker
“Cultural Legacy: Values that Support and Sustain”
Sunday, October 22, 2006  
3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Dr. Martha R. Bireda
Founder
Blanchard House Museum for African American History and Culture
Punta Gorda, FL

Martha Bireda, PhD is committed to the empowerment of those denied access to educational, economic, and social opportunities. With over 25 years of experience in elementary and higher education, she has had extensive work in diversity issues, leadership development training, and individual, parent, and community empowerment. Dr. Bireda will share her experiences to preserve cultural values and identify systems through which we can support and sustain these values. This presentation embodies the philosophy of the late “Gerry” Wilson, an educator and staunch advocate for discovering and recovering evidence of the strength, beauty, distinctive character, and persistence of the culture of African people.

Issue Forums

Monday, October 23, 2006
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Education Issue Forum

Dr. Rudolph "Rudy" Crew, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the fourth-largest school district and one of the most diverse in the country, believes that all children should be fully prepared for the world that awaits them.  This dynamic leader will share his vision and strategies for transforming barriers into bridges that ensure that students enter school ready to learn and, once in school, gain the knowledge and skills they'll need for successful lives after graduation.

Presenter:

Early Care and Education Issue Forum
“Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Education: Implications for African American Children”

A discussion of the five “hot topics” in the field of early education and distilled from current national association, foundation and corporate reports; from federal policy and funding priorities; and from the direction of state education policy. These topics will be analyzed in terms of their meanings and implications for the welfare of African American children and families, and recommendations for advocacy and action will be made.

Presenters: 

Child Welfare Issue Forum
“Disproportionality and Disparate Outcomes for Children of Color: The State of Our Nation’s Child Welfare System”

Children of color, and in particular, Black children are disproportionately represented, and experience a disparity of outcomes in the child welfare system. The discussion of this issue by the presenters from a national perspective will provide a clear definition and an analysis of the problem as well as tell us what research says about its causation. The presentation will also highlight some of the existing state and national child welfare policies and the impact and implications of these policies on children of color in the child welfare system. Finally, the presentation will focus on the Casey Family Programs response to this issue.
Sponsored by the Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA

Presenters: 

Monday, October 23, 2006
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Fatherhood Forum
“Creating a Father-Friendly Human Service Agency Environment”

In the past several years a growing number of state and local government officials, as well as administrators of private human service organizations, have come to recognize the importance of non-custodial fathers in the lives of their children. Many of these organizations are now paying attention to the effect of father absence, and desiring to do more to address the issue. As a consequence, a fair number of public and private agency administrators are struggling to develop effective policies and practices to support those men who want to provide financial assistance for, and be involved in the upbringing of their children. 

The proposed panel discussion would explore promising policies and practices in human service arenas that contribute to reducing the multiple barriers that prevent effective father involvement, especially in low-income communities. Areas of the human services that will be addressed include: child welfare, head start, ex-offender re-entry, employment training and development, and physical and mental health. 

Sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Facilitator:

Robert D. Johnson President, Systems for Human  Services Management Atlanta, GA

Presenters: