July 14, 2022
Sixth NC Inclusion Summit held at ECU, hosted by SEFR
The sixth annual North Carolina Inclusion Summit was held June 17-18 at East Carolina University and hosted by the Department of Special Education, Foundations and Research.
The 6th annual North Carolina Inclusion Summit was held at ECU June 17-18, hosted by the Department of Special Education, Foundations and Research (SEFR). The North Carolina Inclusion Summit brings a wide variety of disability inclusion stakeholders together to discuss current practices and future innovations. Participants and presenters included individuals with disabilities and their families, educators and related service providers, administrators, employers and community-based service providers, and researchers and policymakers.
Sarah Wall’s Art to Heart Foundation was a co-sponsor of the event. She talked about using art to create an inclusive environment for children with autism and other disabilities.
Dr. Guili Zhang, SEFR chair, brought greetings from the university. “Successful inclusive education happens through accepting, understanding, and attending to student differences and diversity. We are here for a common goal — to make inclusive education more effective for our children so that they can reach their greatest potential,” Zhang said. Dr. Diane Browder, Professor Emerita of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Dr. Janeé Avent Harris, Associate Professor of Counselor Education at East Carolina University, delivered keynote addresses.
ECU colleagues participating on the planning committee included Drs. Malinda Pennington (chair), Laura King, Bethany McKissick, Tosha Owens, and Sandra Warren. Sponsors of the 6th Annual NC Inclusion Summit include ECU, NC TED, NC TASH, Attainment Company, Exceptional Children Assistance Center, Sarah Wall Art to Heart Foundation, and ECU Department of Special Education, Foundations, and Research.