Breakout Sessions
Breakout A Options
| Session Title | Session Info |
|---|---|
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State Level Policy and Advocacy with Kuna Tavalin |
CEC focuses its policy and advocacy actions at the federal level through SELS and ongoing engagement by CEC staff, but we rely on Units and Divisions to carry forward that work at the state and local level. This session will provide an overview of the resources available to support state/local policy and advocacy and review some recent "wins" from Unit advocacy. |
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State of the Profession Survey Update with Julie Bost |
This session delves into the findings of the CEC State of the Special Education Profession Survey, a comprehensive study involving over 1,460 special education professionals. Conducted by Drs. Mary Lynn Boscardin and Jennifer Lesh, CEC Past Presidents, the survey offers a current snapshot of the profession, highlighting strengths along with opportunities for growth. The results serve as a data-driven foundation for CEC leadership activities in public policy, standards, and professional development. This session aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the special education profession for educators, fostering informed discussions on how to enhance practices and policies to better support students with exceptionalities. |
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In-Person Event Planning, Logistics and Navigating the current climate 101 with Sharyn Weiss and Melissa Trout |
Review of best practices of planning in-person events. During this session, you'll have the opportunity to learn from the experts! We will touch on current events and their potential impact on our meetings. The value of relationships with industry partners and how utilizing these connections can benefit our organizations. We will review the basics of event planning from submitting your request for proposal (RFP), appropriate requests to make, using CEC's registration platform, identifying sponsor opportunities, building an exhibit hall, and all of the resources offered to help you get the job done. |
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Energize Your Component’s PD Strategy with CEC Resource with Derek Govin, Aimee Roberge and Laurie VanderPloeg |
CEC has a plethora of on-demand webinars, collections, and other ready-to-use resources, but how can these be leveraged? Join us for this session to explore ways your Division or Unit can engage in professional development. We'll cover these, as well as online events, live webinars, and CEC Convention to help your component maximize its efforts, meet member needs, and support preparation and retention of special education professionals in the field. |
Breakout B Options
| Session Title | Session Info |
|---|---|
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Mission: Communicate — Crafting a Cohesive Campaign Across Channels with Hannah Hickman and William Webber |
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It: As a seasoned volunteer leader, you’ve mastered the basics. Now, it’s time to go undercover and unlock the secrets of strategic communication. Your objective: develop a high-impact campaign that aligns messaging across social media, email, and the web. You’ll be equipped to decode your audience, choose the right channels for the right intel, and synchronize your efforts with organizational goals. With precision timing and stealthy strategy, you’ll create a comms plan that makes every message hit its mark. Pack your gadgets (or just your notebook)—this mission starts now. |
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Fundamental Communication Planning: Aligning Social Media, Email, and Web for Volunteer Impact with Annie Drinkard |
In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, effective communication is essential to volunteer engagement and mission success. This introductory level session will walk you through the fundamentals of strategic communication planning—helping you align social media, email, and web content to work together for greater impact. Learn how to identify your audience, craft consistent messaging across platforms, and plan campaigns that support recruitment, retention, and recognition of volunteers. Whether you're refining an existing strategy or building one from scratch, this session will give you the tools and timeline guidance you need to amplify your message and increase engagement. |
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Virtual Event Planning and Logistics 101 with Aimee Roberge and Derek Govin |
Join us to learn more about the basics of hosting virtual events! We will share resources from CEC to help with planning, promoting, or partnering on a webinar and how to use these tools for your own event. |
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Student Chapter Success with Caroline Schwartz |
Looking to grow or support student chapters? Join this collaborative session focused on energizing student engagement. Share successful chapter examples with colleagues, and learn how to leverage CEC’s existing resources to support both new and established chapters. Whether you're just getting started or looking to expand your outreach, this session will equip you with fresh ideas and peer support to strengthen your component’s impact at the student level. |
Breakout C Options
| Session Title | Session Info |
|---|---|
|
Building the Volunteer Pipeline: From Local Leadership to National Impact with William Webber |
A strong volunteer pipeline doesn’t just support your component—it strengthens the entire organization. In this session, we’ll explore the broader purpose of cultivating leadership through volunteerism, including how local engagement can lead to service at the national level. Learn practical strategies for encouraging long-serving volunteers to expand their involvement beyond your Unit or Division, and discuss the vital role components play in identifying and preparing future leaders. You'll also hear about opportunities and resources available to help support this leadership journey and ensure a sustainable, connected volunteer network. |
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Your Website + Your Goals: A Success Story with Mason Shelby and Lara Fahey |
Is your website earning top marks? This session will help you earn an A+ on your component's website by clarifying your goals and re-imagining the design of your webpages to be more engaging for members. Through this session, CEC staff experts will cover website essentials and practices that can support your efforts in crafting and sustaining the perfect website. |
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Beyond the Inbox: Enhancing Member Communications Through Email with Hannah Hickman and Nick Cafferky |
Learn how to build and run a successful email program within your means. In this session, we'll go over best practices for email marketing, how to craft compelling emails that foster stronger connections with your association members, and what metrics to pay attention to as you look at how your emails are performing. |
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Power in Partnership: Engaging in CEC Membership Campaigns at Every Level with Louise Martin and Gennith Johnson |
Discover how collaboration between local CEC units and the national organization can drive meaningful membership growth and engagement. In this session, participants will explore strategies for aligning local efforts with national membership campaigns, leveraging shared resources, and amplifying outreach. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, best practices, and tools to energize their local membership and contribute to the broader CEC community. |
| Thank You to Our Sponsor |
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