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2015 ELECT
Statewide Conference
April 22-24, 2015
Harrisburg, Pa.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Tom Wolf, Governor
Department of Education
Pedro A. Rivera, Acting Secretary
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Matthew Stem, Deputy Secretary
Bureau of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction
Rita D. Perez, Bureau Director
Division of Student Services
Carmen M. Medina, Chief
The Pennsylvania Department of Education
(PDE) does not discriminate in its educational
programs, activities, or employment practices,
based on race, color, national origin, sex,
sexual orientation, disability, age, religion,
ancestry, union membership, or any other
legally protected category. Announcement of
this policy is in accordance with State Law
including the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Act and with Federal law, including Title VI
and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of
1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990.
The following persons have been
designated to handle inquiries regarding
the Pennsylvania Department of
Education’s nondiscrimination policies:
For Inquiries Concerning Nondiscrimination in
Employment:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Equal Employment Opportunity
Representative
Bureau of Human Resources
333 Market Street, 11th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Voice Telephone: (717) 787-4417
Fax: (717) 783-9348
Text Telephone TTY: (717) 783-8445
For Inquiries Concerning Nondiscrimination in
All Other Pennsylvania Department of
Education
Programs and Activities:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
School Services Unit Director
333 Market Street, 5th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Voice Telephone: (717) 783-3750
Fax: (717) 783-6802
Text Telephone TTY: (717) 783-8445
If you have any questions about this
publication or for additional copies, contact:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Bureau of Teaching and Learning
333 Market Street, 5th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Voice: (717) 787-8913
Fax: (717) 783-6617
TTY: (717) 783-8445
www.education.state.pa.us
All Media Requests/Inquiries:
Contact the Office of Press & Communications
at (717) 783-9802
2015 ELECT Statewide Conference
In 1990, a unique partnership was established between the Pennsylvania Departments of
Human Service (formerly the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare) and Education
which resulted in the creation of the Education Leading to Employment and Career
Training (ELECT) Initiative. ELECT was designed to expand the services of existing teen
parent programs and provide comprehensive support services to students who meet the
income eligibility requirements.
The ELECT statewide conference is an opportunity for ELECT staff to meet as a group to
gain program-specific professional development, share best practices and learn skills to
better serve the expectant and parenting teens of Pennsylvania.
Agenda at a Glance
Wednesday
April 22, 2015
Thursday
April 23, 2015
Friday
April 24, 2015
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Lunch on Your Own
Registration
Institutes
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
2:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Breakfast on Your Own
Registration
Welcome and Keynote
Break
Workshop Session I
25th Anniversary Recognition Lunch
Break
Workshop Session II
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Breakfast on Your Own
Registration
Remarks and Keynote
Break
Workshop Session III
Lunch and State Update
2015 ELECT Statewide Conference | 3
Agenda
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Lunch on Your Own
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
Foyer
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Registration
Institutes
A 15-minute break will occur at the presenter’s
discretion between 2:15 PM and 2:45 PM
Salon D
Elm/Fir Room
Ash/Birch Room
Challenging Young Men to Take Action
Toward Healthy Behavior
During this institute participants will gain a
better understanding of the sexual health
disparities specific to young men. Methods to
connect with and motivate young men to action
in sexual health promotion work will be
discussed and a few examples of individuals
and organizations doing this already will be
shared. This institute is intended for any ELECT
staff who would like additional strategies to
challenge young men toward healthy sexual
behavior.
ELECT Data
This hands-on institute will provide an overview
of the ELECT data system and changes from
the previous system. Questions provided prior
to the institute as well as those raised during the
presentation will be answered. Participants will
be able to view examples of individual student
situations and learn how to enter specific
information. A summary of the end-of-year
data entry will be shared and ELECT staff will
participate in a game testing that assesses
knowledge of the ELECT data collection
system.
Student Rights: Legal Issues Pertaining to
Teen Parents
This institute will focus primarily on child
custody matters including the rights of minors
seeking relief in family court, grandparents’
rights and paternity issues. Legal responses to
family and teen dating violence (e.g. the
Protection from Abuse Order) will also be
highlighted. The presenter will address other
legal issues pertinent to teen parents including
emancipation, access to public benefits and
common child welfare/dependency issues.
Chestnut/Dogwood Room Mindset and Grit: Promoting Skills that Lead
to Academic Tenacity
Why is it that the smartest people are not
necessarily the most successful? Research
shows that there are non-cognitive factors that
can have a far greater impact than IQ on both
academic and long-term success. In this
institute, participants will explore various
educational and psychological interventions that
can help cultivate a growth mindset and
4 | 2015 ELECT Statewide Conference
Colin Adamo, Young Men’s Initiative
Coordinator – Advocates for Youth,
Washington, D.C.
Winnie Black, ELECT Data Coordinator –
Center for Schools and Communities, Camp
Hill, Pa.
Jesse Krohn, Staff Attorney – Philadelphia
Legal Assistance, Philadelphia, Pa.
encourage persistence. Setting goals with
ELECT participants is an essential part of the
program. Proven strategies for effective goal
setting that can transform students’ experiences
and achievements in school and in life will be
explored.
Amy Moritz, Youth Development Program
Coordinator – Center for Schools and
Communities, Camp Hill, Pa.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Breakfast on Your Own
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
Foyer
Registration
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
Welcome
Shileste Overton Morris, Senior Program
Development and Organizational Manager –
Center for Schools and Communities, Camp
Hill, Pa.
Carmen Medina, Chief, Division of Student
Services – Pennsylvania Department of
Education, Harrisburg, Pa.
Keynote
emotional, and sexual abuse - from her father,
her brothers, and as she grew older, others
outside her family. Now an attorney, advocate
and author, Trujillo underwent a journey to
understand the impact the violence she
witnessed and endured had on her life.
The Impact of Physical and Sexual Violence:
A Personal Journey Revealed
Olga Trujillo, Child Abuse and Sexual Assault
Survivor, Speaker and Consultant – Olga
Trujillo Consulting, River Falls, Wisc.
Olga Trujillo witnessed daily her father's brutal
and terrifying attacks on her mother. She herself
suffered constant physical,
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Trujillo will share her insights and although
tragic, her story of survival is inspiring and
hopeful. She shows how each person can and
does make a difference in the lives of others.
Break
Conference Evaluation
Scan the QR code to complete this year’s online conference
evaluation or watch your email for the evaluation link sent from
[email protected].
Your comments and suggestions regarding the quality of speakers,
presenters and resources, as well as your overall experience at this
conference are valuable in planning future professional development
programs. We appreciate your time and thoughtful insights.
2015 ELECT Statewide Conference | 5
Thursday, April 23, 2015
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Elm/Fir Room
Workshop Session I
Exploring Trauma and Dissociation: What
This Means for Your Work
Some students in the ELECT program have
experienced severe violence and as a result are
facing mental health concerns. In this workshop
the presenter will refer to her own experiences
of violence to help participants explore how they
may identify victims of abuse, and what
they can do to help. Participants will also
examine how to enhance their trauma-informed
responses to students in need.
The Truancy Toolkit
Preventing truancy requires the support of
schools, families and communities. Truancy
prevention efforts are typically school-based,
court-based or community-based yet the best
efforts incorporate all three components and
provide a continuum of prevention and
intervention strategies. The Pennsylvania
Toolkit for School Attendance and Truancy
Reduction is a resource that helps schools and
communities design strategies for ensuring that
students attend school, feel an attachment to
school and achieve their educational goals.
Participants will explore what is available in this
resource and how it can assist your program in
developing a comprehensive cross-system
approach to truancy.
Chestnut/Dogwood Room Child Care Subsidy
This workshop will provide an overview of the
child care subsidy program available to help
teens find and pay for quality care while
continuing their education. The application and
case maintenance process will be described
step by step to help better guide young parents
through an often form filled, confusing system.
Tip sheets and suggestions will be given to
simplify the process and help teen parents to be
able to focus on their child and goals.
Ash/Birch Room
Salon D
Constructing a New Vision of Collaboration
Although teen birth rates have steadily
decreased in Pennsylvania, regions of the
commonwealth still have higher than average
rates. While many organizations within a
community provide commendable pregnancy
prevention services for youth, it is not enough.
An effective community-wide initiative requires a
paradigm shift in collaboration and a new
approach to this complex problem. Led by CoCounty Wellness Services and Jen May
Consulting, a group of professionals in Berks
County has made great progress using the
collective impact model of community
6 | 2015 ELECT Statewide Conference
Olga Trujillo, Child Abuse and Sexual Assault
Survivor, Speaker and Consultant – Olga
Trujillo Consulting, River Falls, Wisc.
Pamela Emery, Education Consultant –
Pennsylvania Department of Education,
Harrisburg, Pa.
Joseph Loccisano, Division of Safe Schools –
Pennsylvania Department of Education,
Harrisburg, Pa.
Shana King, Human Services Program
Specialist – Office of Child Development and
Early Learning, Harrisburg, Pa.
Carissa Woleslagle, Human Services Program
Representative – Office of Child Development
and Early Learning, Harrisburg, Pa.
engagement. Reading School District ELECT
staff has played an integral part in this initiative.
This workshop will provide an overview of the
model, steps Berks County has taken in their
initiative to decrease teen births, and how you
can (and should) be a part of the larger
community effort to reduce teen births.
Sheila Bressler, Berks County CASSP
Coordinator – Berks County Mental
Health/Developmental Disabilities Program,
reading Pa.
Jen May, Consultant/Presenter – Jen May
Consulting, York, Pa.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
25th Anniversary Luncheon
Dorothy Hershey, Retired, Pennsylvania
Department of Education – Hershey, Pa.
Tamila Lay, Director – Division of Employment
and Training, Pennsylvania Department of
Human Services, Pa.
Carrie Collins, Consultant, formerly with Office
of Child Development and Early Learning –
Carlisle, Pa.
Lynn Cromley, Director – Center for Schools
and Communities, Camp Hill, Pa.
Karen Lehman, Youth Development Project
Manager – Center for Schools and
Communities, Camp Hill, Pa. Making remarks
on behalf of Jeanne Bender, Retired, School
District of Erie.
Mary Jo Podgurski, President – Academy of
Adolescent Health, Inc., Washington, Pa.
Lisette Colon, School District of Lancaster
ELECT Graduate – Lancaster, Pa.
Jessica Revelette, Schuylkill Intermediate Unit
ELECT Graduate – Tremont, Pa.
Andrew Smith, Philadelphia ELECT Graduate –
Philadelphia, Pa.
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Break
Continuing Education Credits – Act 48 and NASW
The Center for Schools and Communities, as a division of the Central Susquehanna
Intermediate Unit, is an approved provider of Act 48 professional development credit hours for
those with Pennsylvania teaching or administrative certificates and National Association of
Social Workers (NASW) credits for licensed social workers.
If you are interested in receiving Act 48 and/or NASW credits, see the facilitator following the
presentation to obtain the sticker for each general session and workshop. Attach the sticker to
the Act 48 card (found in conference packet) or the NASW certificate (found in NASW CEC
packet). Stickers must be obtained at the conclusion of each session and will not be available at
the registration desk.
Requirements for Act 48
• Attend the session from beginning to end to
receive credit
• Complete information blocks on the left
hand side of the forms in its entirety,
printing information clearly and signing
name in the appropriate place
• List your professional ID# to receive Act 48
credits
• Submit completed forms to the registration
desk before leaving the conference to
return home
Requirements for NASW Credits
• Visit the conference registration table to
receive your NASW CEC packet before
attending your sessions
• Attend the session from beginning to end to
receive credit
Participants are responsible for submitting
their own credits and payment (fee for
members $15 and nonmembers $30) after
the conference; payment instructions will
be included in the NASW CEC packet
2015 ELECT Statewide Conference | 7
Thursday, April 23, 2015
2:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Workshop Session II
Chestnut/Dogwood Room Darkness to Light: Evidence Based Child
Abuse Prevention
This interactive session will provide insight to
the ways adults can prevent child abuse
through education. The Darkness to Light
Stewards for Children Program gives
participants a reality-focused way to prevention.
Research demonstrates a connection between
early childbearing and abuse histories and
workshop participants will explore ways to
empower teen parents to be proactive in
protecting their children.
Ash/Birch Room
Dress for Success
It’s not just about the clothes. This workshop will
provide practical information on how to help
ELECT students enter the workforce. The
mission of Dress to Success and Tied to
Success is to promote the economic
independence of disadvantaged women and
men by providing professional attire, a network
of support and the career development tools to
help them thrive in work and in life.
The Cyber Charter School Experience:
Helping Students Navigate an Online
Educational Opportunity
This workshop will provide some history of how
Pennsylvania's cyber charter and hybrid charter
schools became an option for today's K-12
students. Cyber charter schools offer a variety
of advantages to students including a
customized, personalized learning environment
and flexibility for students who can benefit from
a non-traditional educational setting. These
advantages and the typical structure of a cyber
charter school, including accountability
and oversight, will be explored. Sometimes
when working with cyber school students,
ELECT programs face barriers to meeting the
requirements of the grant (collecting
attendance, grades, service hours, etc.).
Participants will leave the session with possible
solutions to identified barriers so that cyber
school students reach academic success
leading to graduation.
The Importance of the Parent Child
Connection
The early relationship between parents and
their newborn has a great impact on the infant’s
development. This workshop will highlight
research findings that demonstrate the
advantages individuals have later in life if, as
infants, they were provided with quality time and
bonding opportunities with mom or dad. Parents
do not always have an innate sense of
how to connect with their child, and teen
parents in particular are faced with multiple
stressors impacting the quality and quantity of
time given to their children. Case managers will
leave the session with some parent-child
bonding skills that can be modeled for young
parents.
Elm/Fir Room
Salon D
8 | 2015 ELECT Statewide Conference
Mary Jo Podgurski, President, Academy for
Adolescent Health, Inc., Washington, Pa.
Ruth Koup, Founder, President and CEO –
Suits to Careers, Inc., Harrisburg, Pa.
Steven Carney, Special Assistant for Charter
Schools – Pennsylvania Department of
Education, Harrisburg, Pa.
Susan Woodhouse, Associate Professor –
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Breakfast on Your Own
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
Foyer
Registration
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
Remarks
Karen Lehman, Youth Development Project
Manager – Center for Schools and
Communities, Camp Hill, Pa.
Keynote
Helping Teen Parents Explore Career and
College Options
Fatima Goss Graves, Vice President for
Education and Employment – National
Women’s Law Center, Washington, D.C.
Fatima Goss Graves is Vice President for
Education and Employment at the National
Women's Law Center where she works to
promote the rights of women and girls at school
and in the workplace. Goss Graves advocates
and litigates core legal and policy issues
relating to at-risk girls in school, including those
that impact pregnant and parenting students,
students in a hostile school climate and
students participating in athletics. She further
works to advance equal pay for equal work,
expand opportunities for women in
nontraditional fields, and ensure the
development of fundamental legal principles of
equal opportunity. She uses a number of
advocacy strategies in her work ranging from
public education and legislative advocacy to
litigation, including briefs in the Supreme Court
and federal courts of appeals.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Goss Graves will discuss teen parenting and
workforce development. Young mothers should
not have to choose between having a child and
having a job. Today, more women are
continuing to work while they are pregnant and
through later stages of pregnancy. The great
majority of women also return to the workforce
after pregnancy. While legislation was passed
decades ago to protect the rights of working
mothers, discriminatory practices have
continued, making it difficult for young mothers
to support their families. Goss Graves will
discuss recent legislation that has opened
opportunities for women and protects their
rights to choose both a family and a means to
support them.
Prior to joining the Center, she worked as an
appellate and trial litigator at Mayer Brown LLP.
She began her career as a law clerk for the
Honorable Diane P. Wood of the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Goss Graves is
a graduate of the University of California at Los
Angeles and Yale Law School.
Break
Photography and Videotaping Note
Please be aware that participants may be photographed or videotaped during the event.
Some of these photographs or videos may be displayed in publications and materials
connected with the event or by news media. If you do not want to be photographed and/or
videotaped, please position yourself away from the cameras or inform event staff.
2015 ELECT Statewide Conference | 9
Friday, April 24, 2015
10:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Elm/Fir Room
Hemlock Room
Ash/Birch Room
Workshop Session III
Pregnant and Parenting Students’ Rights
Title IX requires that schools provide pregnant
students with any special services they provide
to temporarily disabled students. While this
federal legislation has paved the way to prevent
discrimination against pregnant and parenting
students, schools can – and should – do more
to support these students so they succeed in
school. This workshop will explore the basic
components of Title IX along with legislation
passed in Pennsylvania that ELECT staff should
be aware of to help advocate for students and
ensure that their rights are protected and school
services have been provided in an equitable
manner.
Don't Talk, Don't Trust, Don't Tell
Substance use and abuse affect an entire family
and many times children and adults living in
dysfunctional homes feel isolated and fearful.
Even young children learn not to talk about their
feelings and problems often out of fear that no
one will understand. They learn not to trust
because adults can be unpredictable and often
hostile, and not to tell anyone about the
substance use occurring in their homes.
Participants will discuss characteristics of
dysfunctional families and explore strategies
for working with young children in these
environments. Attendees will learn about
resources for pregnant women and families
struggling with substance abuse. Additionally,
participants will learn techniques for talking with
families about the sensitive topic of substance
use.
Establishing Relationships and Reducing
Distress
In this fun-filled interactive workshop,
participants will learn how to customize
activities so that they appeal to different types of
learners including those who have been
reluctant to embrace education. Participants will
explore research based and time tested
strategies on establishing positive relationships
with students, communicating with them
effectively and motivating them to achieve
measurable improvement in behavior and
academics. Participants will leave this session
rejuvenated to help those who struggle the most
and empowered with practical strategies that
can be implemented right away.
Chestnut/Dogwood Room Child Support Laws
This workshop will focus on custody and
support actions particular to teenage parents.
The presenter will address whether a minor who
has a child can start a custody action, if a
parent/guardian must be listed on the caption
and what happens once a custody action has
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Pennsylvania Ballroom
Fatima Goss Graves, Vice President for
Education and Employment – National
Women’s Law Center, Washington, D.C.
Stephanie Roy, Special Projects Managing
Coordinator – Center for Safe Schools, Camp
Hill, Pa.
Joseph Pauley, President – Process
Communications, Inc., Potomac, Md.
Judy Pauley, Chief Executive Officer – Process
Communications, Inc., Potomac, Md.
been filed. This workshop will help provide
ELECT staff with a better understanding of the
child support legal process in order to assist
teenage parents.
Dawn Riccardo, Lawyer – The Riccardo Law
Center, P.C, Agency, Scranton, Pa.
Lunch and State Update
Debra Blascovich, ELECT Program Officer –
Pennsylvania Department of Education,
Harrisburg, Pa.
Theresa Campisi, Family Support Program
Manager, Office of Child Development and
Early Learning – Pennsylvania Department of
Education, Harrisburg, Pa.
10 | 2015 ELECT Statewide Conference
Karen Lehman, Youth Development Project
Manager – Center for Schools and
Communities, Camp Hill, Pa.
Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel
The mission of the department is to
academically prepare children and adults to
succeed as productive citizens. The
department seeks to ensure that the technical
support, resources and opportunities are in
place for all students, whether children or
adults, to receive a high quality education.
This conference was coordinated in
conjunction with the Center for Schools and
Communities.