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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><img width="863" height="485" style="width:8.993in;height:5.0555in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01DB72E0.DFAF4CD0" alt="OSSIE - Inclusive Education (2)"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) for the state’s first Inclusive Education Conference on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at the Augusta Civic Center. The conference theme is “<b>Reimagining Education:
Empowering All Learners, Embracing All Abilities.”</b> It will provide school communities (educators, administrators, families, and students) with the tools necessary to empower every student, particularly those with disabilities, by embracing diverse abilities
and ensuring that all students have the support they need to build inclusive, meaningful futures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The Maine DOE Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education and the University of Maine at Farmington are hosting this conference. The keynote speaker will be Katie Novak, an internationally renowned
education consultant, author, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. Dr. Novak’s keynote address will focus on an introduction to inclusive education practices and structures
in schools. She will also hold three sessions on Universal Design for Learning (UDL).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The conference will feature students, families, educators, administrators, university faculty, and Maine DOE staff from across the state, as well, who will share their expertise and experiences with inclusion
in schools and communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Please gather a team of your school colleagues and meet us in Augusta this spring! The cost of the daylong conference (8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) is $175 and includes lunch, as well as a wealth of information and resources.
You may register <a href="https://events.bizzabo.com/690754"><b>here</b></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">For more information, please reach out to Maine DOE Special Projects for Inclusion Coordinator Tracy Whitlock at <a href="mailto:tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov"><b>tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov</b></a>. <a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/specialservices/specialprojects"><b>Click
here to learn more about the conference and other inclusive programming</b></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">________________________________________ <br>
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Amanda Castner<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Executive Assistant to the State Director of Special Services
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Maine Department of Education<br>
23 State House Station<br>
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023<br>
<b>Email: </b><span style="color:#4472C4"><a href="mailto:amanda.castner@maine.gov"><span style="color:#4472C4">amanda.castner@maine.gov</span></a></span>
<br>
<b>Phone</b>: 207-624-6608<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4472C4;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe"><span style="color:#4472C4">Maine DOE</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"> |
<span style="color:#4472C4"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/"><span style="color:#4472C4">Facebook</span></a></span> |
<span style="color:#4472C4"><a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews"><span style="color:#4472C4">Twitter</span></a></span> |
<span style="color:#4472C4"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en"><span style="color:#4472C4">Instagram</span></a></span> |
<span style="color:#4472C4"><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/"><span style="color:#4472C4">Maine DOE Newsroom</span></a></span> |</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4472C4;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed"><span style="color:#4472C4">OSSIE
Homepage</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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