ABOUT THE EVENT
The GIEVSC is a unique event that is designed to bring all special needs educators, regular educators, parents of children with special needs, and professionals who work with these children across Nigeria and beyond for a time of networking, nurturing, grooming, and empowerment. The event also seeks to mobilize educators, related service providers, and interested participants (parents included) to a combined experiential event that is targeted at creating an enriching experience for all participants. The last edition in 2023 was held virtually and was attended by about 1,000 participants located in 8 countries across the globe. It was very successful as evidenced by available records of great participant feedback and participant comments. This year, besides the usual online Conference via Zoom and the physical month-Long summer camp for kids with or without disabilities (for only those in Abuja), there will also be the presentation of awards to parents and teachers of kids with special needs in Africa. The summer camp is being offered to the public FREE of charge. Click here to get details of the Kids Inclusive Summer Camp.
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Watch highlights from the GIEVSC 2023
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The GIEVSC 2023 was held on Saturday August 19, 2023.
FOCAL AREAS OF THE GIEVSC 2023 DISCUSSIONS
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The discussions during the Summer Camp will focus on topics bordering on the following:
• Cultural Influences on the Identification and Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities
• Addressing Learning Disabilities in Multicultural Classrooms
• Culturally Appropriate Interventions for Learning Disabilities
• Parent and Community Engagement in Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities
• Cultural Perspectives on Learning Disabilities
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OBJECTIVES
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The objectives of the Summer Camp are to:
​• Provide opportunities to network and learn from each other.
• Promote professionalism.
• Encourage the implementation of inclusive education in schools in Africa.
• Seek alliance and resourceful collaboration.
• Equip and empower participants with the required skills for engagement.
• Boost the confidence of special educators.
• Motivate and inspire each other.
• Create a platform for sharing practical experiences, tools, and tips that can provide teachers and parents of children with special needs with crucial support in these times of uncertainties.
• Promote independence in children with special education needs.
• Encourage connection between children with special needs, their teachers, parents and their environment.
• Keep educators, parents and individuals engaged intellectually.
• Promote personal and professional development among general and special educators.
TIMINGS
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The ONLINE sessions are scheduled to take place from:
​• 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM WAT (West African Time)
• 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM MT (Mountain Time)
• 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT (Central Time)
• 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM GMT (Greenwich Meantime)
• 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM IST (India Standard Time)
The speakers will share relatable experiences, practical ideas, strategies and information that would be beneficial to policy makers, general and special needs educators, related professionals and parents of persons with special needs.
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At the end of the Summer Camp, participants will walk away with valuable tips and practical lessons that will spur them toward greater clarity and enable them to provide better support to their child or student with special needs.
Distinguish yourself with a 10 hours accredited CPD certificate from the gievsc 2023 for ₦5,000 only
Here's The LINE-UP OF Speakers for the GIEVSC 2023
Dr. ​Brenda L. Barrio
Keynote Speaker - Location: United States
Dr. Brenda Barrio is an Associate Professor of Special Education — Critical Perspectives at the University of North Texas. Her research focuses on the areas of disproportionality of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education, culturally responsive teaching, bilingual special education, and pre-/in-service teacher preparation. Dr. Barrio has over 20 years of teaching experience, including graduate and undergraduate special education courses and K-5th bilingual and inclusive education. She is also the co-founder of the UNT ELEVAR and WSU ROAR inclusive post-secondary education programs for young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and is the current President of the Council for Learning Disabilities. She also serves as the UNT Division of Research and Innovation Faculty Fellow. Click to Read More>>>
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Dr. Samantha-Kaye Johnston
Panelist - Location: United Kingdom
Dr. Samantha-Kaye was formally educated in Jamaica, where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. In England, she received her Master of Arts in Education and then completed her Ph.D. in Psychology in Australia. Using a cognitive psychology lens, Samantha’s expertise and interest lie at the intersection of education and psychology. She aims to link these areas with evidence-based e-learning technologies to improve teaching, learning, and assessment outcomes. Click to Read More>>>
Vicky Wilson-Woko
Panelist - Location: Nigeria
Vicky Wilson-Woko is an Education Professional with expertise in Early Childhood Special Education, School Leadership & Management, Curriculum Development & Instruction. She's the founder of Relis Special Education Needs Consultancy, Co-founder & School Director at Relis Academy. She runs a support group for Mothers who have children with special needs and a virtual learning hub for Educators. Vicky is based in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Click to Read More>>>
Blessing Ingyape
Panelist - Location: Nigeria
Blessing Ingyape, is an International certified special needs Educator with a training in OG (Orton Gillingham). She's a dyslexia coach, the founder of Dyslexia Help Africa & Executive Director at Dyslexia Help Learning Academy. She holds a certification from the C.A.D.E.T. Academy which covers the 13 disabilities mentioned in the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), the IBCCES (International Board for Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards) and a Dyslexia certificate of training from Nessy Learning ( an award-winning educational publisher that creates multi-media learning games, video content, and a computer program, that are used in schools and homes in 192 countries around the world for children with learning issues). However, her passion lies within kids with specific learning difficulties. Over the years she has recorded great progress working with these kids and their families and has seen many of them scale this Difficulty. As one about paying it forward, she also trains teachers and consults for schools to achieve the same results. Through her great work and achievement in the Dyslexia community, she has been internationally recognized as the Dyslexia Teacher of the year 2021 by Dyslexia Trust- Nessy UK, a not-for-profit dyslexia charity based in Bristol, United Kingdom. Blessing is also a nominee of the prestigious Future Awards Africa; Forbes has described the awards as "Nigeria’s most important awards for outstanding young Nigerians". She's also a member of I-inclusion, an all-women of warriors for inclusion and child right from 4 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, America) in providing free training sessions and consultation services for children with Neurodiversity and their families. She has been recognised by Donors for Africa as one of the top 50 African women in development and top 50 Neurodiversity Evangelist to follow globally in 2023 by Neurodiversity world. Her organization; Dyslexia Help Africa has held various seminars and conferences on dyslexia with the aim of creating dyslexia awareness. She's also proudly a Scholarship beneficiary of the LDA (Learning Disability Association of America) 55th annual conference. Blessing's mantra is that there are no limits, every child can learn. Click to Read More>>>
Tiffany James
Co-Convener - Location: United Kingdom
Tiffany James, Vice President of Nessy LLC America is a Certified Structured Language Teacher, Certified Reading Specialist, qualified Dyslexia Screener, and Dyslexia Specialist with 25 years of Kindergarten Teaching experience. Click to Read More>>>
Susan Iliyan
MC - Location: Canada
Susan Iliyan, international television personality. She has worked in Media and Education in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Canada, the United States and Nigeria. Trilingual and exotic, she possesses a social sophistication that bridges all cultures and demographics. Click to Read More>>>
Dr. Pamela K. Peak
Speaker - Location: United States
Dr. Pamela Peak earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of North Texas. Dr. Peak has spent more than 30 years working in various capacities in area school districts, but all with students with special needs. Her research focuses on the development and use of educational assessments to reduce the disproportionality of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education and pre-/in-service teacher preparation. She has developed widely used assessment instruments including the Test of Early Written Language, Third Edition (TEWL-3) and Young Children’s Achievement Test, Second Edition (YCAT-2). Click to Read More>>>
Dr. Wendy Middlemiss
Speaker - Location: United States
Dr. Wendy Middlemiss is a Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Syracuse University in 1992. In her role at the University of North Texas, Dr. Middlemiss is principal investigator for the Home Instruction of Parents of Preschool Youngsters (Texas HIPPY), editor of Family Relations and graduate faculty with a concentration in Human Development and Family Sciences. Click to Read More>>>
Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey
Panelist - Location: Ghana
Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey is a dedicated and passionate advocate for inclusive education and support for individuals with dyslexia. As the founder and executive director of the Africa Dyslexia Organization (ADO), she has worked tirelessly to increase awareness and provide assistance to those with dyslexia, particularly in Ghana and across Africa. Rosalin's own experiences with dyslexia inspired her to become a leading voice for individuals with dyslexia in Ghana and across Africa. She discovered her dyslexia at the age of 30, which gave her a new understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with dyslexia. Determined to make a difference, she founded ADO with the goal of working with schools, parents, and educators to provide counseling, professional development, and connect individuals with inclusive education experts. Click to Read More>>>
Edward Baffoe
Panelist - Location: United States
Edward has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and an MS Clinical Psychology degree from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Special Education (Autism and Developmental Disabilities) at UNT. Edward has had experiences and knowledge in Neuropsychological Testing and Psychological Assessment. He has worked with college students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to increase goal-directed behaviors and on executive functioning skills including emotional self-regulation, self-motivation, time management and organizational skills. He is particularly interested in AAC for children with CLD children with autism, early childhood interventions for Neuro-diverse learners, and special education policy for children with autism. Click to Read More>>>
Latoya TEKOA
Panelist - Location: United States
LaToya Tekoa is a Neurodevelopmental Specialist and an Advanced Certified Autism Specialist (ACAS). She is the Founder and owner of Behaviorgenics, an agency in the United States for children and families with neurological disorders and those who suffer from brain injuries. LaToya is a certified K-12 Special Needs Educator. She has taught children on the autism spectrum, those with Emotional Behavior Disorder, and Moderate Intellectual Disability. Click to Read More>>>
Lola Aneke
Convener - Location: United States
Lola Aneke, author, award winning educator with K-12 practicing license from North Carolina in the United States. She holds a Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) Special and Inclusive Education from Meredith College, North Carolina. Founder/CEO C.A.D.E.T. Academy and Dewdrops Community Centre for Special Needs. Click to Read More>>>