Outreach offers April workshops

The University of Central Arkansas Division of Outreach and Community Engagement will offer two community workshops in April.

The “Utilizing Weird Media in Therapy” workshop, facilitated by Allen Thomas, will be held on Tuesday, April 7 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on campus. This workshop will illustrate the use of comic books, video games, and animation in therapy to facilitate healing and survival. Attendees will be able to develop a resource guide and become acquainted with various types of media and their benefits, and develop a strategy for helping clients use these media to create change. Continuing education units are available and the workshop is free to attend. For more information, visit uca.edu/outreach/weirdmedia.

The workshop titled “Bridging the Gap: Basics of Special Education for Parents and Educators” will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to noon in Mashburn Hall on campus. Mary Pearson, Ph.D., who taught students with severe disabilities for seven years, and now trains new teachers to work with students with disabilities in Arkansas at UCA, will conduct the workshop. The workshop will cover information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act for students with special needs and language used within these acts. Pearson will also present information about Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s), evaluation and re-evaluations for special education services, and tips on advocating for children with special needs. Families, educators, and the community are invited to attend.   For more information, visit uca.edu/outreach/specialneeds.

For more information, contact Shaneil Ealy, director of programs and services, at 501-450-5275 or sealy@uca.edu.

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