SENIA: A Movement to Create Change

"Movements of people create change - not just any one person or organization, but when lots of people are in motion around a shared vision."- Ai Jen Poo, Author

Hello SENIA Friends,

This past weekend over 200 people gathered at the American International School Johannesburg to attend SENIA's Beyond the Label conference - 200 individuals networking and learning from one another and sharing a common vision; to go Beyond the Label of our students by embracing intersectionality, implementing inclusive systems and practices, and working with individuals to create student agency and advocacy. 

Nothing beats the feeling of being with others who share SENIA's mission and vision. I cannot stop smiling as I am filled with memories of impactful learning from our keynote and special presenters, emotional panel discussions from our students and parents, and those wonderful moments of meeting new and old friends and colleagues from around the world. 

As Ai Jen Poo states above, "movements of people create change," and by coming together at this conference, we have the momentum to do so. I'm encouraged by the comments from many of our participants who said they are excited to go back to their schools and to start making necessary change. And, by being part of SENIA International and the SENIA Africa chapters, they have the support to do so. 

If you weren't able to attend this year's in person conference, we hope to see you at our virtual conference in December and our live conference in 2024. We will be announcing our host school in just a few weeks, so stay tuned to see where we'll be going next. 

SENIA friends, we are the movement to make change in our schools. As the African spirit of Ubuntu states, "I am because we are." As we come together, we have the power to create a movement; to drive change and move forward to ensure we promote SENIA's vision to live in an inclusive world. We are together in the spirit of Ubuntu.

Lori Boll

SENIA International Executive Director

Friendly Reminder: We have lots to share in our newsletter. When you see 3 dots, be sure to click "see more" so you don't miss out on anything.

Local Chapter Highlight

SENIA Bulgaria started 2023 off on a positive note by hosting an event to connect educators and local service providers in the community.  It was a wonderful opportunity for guests to learn more about SENIA as well as share their experiences, resources, and vision for the future of inclusive education. We look forward to a year full of growth, connection, and learning.

SENIA Happy Hour Podcast

Host Lori Boll speaks with Richard Poulin, an educator and parent. When Richard’s daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease, he and his wife, Judy (also a teacher), felt isolated and didn’t know how to support their daughter. Now, they are taking their knowledge as educators and what they learned raising their daughter and are helping the community with their new non-profit organization called Teach RARE.

SENIA Membership

"Inclusion is an ongoing process that increases access and engagement for all students by identifying and bridging barriers to learning in order to empower students to reach their academic, social-emotional, and physical potential. ASW recognises the importance of the inclusion of learners with diverse abilities. Having a professional organisation like SENIA supporting our inclusion processes and practices, advocating for diverse learners, and making connections with professionals that share common understanding is a logical and needed step in supporting ASW's strategic goals and mission.." --Michael Nieman, Director of Student Support Services

Employment Opportunities

SENIA Youth

SENIA Certification Program

Next Course Begins March 6th

Our coursework is perfect for the beginning to intermediate level Learning Support teacher or general educators who want to learn more about supporting students with learning differences. We've had parents participate and have gotten good feedback from them as well. 

Take one course or all six. Educators who take all six earn a SENIA Level One certification and badge for their resume and email signature.

Our March course is entitled "Implementing Inclusion Systems". In April, we'll be offering "Understanding Behavior".

Sign up for all 6 course now and get one course free. Enrollment is on a rolling basis; start at anytime.

Scholarships & Awards

Certification Scholarship

What We Are Reading

Becoming a Totally Inclusive School 

Authors Sadie Hollins, Angeline Aow, & Stephen Whitehead

review by April Remfrey, SENIA Treasurer

We recently had the opportunity to host the book launch for Becoming a Totally Inclusive School, written by Angeline Aow and Sadie Hollins. The book is divided into three core sections which invite the reader to examine inclusivity through three lenses: You, Us, & Your Institution. The purpose of this book was clear from the beginning: How can we examine our organizations through the DEIJ lens in a constructive and collaborative way? Multiple continuums are laid out in the book to help us do just that. But it will be easier said than done. Read more of our book review below. 

Conference News

SENIA Jakarta Local Chapter Conference

Virtual Conference

If you have registered for the virtual conference and need help accessing the content, check out our helpful access guide. 

Concordia Hanoi's Watch Party

Concordia’s official Watch Party was Saturday, February 4th, for the 2022-2023 Virtual Special Education Network for Inclusion Association (SENIA). SENIA is a vibrant network that connects experts to parents and teachers, to the benefit of students by promoting advocacy, connection and inclusion. Concordia teachers and administrators gathered together to participate in presentations and discussions around many topics including teaching exceptional learners, social emotional regulation, and brain development. This gathering advanced SENIA’s purpose of working together to create a world “where every individual is supported, resources are accessible, potential is maximized and action is inspired.” I’m a new Text block ready for your content.

SENIA Conference Hosting Opportunity

News from Our Sponsors

Assistive Technology specialists Texthelp are hosting a PD event on 28th Feb, focusing on #Maths. How can we use #edtech in maths? How can we make it more #accessible? How can we support #SEND students to better comprehend maths? Register for all this and more: https://text.help/Tj1Nkn

SENIA International

18160 Cottonwood Rd. PMB 637 | Sunriver, OR | USA 

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