For the
first time, educators, legislators, service providers, support
groups/associations, international organizations, disabled people
organizations, international and local students and parents will gather
together at the SMX Convention Center Manila on February 22-24, 2017 to set the
cornerstone for building an intentional and proactive community for inclusive
education. The theme of this event is I Am You – Opening Minds, Opening Hearts:
Putting Values into Action.
Given the broad scope of inclusive education that
encompasses people with disabilities, indigenous people, Muslims and other
marginalized communities, most of the topics and discussion at this February
Summit will focus on people with disabilities. The end goal is to build on this
Summit, the beginning of a series of conferences, the greater essence of
inclusive education – education for all.
Vice President Leni Robredo will grace the event in
providing welcome remarks together with Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely,
UNICEF Country Representative Lotta Sylwander and SM Supermalls President Anna
Maria Garcia. Senator Bam Aquino and Congressman Alfred Vargas are expected to
present the joint bill to serve the people with disabilities worked on by the
organizing committee spearheaded by the Fully Abled Nation. They will be joined
by Engineer Bien Mateo of SM Cares, Rhodora Palomar-Fresnedi of Unilab
Foundation, Carmen Reyes-Zubiaga of the National Council on Disability Affairs
and Atty. Adel Tamano to share their programs and messages of inspiration.
Renowned international experts in inclusive education are
expected to provide the keynotes at the Summit, namely Professor Tony Booth
from the University of Cambridge, celebrated author of the Index for Inclusion
(translated into 40 languages), and
David Hoff of the Boston based Institute for Community Inclusion.
We also have extraordinary people sharing their
overcoming-disability-to succeed success stories - Sarah Jane Dela Rosa, a 22
year old student with cerebral palsy fully included in a regular class; Erick Marco Ramos, the first blind person to
qualify for the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program administered by the US
Fulbright Commission and currently a faculty member at Philippine Normal
University; Dr. Rex Bernardo from the
University of Sydney, currently a professor of Mabini Colleges; and Joy Garcia,
Chief Executive Officer of Tahanan ng Walang Hagdan. Finally, Mr. Tony Llanes, the
blind founder of ATRIEV (Adaptive Technology for the Rehabilitation,
Integration and Empowerment of Visually Impaired) will be demonstrating digital
resources for the blind.
Schools, both public and private, parents, service
providers and support groups will share best practices/perspectives on how
inclusion works for their children. They will also be joined by highly
respected developmental and behavioral pediatricians namely Dr. Francis
Dimalanta and Dr. Stella Manalo and the Harvard graduates from the
International Education Policy program.
One of the program highlights will include the showing of
the powerfully moving documentary “Yakap”, which follows the lives of three
families of children with special needs, produced by Dolores Cheng of the
Center of Possibilities. Along with this
is the exhibition of #DrawDisability, a global art campaign launched by the
United Nations Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), in
partnership with the Global Observatory for Inclusion (GLOBI) and the United
Nations Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group (GEFI-YAG).
The Summit aims to call for a unified response –
#YesToInclusion and to spearhead a movement that will advocate for the right of
the individual with a disability to be educated along with his/her peers in the
regular classroom.
For registrations to the summit and corporate
sponsorships, please visit www.theteachersgallery.com, www.iamyouinclusion.net
or contact Mai Roble at 0977-8095110 or 0998-554-8522 or 02-352-2675.
About the Organizers:
The Summit is co-presented by The Teacher’s Gallery and SMX/SM Cares and
is supported in planning by Basic Education Transformation Sector (BEST), the
Unilab Project Inclusion, The Asia Foundation/Fully Abled Nation, Best Buddies,
Save the Children, ATRIEV, Norfil Foundation, Center for Possibilities
Foundation Inc., Leonard Cheshire Disability, CEU Inclusion Program, Reach
International, UP College of Education, and the Philippine Association for
Teachers Educators (PAFTE).
The main organizer, The Teacher’s Gallery (TTG), is a
social enterprise formed out of an advocacy for inclusive education and a drive
to empower teachers in their role of nation building.
TTG offers transformational educational programs that include Global Study
Tours (US, Canada, UK and Southeast Asia) where participants observe several US
inclusive classrooms, and engage with their peers. TTG co-founder, Ms. Lilibeth
Aristorenas, was inspired to form this organization from the challenges
observed at Precious Gem Academy, Another Home to Grow and Creative Learner’s
Home, small schools she also co-founded nestled in Fairview, Quezon City,
focused on continuously improving their inclusive practice.
The summit is held in partnership with SM Cares, the
corporate social responsibility of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., and the SMX
Convention Center. SM Cares advocacies include programs on persons with
disabilities, senior citizens, children and youth, women and breastfeeding,
OFWs (SM Global Pinoy), environment and sustainability and social
entrepreneurship. SM Cares’ program on persons with disabilities has instituted
key programs to address the needs of PWDs which earned its reputation of being
the most PWD-friendly mall in the country.
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