SUNY New Paltz hosts 21st Annual Multicultural Education Conference

The SUNY New Paltz School of Education is one of a number of sponsors hosting the 21st annual Multicultural Education Conference, to be held on Friday, Nov. 13, from 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building on the New Paltz campus.

This year’s conference theme is “Reaching Out for Equitable Schools.” The day’s programming promises to bring together educators, students, parents and community members to share fresh insights and connect with advocates for equitable schools that enable all young people to achieve.

Dr. Crystal Laura will give the keynote address, “Promoting Equity by Revisiting Disciplinary Policies and Practices: Educating for Love, Justice, and Joy”. Dr. Laura is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Chicago State University, and author of “Being Bad: My Baby Brother and the School-to-Prison Pipeline” (Teachers College Press, 2014).

Carolyn Evans, a spirited performance artist, will bring history alive in her performance, Sojourner Truth – From Birth to Rebirth and Freedom. Evans’ unique take on the live and times of the former slave, abolitionist and women’s rights activist Truth makes an exciting addition to the conference schedule.

In addition, more than a dozen workshops will be offered, each exploring how inequities stemming from race, gender, class, sexual orientation, language and ability can be addressed and then transformed to inspire greater learning and engagement for us all. For a full list of workshop descriptions, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/edstudies/.

The deadline for registration is Friday, Oct. 30. For program information contact Professor Nancy Schniedewind at (845) 257-2827 or schniedn@newpaltz.edu.

For registration information, contact Christine Waldo-Klinger at conferencing@newpaltz.edu or call (845) 257-3033. The registration cost is $45 for adults and $10 for students. A continental breakfast and lunch are included in the fee.

About the Multicultural Education Conference
The Multicultural Education Conference was founded in 1994 by a dynamic group of community and educational organization members and faculty from the SUNY New Paltz School of Education and the Humanistic/Multicultural Program. Their objective was to provide advanced professional development, support and collaborative thinking opportunities for educators, students and community members, enabling them to make their schools more multicultural and gender-fair.