(Above) Receiving Honorary Citizenship with the City of Pensacola from Mayor Mike Wiggins
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The November 2009 Project on Early Childhood Education
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Our delegation from Bermuda consisted of a preschool principal, two education officers, one preschool administrator, and a child development program supervisor. The group travelled to northwest Florida to examine exceptional student education. Their emphasis was on inclusion.
The first day of meetings and visits started with a meeting with Dr. Stacie Whinnery who conducted a presentation on a mobility program for individuals with severe multiple disabilities called MOVE (Mobility Opportunities Via Education). She introduced the educators to the MOVE method of providing children and adults with better health & more dignity, of lessening the burden for caregivers in moving and lifting people, and of giving new opportunities for fuller participation and inclusion in family life, school, and community.
This was followed by a visit to a classroom at East Milton Elementary where MOVE is implemented and practiced. The delegates observed the results of the program by interacting with exceptional students while learning about the progress and evolution of each MOVE student. The delegation was curious about the equipment used in MOVE. Some were expensive, custom designed to best fit the student while others were made with common household objects such as pillows and neckties.
Linda Novota, the director of exceptional student education (ESE) for the Santa Rosa County Public School District, shared her experiences with ESE in Santa Rosa County. Discussion then took place regarding the differences and similarities between the ESE programs in Santa Rosa and Bermuda, the different strategies to reach ESE students, and the difficulty sometimes met in convincing parents of an ESE student to give their child more independence.
At the Lacey A. Collier Sensory Complex, Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council board member and behavior specialist Joe Denmon took the delegates into each room of the center. The Bermudian delegation observed the high-tech equipment used in the complex to improve the life of the students of Escambia Westgate School.
The Bermudian delegation was welcomed at the University of West Florida School Of Education by Drs. Stacie and Keith Whinnery. At the roundtable discussion, the group was exposed to the current trends in inclusion. The information on Response to Intervention (RtI) opened the discussion to further exploration of the ESE initiatives in Bermuda.
At Oakcrest Elementary School, M.J. Ziemba from the Florida Inclusion Network (FIN), talked about her work with in Escambia County, presented the group with some material used by ESE educators, and jointly with the principal, Denny Wilson, showed some inclusion programs at Oakcrest Elementary School. The group was amazed by the attention given by the ESE educators, and left the classrooms saying, “I want to be in that class.”
In the City of Pensacola Council Chambers, Mayor Mike Wiggins of Pensacola surprised the group with honorary citizenship. The meeting also marked the encounter of the Bermudians with our delegation from Gaza.
The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council thanks all the people who worked together to provide the Bermuda delegation with great information & wonderful hospitality. Special thanks also goes to educators and GCCDC members Nina & Charles Howard for their involvement with the group and to intern Bruno Barros for the effort he put forth for the visitors.
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| The delegation was pleased to receive Honorary Citizenship with the City of Pensacola |
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| UWF graduate student & GCCDC intern Bruno Barros prepared the delegates' program. Educator Nina Howard accompanied the group on their appointments as well. |
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| Joe Denmon introduced the group to the Sensory Center |
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| The group visited several area schools |
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| Enjoying the beach |
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| Visiting downtown Pensacola with Bruno |
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| The adminstration and faculty at Oakcrest Elementary School went out of their way to make the delegates' time productive. |
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| Volunteers Nina & Charles Howard were a great help. |
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| After their appointments, the delegation visited the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival. |
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To see more delegation photos, go to www.flickr.com/photos/gccdc.
To view upcoming events, visit our calendar or become one of the "Fans of the Gulfcoast Citizen Diplomacy Council" on Facebook to see how you can become involved.
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