Held at the beautiful Legacy Center Resort in San Diego, CA, the ninth annual El Dorado County Charter SELPA Inspiration to Action Symposium hosted keynote speakers Jennifer Wolfsheimer and Dr. Emad Rahim for a day of inspirational content. More than 270 attendees from County Offices, SELPAs, LEAs, and Nonpublic Agencies attended.

 

Jennifer Wolfsheimer has dedicated herself to public service in the pursuit of enriching the lives of people with disabilities. As an adult with a disability and the mother of an individual with a disability, she shared her inspirational journey of breaking barriers and always designing with inclusion in mind.

 

Dr. Emad Rahim is an award-winning author, educator, entrepreneur, Fulbright Recipient, and TEDx Speaker. He is a former refugee and genocide survivor from the Killing Fields of Cambodia, and grew up in urban New York in the 90s. He spoke about the significance of having one caring adult in every student's life.

 

Congratulations to our 2024 Outstanding Educators of the Year: Justin Zanaska, Paraeducator; Stephanie Parker, Teacher; Leah Dato, Administrator.

 

 

During the 2023 Inspiration to Action Symposium, participants discovered inspiring insights from renowned speakers, learned about innovative strategies for supporting students, and celebrated the achievements of schools and educators across the state.

 

Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 30 years, teaching both at the elementary school level and the university level. She is a consultant and trainer on diversity as it relates to disability and is the author of several articles and books including Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & Communities, as well as her children’s book, Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights. She has compiled her disability awareness teachings in a digital course entitled “Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters.” Her Beyond Awareness work has earned her statewide PTA recognitions in the areas of advocacy and outreach, as well as her school’s designation of Teacher of the Year.

She has also been featured on several radio programs and television news stories and served two terms on the board of directors of Disability Rights California. She currently serves as a board member of Disability Voices United. Although Diana experiences disability herself, she credits her brother, Joaquin Carson, for her passion for inclusion, disability advocacy, and activism. Joaquin endured years of segregated schooling and subsequent institutionalization. Diana takes the most pride in knowing that after many years of fighting for his release, Joaquin now lives a life of inclusion and quality, in the community, as her next-door neighbor.

 

Otto Lana is an award-winning poet, an accomplished filmmaker, entrepreneur, actor, lyricist, and model, and he has been lending his voice as a self-advocate championing the rights of those with communication challenges since 2018. He was a Youth Delegate for the Department of Rehab in 2021 and was awarded the Harry Servidio Memorial Leadership Award for his work in advocacy and inclusion. He was the recipient of the first inaugural Heumann-Armstrong Award for Excellence for overcoming ableism in academia. His goal is to change the face of Autism and Apraxia. He has a great life and a bright future and wishes to lead by example giving parents and disabled individuals hope to fuel their own moonshots.

 

Danielle Boyer is an Indigenous (Ojibwe) and Queer robotics inventor. She advocates for youth and has taught kids since she was ten. She shared stories on the profound impact that STEAM can have every student.

 

The Equity, Disproportionality, and Design (ED&D) Team highlighted how we can improve supporting learning environments for all students. This interactive experience led us through self-reflection and taught us strategies on integrating the stories of our students to promote equity.

 

Congratulations to our 2023 Outstanding Educators of the Year: Melanie Strahm, Teacher; Chammarra Nguyen, Administrator.

 

 

 

During the 2022 Inspiration to Action Symposium, participants Embraced What is Possible. They were encouraged to reimagine possibilities for student success by creating environments that cultivate trust, celebrate diverse identities, and promote a growth mindset for continuous improvement. 

 

Sparsh Shah is a singer, songwriter, rapper, inspirational speaker, and philanthropist. He was born with an incurable disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which makes his bones extremely fragile. Sparsh is an internet sensation and has performed on television, radio as well as pro bono to help raise over 1.5 million dollars for various non-profit organizations supporting children and adults in need. He is the proud recipient of various prestigious global awards. Sparsh's motto is to inspire and "Sparsh" (touch) everyone's hearts around the world.

 

Donovan Taylor Hall is a youth advocate and educator that teaches kids how to build positive self-identity. He has been featured on the Today Show, NowThis and several podcasts to talk about the importance of positive youth development. Donovan teaches his self skills curriculum through youth coaching, speeches, and online content. He is currently working on creating an educational entertainment show to help reach an even bigger audience of kids. Participants spent an hour with Donovan Taylor Hall having fun exploring the concept of learner identities and its impact on how we show up. He shared his personal experiences growing up and how we all have the power to help remove barriers and shape positive learning identities for ourselves and others

 

Mickey Porter is a certified Brené Brown "Dare to Lead" Trainer and CEO of Plus One Leadership. She comes with years of experience as a teacher, principal, district superintendent, regional program director, and former Sonoma County Deputy Superintendent. In her session on Braving Trust, Mickey Porter used the research from Dr.Brené Brown to explore the seven elements of trust that can help us to know what to do to foster trust in relationships in our lives and our leadership.