DISES President’s Letter – September 2023

Dear DISES Members,

It’s been almost two months since the DISES Roundtable Event in Bangalore, India, and what an event it was! The opening session began with lighting the ceremonial lamp by Dr. Adarsh Sharma, Former Director of India’s National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD). I may not get this perfectly accurate, but my understanding of the meaning behind the ceremony is “From one flame, others are ignited, sharing knowledge as we move from darkness to light.”

Ms. Noopur Jhunjhunwala, co-founder and Trustee of the ChangeInkk Foundation, delivered the keynote address, kicking off two full days of presentations representing research in 10 countries. As with all DISES events, my favorite parts are the networking conversations that lead to future collaborations and lifelong friendships. 

The last day of the roundtable involved small-group visits to five schools in Bangalore. Even though time permitted just one school visit per group, I loved hearing about the wonderful visits to the other schools. 

A special thank you goes out to Dr. Jugnu Agrawal and Dr. Indumathi Rao, for chairing the planning committee. Roundtable participants, thank you for joining us in India and sharing your work!

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There are several noteworthy upcoming DISES events. 

• We’re excited to announce that DISES will be part of the inaugural CEC Fall PD Fair! This brand-new learning opportunity will feature live, online 2-hour seminars from DISES, other CEC Divisions, CEC, and the PROGRESS Center on September 28. Recordings will be available. The title of the DISES session is Preparing Globally Competent Pre-Service and In-Service Special Education Teachers. The speakers are Nicole DeClouette, Clara Hauth, Rebekka Jez, Nicci Dowd, and Tanya Pinkerton. 

• Our fabulous DISES Student Representative, Saurym Quezada, created two new student groups:
  • DISES Student Virtual Community Group. The virtual group will provide a space to share general announcements, celebration of personal and academic milestones, networking, and an overall connection through the academic year. Saurym says, “I hope this initiative will allow us to create community within DISES and help us develop new professional collaborative relationships and perhaps friendships.” 
  • Monthly Writing Accountability and Networking. The purpose of these meetings is to hold intentional “check ins” for students who are engaged in research and writing. The meetings are scheduled for Thursdays at 5:00pm (Eastern Time), and the first meeting with be September 29th. 

• Please plan to attend the joint DISES-DEBH virtual event on Saturday, September 30th at 12:00 pm (Eastern Time). The topic is Mental Health in Schools: Knowledge and Strategies to Support the Mental Health of Students in School-Based Settings Around the Globe. The international webinar panel will include speakers from Barcelona, Jordan, and the U.S.

• Our popular “DISES Sip & Chats” will be held Sunday, November 5th and Saturday December 9th. Additional information is forthcoming. 

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In case you missed it, during the closing event in India, DISES revealed the site for the 2024 international event. We are going to PANAMA! We are so excited to start planning another opportunity to gather with DISES friends and colleagues. We are looking at the last week of June 2024 for this conference. Stay tuned for the call for proposals (coming soon). 

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For additional information on any of the upcoming events, please visit our website (https://dises-cec.org/) or you may email info@dises-cec.org.

Wishing each of you a happy and healthy fall or spring (depending on where you live)!

Sincerely,

Nicole M. DeClouette, Ph.D. DISES President