Keynote Presenters
Dr Ross Greene
He and his colleagues consult extensively to families, general and special education schools, inpatient and residential facilities, and systems of juvenile detention. His research has been funded by, among others, the Stanley Research Institute, the National Institutes on Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the U.S. Department of Education. He lives in Portland, Maine.
While Dr. Greene originally referred to his model as "Collaborative Problem Solving” — and most of his chapters, articles, research papers, and books prior to 2013 refer to the model by that name — he has no association whatsoever with organizations or individuals now marketing a product by that name. You can read about the circumstances related to that unpleasant scenario here.
Peter Hutton
Peter is a visionary leader with over 30 years of educational leadership expertise and is known for his transformational insights and commitment to innovative, student-empowered learning. Peter's strength is in transformational insights and providing the details on "HOW" to implement change in schools.
When Peter was the Principal of Templestowe College in 2009, the school became one of Australia’s most innovative schools, with TC’s “Yes is the default” policy included in the top 100 most innovative educational concepts in the world by Finland’s hundrED organisation. He also introduced a Montessori secondary stream that included extensive animal programs, permaculture, entrepreneurship, and individualised learning plans for each student.
Peter is the Co-Founder and Director of Future Schools, a membership organisation that supports over 100 future-focused schools globally. Peter's latest contribution to transforming education includes his latest book Turning Around A Troubled School, and his new role as the Executive Director of GMS, a Montessori-inspired, student-empowered, and future-focused school in the heart of New Gisborne.
Norman Kunc & Emma Van der Klift
Although Norman Kunc and Emma Van der Klift are well known presenters and advocates within the disability rights community, they prefer to think of themselves as modern day storytellers, continuing the long held tradition of using humour and narrative to initiate self-reflection and social change.
Norman and Emma travel extensively throughout North America and abroad providing in-service and training in the areas of inclusive education, employment equity, conflict resolution, and other disability rights issues. Norman and Emma’s first book, Being Realistic isn't Realistic, is a collection of their writing on Disability, Identity, Inclusion and Innovation. In addition to then, Emma has recently published, Talk To Me: What Educators (and Others) Can Learn About De-Escalation From Hostage Negotiators .
They also have developed and operate "Conversations that Matter," an online values training platform consisting of over 120 videos of conversations with the leading voices in the field of community living and disability rights.
Born with cerebral palsy, Norman attended a segregated school for children with physical disabilities; then, at the age 13, he was integrated into a regular school. From there, he went on to complete an Bachelor's degree in Humanities and a Master of Science degree in Family Therapy.
In his undergraduate years, Norman wrote a book about his experiences of going to a regular school. This book catapulted him into a career as a presenter, writer, scholar and advocate.
Emma Van der Klift is a neurodivergent presenter, author and activist. Recently diagnosed as Autistic, she has embraced the diagnosis with a sense of relief, recognition and confirmation. Although she worked in the non-profit sector supporting individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities for many years, like many other Autistic girls and women, she did not recognize her experience as represented in the common societal narratives. Since discovering a supportive and vibrant community of other Autistic adults and allies, she has become an active member of the Neurodiversity movement.
Emma holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Management from Royal Roads University and was certified as a mediator and negotiator through the Justice Institute in Vancouver. She sometimes wonders if she might be the only Autistic mediator!
When Norm and Emma aren't working, they enjoy cycling, good food, and chess.
Dr Rebecca Wood
Rebecca was previously project manager of the Transform Autism Education project, funded by the European Commission, and is currently Principal Investigator of the Autistic School Staff Project, which is funded by the John and Lorna Wing Foundation. Rebecca’s book Inclusive Education for Autistic Children: Helping Children to Learn and Flourish in the Classroom focuses on her research into educational inclusion for autistic children and young people. Her second book – Learning From Autistic Teachers: How to be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School – a co-edited volume for which she is lead editor, explores her research on autistic school staff.
Rebecca is regularly invited to speak at national and international events and has had a number of articles published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as in more accessible media. On Twitter she can be found on @thewoodbug and @AutSchoolStaff. Information on the Autistic School Staff Project can be found on https://autisticschoolstaffproject.com/
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