Paraeducators' Virtual Conference Registration Now Open

Across the nation, teachers and students rely on paraeducators to help their students meet their Individualized Education Program goals.

The 38th National Resource Center for Paraeducators Virtual Conference offers them support they can use: affordable, timely and in a way that fits their schedule. NRCP is a project of the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice.

This year, the conference is headlined by disability filmmakers Dan and Samuel Habib, trauma-responsive education author Matthew Bowerman, and IDRPP executive director Matthew Wappett, who will present on the science of belonging.

The conference’s 25 breakout sessions will be presented, online and in real time, over a weekend, from Feb. 20-22. The conference includes a leadership meeting on Feb. 19, open to all. Sessions will also be recorded and made available to attendees who need a more flexible schedule. The whole conference is designed to be “for and about paraeducators,” with low-cost registration fees to support all who want to attend a conference dedicated specifically for them.

“I wish that when I was a paraeducator I would have had the opportunity to attend conferences such as this,” said NRCP coordinator Laura Lema. “Having the opportunity to actually attend the sessions, to ask presenters questions and connect with other paraeducators is such a valuable thing.”