Lampeter-Strasburg High School, 1600 Book Road, Lancaster, will host the 27th annual Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13) education conference on Wednesday, June 21, from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration will be available on a first-come-first-serve-basis until Friday, June 9, and an early bird discount will be offered to school district and agency personnel who register before Monday, May 1. To register, visit http://www.iu13.com.

This year, the theme of the conference is "Agents of Change ... Mission Possible." The conference advocates for academic, social and behavioral growth in students by offering educational resources for parents and teachers alike. The organization hopes to shape students into productive citizens and prepare them for success in academic and professional pursuits.

At 8:40 a.m., keynote speaker Shelley Moore will explore the topic of inclusion and how it relates to educators. Moore holds a bachelor's degree in special education from the University of Alberta, a master's degree from Simon Fraser University and a doctorate from the University of British Columbia. She has collaborated with school districts and community organizations worldwide to promote inclusion in classrooms.

Morning breakout sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, and afternoon breakout sessions will occur from 1 to 3 p.m. The sessions will focus on different aspects of education to assist administrators, special educators, general educators, substitute teachers and parents of students.

During the morning sessions, presenters will address topics such as the usage of e-cigarettes among students, the difference between decodable and leveled texts, techniques for educating students with autism spectrum disorder and how to creatively engage students with technology in the classroom. In the afternoon sessions, speakers will tackle issues such as managing exhaustion in both teachers and students, creating a safe environment for a diverse range of students and how to use innovative disciplinary practices. Presenters will include education consultants, social workers, teachers and psychologists.

When IU13 first began to host the conference, it primarily focused on special education topics, but the organization decided to broaden the scope of subjects to include more areas of the schooling world. "A lot of conferences are geared towards a specific group, such as teachers or parents. This conference encompasses everyone; everyone can attend and find something relevant in a session," said Linda Murr, program support liaison for IU13.

This will be the first IU13 education conference held since 2019, due to the cancellation of the event in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "A lot of people have been asking about when the event will happen again over the past few years," Murr said. "We're very excited to be bringing the conference back."

For more information, call Murr at 717-606-1878.