Select Page

The Canisius College JUSTICE (Justice for Underserved Students: Teacher preparation in Inclusive Classroom Environments) Project will sponsor a Summer Institute on Thursday – Friday (June 28 and 29) at the Montante Cultural Center.

College faculty from the Education Department will collaborate with teachers and administrators from local schools to design curricular materials that incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a methodology that provides evidence-based practice to improve instruction and promotes inclusion for students with high incidence disabilities. This approach promotes accessibility for all learners and provides various options for learning and demonstrating knowledge; allowing for a just and equitable classroom where all children have access to the content and are more likely to succeed.

George Van Horn and Michelle Arneson, faculty members from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) Institute will present at the two-day conference. The focus will include an in-depth analysis of UDL principles and the opportunity to create lessons and curricula that will be shared on the JUSTICE Project’s website.

The JUSTICE Project is funded by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs. Marya Grande, PhD, Kelly Harper, PhD and Michele Marable, PhD are co-directors of the project. Grant funds support professional development for general and special education teachers and professors to ensure that college graduates meet the highly qualified standards and all children have access to curriculum and can meet New York State academic standards. For more information about the JUSTICE Project, contact Marya Grande at grandem@canisius.edu.

Submitted by: Michele Marable, professor, special education