Pacific VIP Scholars Meet with Consultant

by Guam CEDDERS Pacific VIP
Four individuals standing in school hallway.
Donna McNear, University of Massachusetts – Boston Adjunct Faculty, conducted a practicum site visit with Guam-based student scholars in the Pacific Vision Instruction Project (Pacific VIP) on April 29. Pictured here at Price Elementary School are (L-R) scholars Darlene Taimanglo and Diane Artero, Professor Donna McNear, and scholar Erica Acfalle. Not shown are scholars Joni Manibusan and Norma Jean Santos. The site visit took place during the week of April 27 through May 1, 2015.

LEND Faculty Provided Training to Service Providers & Parents

by Guam CEDDERS Interdisciplinary Pre-Service Preparation LEND
Presenter standing in lecture room full of participants.
Leolinda Parlin (standing), Co-Director of the University of Hawaii Maternal Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental & Related Disabilities (MCH LEND), Program, conducted a presentation during a parent meeting focusing on the topic of “Addressing the Needs of Older Children (5-12th grade) with Autism” on May 7. Ms. Parlin was joined by Mariailiana Stark, DrPH, APRN-Rx, PNP-BC, and Joshua Fouts, PhD., BCBA-D. Approximately 25 parents and interested community members attended the meeting held at the IT&E Lecture Hall, Jesus and Eugenia Leon Guerrero Building, University of Guam.

Practicum Student Receives Social Work Pin

by Guam CEDDERS Interdisciplinary Pre-Service Preparation
ix individuals posing for photo in lecture hall.
Trish Billen, Guam CEDDERS Social Work Practicum student, was honored during the University of Guam Social Work Pinning Ceremony held on May 21, 2015 at the University of Guam CLASS Lecture Hall. In attendance were (L-R:) Bonnie Brandt, Guam CEDDERS, Trish Billen, Florina Anson, Trish’s mother, Yuleen Nanpei Perman, Trish’s cousin, Bernadette Shisler, Guam CEDDERS, and Mariles Benavente, Guam CEDDERS.

LEND Cohort Completes Program

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Training Interdisciplinary Pre-Service Preparation LEND
Five individuals posing for photo in assistive technology center.
Guam trainees received their Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental & Related Disabilities (LEND) Certificate of Completion on May 5. Shown here are (L-R) Carla Torres, Guam CEDDERS LEND faculty, Trainees Leone Rohr, Suzanne McManus, Ph.D., and Renee Koffend, Au.D., and Leolinda Parlin, University of Hawaii LEND Program Co-Director.
  • A group of individuals seated around conference table

    On May 20th, Mr. Quansheng Song, database consultant, conducted a site visit on Guam and worked with Project Kariñu staff to further refine their database and begin work on generating a set of standardized reports. Clockwise L-R: Dr. Lilli Perez, Acting Project Kariñu Director; Quansheng Song, Database Consultant; Bonnie Brandt, Guam CEDDERS Training Associate; Joseph Mendiola, Guam CEDDERS Data Coordinator; Tammy Bamba, Project LAUNCH Staff; Pauline Camacho, Project Kariñu Lead Family Partner; Toni Latson, Project Kariñu Wrap Coordinator; and Jobeth Aquino, Project Kariñu Wrap Coordinator.

  • Three individuals seated at conference table.

    Dr. Lilli Perez (left) shares her reports with Mr. Quansheng Song (center) and Bonnie Brandt (right) during the May 20th meeting.

Project Kariñu Pilots ChildLink Database

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance Early Childhood

  • Two individuals standing holding paper stars.

    Elizabeth Calvo (left) from Project Kariñu and Joseph Montague (right) from the Child Care Development Fund Program, both at the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) engage during an activity at the Early Childhood System Strategic Planning, Early Childhood Policy Summit III which was held on April 24, 2015.

  • Two individual standing holding paper stars.

    Maggie Bell and Linda Rodriguez (center), both from DPHSS, check to see if their stars match up. Participants in the Early Childhood System Strategic Planning, Early Childhood Policy Summit III were given a star with either a word, definition, or example of a principle. Their task was to find another star that referred to the same concept.

  • Individual posting paper starts on chart.

    Ruth Leon Guerrero watches on as Maggie Bell places lightning bolts on the “Charting Our Course, Navigation Wall.” Participants were asked to write down their priorities on different pictures and placed them on the wall.

  • Invidual standing talking with group seated at table.

    Bonnie Brandt (standing) facilitates a discussion with the Early Care & Education Strategic Management Team (SMT) Group.

  • Two individuals standing in front of chart with many paper stars, paper lightning bolts, and paper storms.

    Elaine Eclavea (left) and Bonnie Brandt (right), co-facilitators of the Early Childhood System Strategic Planning, Early Childhood Policy Summit III stand in front of the Charting Our Course, Navigation Wall.

  • Large group standing on balcony overlooking Tumon bay.

    Participants took time for a photo op during the Early Childhood System Strategic Planning, Early Childhood Policy Summit III. L-R: Terry Naputi, Dr. Suzanne Kaneshiro, Margarita Gay, Cathy Tydingco, Cathy Schroeder, Pauline Camacho, Ruth Leon Guerrero, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Calvo, Elaine Eclavea, Joseph Montague, Vera Blaz, Vicky Ritter, Jeffrey Pinaula, Maggie Bell, June Perez, Bonnie Brandt, Trish Billen, and Mariles Benavente.

Early Childhood System Policy Summit III

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance Early Childhood

  • Photo of Pepnet 2 staff sharing information relating to technology.

    Pepnet 2 staff (standing L-R) Van Nguyen, Mary Morrison, and (seated) Cindy Camp, share information relating to technology available to persons who are deaf/hard of hearing. Showing is a screen shot of "OmniJoin," video-conferencing software that supports visual communication to take place.

  • Photo of June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director (standing), facilitating a discussion.

    June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director (standing), facilitated a discussion that took place with educational administrators during the first breakout activity during the "Pepnet 2 Building State Capacity Summit" on May 20 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Participating in this discussion were Special Education administrators including (clockwise starting at right) Laura Brown, CNMI; Asmon Langidrik, Marshall Islands; Marbe Martin, Kosrae; Ansina Kony, Chuuk; and Helen Sengebau, Palau.

Pepnet2 Summit Addresses Capacity Building in Deaf Education: Transition from Secondary Education to Post-Secondary Options

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance

  • Photo of workshop attendees participating in an activity.

    Bob Cruz, John Quinata, and John LG Salas role play "getting to know you" for building a network of informal supports on post-secondary campuses.

  • Photo of workshop attendees participating in an activity.

    Trish Billen, disability studies and social work intern, role plays with fellow facilitator Maria Bontogon and participant Zenaida DelMundo to demonstrate the more formal interactions with post secondary faculty when disclosing disability and needing to request accommodations.

  • Photo of workshop attendees participating in an activity.

    John LG Salas, Bob Cruz, and John Quinata role play "getting to know you" as a means of furthering skills in positive communication.

Self-Advocacy Workshop Promotes Skills for College

by Guam CEDDERS Self-Advocacy

  • Robert McCulley, Director, Northeast Regional Center for Vision Education/ Institute on Community Inclusion, School for Global Inclusion and Social Development, University of Massachusetts Boston, and June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director and Project Director for the Pacific Vision Instruction Project, delivering a presentation.

    (L-R) Robert McCulley, Director, Northeast Regional Center for Vision Education/ Institute on Community Inclusion, School for Global Inclusion and Social Development, University of Massachusetts Boston, and June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director and Project Director for the Pacific Vision Instruction Project, deliver their part of the Guam CEDDERS workshop presentation at the 2015 Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities. The presentation, titled "Making Connections that Improve Lives Across the Life Span," took place on May 18 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Seated at right is Elaine Eclavea, Guam CEDDERS consultant, who shared information on the development of Guam's Early Childhood Comprehensive System.

Guam CEDDERS Conducts a Session at Pac Rim Conference

by Guam CEDDERS Community Services: Technical Assistance

Guam CEDDERS partnered with representatives from the Pepnet2 Project to facilitate a summit to build state capacity to address critical issues in Deaf Education, specifically addressing transition from secondary education to postsecondary options.  The summit, held on May 20-22, brought representatives from the Pacific Basin entities to Honolulu.

  • Photo of Dr. Zeny Natividad speaking.

    Dr. Zeny Natividad, program administrator for GDOE Research, Planning & Evaluation (RP&E) office, shares some opening remarks.

  • Photo of Dr. Jon Fernandez giving welcoming remarks at the REL Pacific Guam Research Alliance Parent Panel Session.

    Mr. Jon Fernandez, GDOE superintendent, gives welcoming remarks at the REL Pacific Guam Research Alliance Parent Panel Session on Family Engagement held on May 7, 2015 at Liguan Elementary School.

  • Photo of school personnel from J.Q. San Miguel sitting at a table.

    School personnel from J.Q. San Miguel, J.M. Guerrero, and Upi elementary schools listen as selected parents from their schools share their experiences related to family engagement in their child's education.

REL Pacific Guam Research Alliance Parent Panel Session on Family Engagement

by Guam CEDDERS Research and Evaluation