VAISEF Spring Conference

VAISEF 2023 Spring Conference Call for Proposals

VAISEF Awards Program

VAISEF 2023 Spring Conference

The presentation schedule for the VAISEF Spring Conference is packed with content covering all aspects of private special education and features Keynote Speaker, Erin Walsh, Co-Founder of Spark & Stitch Institute™

Erin is a parent, speaker, educator, and writer. She has worked with communities across the country who want to better understand child and adolescent development and cut through conflicting information about kids and technology. She is fiercely committed to bringing an equity lens and asset-based approach to our understanding of, and response to, youth and media. Her signature down-to-earth approach and sense of humor helps families and educators engage in complicated topics and leave feeling capable and motivated.

Erin has enjoyed bringing science and tips to families and educators alongside her father Dr. David Walsh for nearly 20 years. They started together at the National Institute on Media and the Family and then more recently founded Mind Positive Parenting before creating Spark & Stitch Institute™ in 2019. In addition to writing articles for several other organizations including Bolster Collaborative and Psychology Today, she co-authored the 10th Anniversary Edition of the national bestseller Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen.

Erin is also Lead Program Facilitator for Youth Frontiers. She leads interactive Mind Retreats for educators exploring the science of stress and why connection unleashes learning. Before creating Spark & Stitch Institute in 2019, Erin taught undergraduate students for 9 years with the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs. She created and co-taught an 8-credit program called Making Media, Making Change. Erin has served on a number of community boards, most recently as board chair of YMCA Camp Widjiwagan, a wilderness-based youth development program. She has consulted with schools, school districts, parent groups, and other youth-serving organizations throughout North America on issues related to digital media, children, youth. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her wife and two kids.

Book your hotel room at the Marriott Richmond Downtown by March 21, 2023, to take advantage of the special rate.

The hotel block is closed but hotel room may still be availiable, please contact the hotel directly to book. 1 804-643-3400