Education

The Kennedy Willis Center continues to be a resource for furthering education and outreach for families, area students, educators and professionals in our greater community. Over the years, the Center has shed light on important and need-to-know topics impacting the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. An array of contemporary seminars and conferences are made available to the public throughout the year.

2023 Lunch & Learn Webinar Series: 

Nurturing Your Best Self through Music, Art, Movement & Mindfulness

Click here to register!  (This link will take you to the KWC's secure payment site on Square).

The changes associated with aging often impact an individual’s participation in activities that are important to them. The cognitive and/or physical changes with aging and the onset of dementia make it particularly challenging for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) to stay engaged in activities.  This four-part webinar series will discuss the relationship of participating in meaningful activities with health and well-being. Our knowledgeable presenters will discuss strategies you can use to assist the individuals you support in staying active and involved in activities they enjoy.

The Lunch and Learn webinar series will be facilitated by E. Adel Herge, OTD/OTR/L, FAOTA, Jefferson Elder Care, Thomas Jefferson University, and Brittany Goodrich, Director of the Kennedy Willis Center. All sessions will begin promptly at noon.

Featured Presenters Include:

Part 1: Your Creative Self: The Value of Art, even if You're Not Artistic
Date: Wed., October 25, 2023 at Noon

Anne Dudley-Smith serves as the Gallery Director for The Arc Otsego's Main View Gallery, a studio that celebrates the creative powers and insights of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The Main View Gallery offers a wide variety of artistic opportunities that are tailored to the needs, desires and talents of each artist. Anne will discuss how to structure basic to elaborate art activities for individuals with Developmental and Intellectual disabilities and how to involve people in creative processes to achieve wellness goals.  At the conclusion of this session, participants will incorporate strategies to bring art into the daily routine of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Part 2:  Fun Fitness Ideas for All Ages & Abilities
Date: Wed., November 1, 2023 at Noon

Zoe Curtis, the owner of Fitness with Zoe, is an experienced group fitness instructor, who specializes in POUND workouts, ZUMBA, and other health movement formats. She has coached individuals and groups for over 12 years in ways that allow people to enjoy movement, make exercise fun, and build their self-confidence while providing an inclusive atmosphere for people of all ages and abilities to feel successful.

Zoe has led in-person and online classes throughout Upstate New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and other locales for gyms, fitness studios, private groups, centers for individuals with disabilities, senior living communities, youth programs, and substance addiction recovery centers. Zoe has also coached clients on nutrition, weight loss, mindset, and on home fitness regimens.

Part 3: Discover Your Musical Joy: How Music Can Heal Us 
Date: Wed., November 8, 2023 at Noon

Join acclaimed drum circle facilitator and sound healer Jimbo Talbot in this session focused on facilitating transformative music and sound programs to promote health and wellness for people with intellectual and other disabilities.

The founder of DrumQuest, Jimbo has led drum circles and musical growth sessions at Pathfinder Village for ten years and offers a variety of programs to meet audience needs. He is a trained Remo Health Rhythms® facilitator, Village Music Circles® Global Drum Facilitator, a graduate of Music For People®, and a graduate of Ithaca College of Music. He has worked with schools, businesses, planned communities, and communities at large for over 20 years in providing transformative musical sessions.

Part 4: Being Mindful, Positive & Connected,
Date: November 15, 2023 at Noon

Our final "Lunch and Learn" session will be a panel discussion by spiritual providers who have extensively worked with and counseled individuals with intellectual disabilities who are seeking advice on life's big issues, including loss, faith, and other topics. Our panel includes:

• Rev. Douglas Burleigh, the Chaplain at Pathfinder Village and The Community Hospice, Albany, NY
• Sr. Mary Veasy, a Sister of St. Joseph, who has provided pastoral care at Divine Providence Village for 16 years, and
• Sr. Susan Lindinger, a Sister of St. Joseph, who has been a volunteer coordinator at Divine Providence for five years.

At the close of the class, participants will be able to apply strategies to support an individual in maintaining fellowship and connection activities that maximize positive spirituality.

Please use the link below to sign up for this informative webinar. All four sessions are covered by the $30 registration fee. 

Click here to register! 
(This link will take you to the KWC's secure payment site on Square).

Questions: Please email [email protected].