Registration open through 8/23/2022 12:00 PM

Mix and Mingle 2022: Renew, Reignite, Reinvent, Reconnect.

Join teachers, administrators and educational support staff throughout Van Buren County in an exciting choose-your-own-path learning event. Mix and Mingle 2022 will offer various learning sessions for attendees as well as an opening keynote focused on stepping into the 2022-23 school year renewed and ready.

SCECH: Hours - 6.5
CE: Hours - 6.5 - pending approval

David Edward Garcia

David is the only 5-language-speaking-motivational-comedian on the planet! David empathizes with diverse students who face challenges because he was once considered an “at-risk student” himself before defying the odds and graduating with a bachelor’s degree and then earning his Master’s Degree.

He has motivated children and mature adults in some of the greatest metropolitan cities of the world: Los Angeles, New York, Sao Paulo, Paris, and London.

His upbringing facilitated his multiculturalism/ multilingualism which make it easy to relate to diverse audiences. While his native languages are English, and Spanish, David’s has also presented in French, and Portuguese in his international tours. (He also speaks Italian, bringing his language total to five—for now.)

For more information visit: TopYouthSpeakers.com

Dr. Nicki Newton

Dr. Nicki Newton is an education consultant who works with schools and districts around the country on elementary math curriculum (including best practices, guided math and math centers) as well as curriculum mapping.  She has taught elementary school, middle school, and graduate school. Having spent several years as a bilingual teacher and staff developer, she has an extensive background in Sheltered Instruction and English Language Learner Strategies.  Dr. Nicki has worked with Heidi Hayes Jacobs in facilitating both the Curriculum Mapping and the Interdisciplinary Curriculum Institutes at Teachers College, Columbia University for several years. Dr. Newton has kept her hand in the academy by teaching graduate courses for CUNY, MCNY, Mercy College and Cambridge College. Her work teaching elementary curriculum, math methods and special education courses keeps her abreast of the latest educational theories. She has presented at several national and international conferences on education– including being an invited speaker for the NEA as well as working on a special interdisciplinary social studies curriculum project for the AFT.

Dr. Meghan Block

Dr. Meghan K. Block is an Associate Professor of Elementary Literacy in the Teacher Education and Professional Development Department at Central Michigan University. Her teaching and research interests focus on early literacy development and instruction. She can be reached at block1m@cmich.edu.