2018 State MOSPA Conference

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The 2018 State MOSPA Conference was held May 2-4, 2018 at the Boyne Mountain Resort and Conferent Center, Boyne Falls, Michigan. The event was sponsored by the Talent Investment Agency in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education - Office of Career and Technical Education. 

Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D, was the opening keynote speaker on Thursday morning. Kevin is
the producer of the viral animation video “Success in the New Economy,” and author of the bestseller, “(Re)Defining the Goal,” Dr. Fleming is a passionate advocate for ensuring all students enter the labor market with a competitive advantage. He travels internationally speaking to both educators and industry helping to shatter antiquated thinking about education, skills training, and career readiness. His mission: Close the skills gap one audience at a time. To learn more about Kevin visit his website http://kevinjfleming.com/. 

Success in the New Economy  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs6nQpVI164

Many breakout sessions were available throughout the conference:

• Learn Effective Techniques to Train the Next Generation of Skilled Technicians
• Using the Personal Curriculum (PC) to Individualize the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC)
• Students in Psychological Distress: Breaking through Mental Health Barriers
• We Can Do It! Fostering Collaboration Between Secondary and Post-Secondary Institutions to Support the Retension of Female Students Pursuing Nontraditional Career Programs
• Post Graduation Planning for Success of ALL Students
• Perkins 101 and Allowable Costs
• Making the Case: Roadmap to Success Michigan Education and Career Pathfinder
• QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training
• Secondary and Post-Secondary Partnerships: Driving Student Engagement and Awareness of Skilled Trades Pathways
• Show Me  the Money
• Impacting the Core Indicators with Intentionality Through Success Coaching
• Practical Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: K-12, Post-Secondary and Beyond

The conferenced ended with a presentation from Terri Tchorzynski, 2017 National School Counselor of the year. Terri was featured on the National Public Radio (nprEd How
Learning Happens) where she answered "9 Questions for the Nation's SchoolCounselor of the Year." 

Each year the state conference committee puts together an event that meets both the expressed wishes and the diverse needs of our members. That means we are trying to make sure that each time slot offers speakers and topics of interest to both secondary and post-secondary conference-goers. We also pore over last year's evaluations to determine whether there is a speaker we could invite back or a recommended speaker or topic someone would like us to bring in. If you find the conference a good fit for you each year, remember that it was designed with you in mind. Wait to see what we have in store for you! 

Every year all registered conference participants are invited to the hospitality room for an opportunity to network, socialize, and enjoy refreshments. We will host a door prize drawing on Friday morning at the conference wrap-up.  Please help out by bringing a gift to donate and drop them off at the conference check in table upon your arrival. It sure would be great if everyone received a prize! 

The conference registration contains the opportunity to nominate colleagues. You may nominate an individual or program for Secondary and Post-Secondary level in the following categories: Outstanding SPOPS student, Professional, Support Person, Employer and Program. Award recipients and nominating individual(s) will receive notification as to outcome of nominations. Award recipients will be invited to attend the conference and receive their award at that time. Nominations are encouraged. Even though the conference has been held for this year, look in the left column under Awards and Recognition to check out the criteria required for award recipients.  To find out how to nominate, visit the Awards and Recognition page.