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Conference targets positive intervention in schools


February 02, 2015

Creating a safe and more supportive school environment for PreK-12 students is at the heart of an upcoming education conference, March 5-6, sponsored in part by ASU Online.

In its fourth year, the Behavior Education Technology Conference is focused on assisting educators, administrators and school support staff in improving student outcomes and behavior, as well as school climate, through a process of systemic change called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Looking at how positive intervention can help counteract domestic minor sex trafficking and raise awareness around the issue, ASU associate professor Dominique Roe-Sepowitz will lead a pre-conference workshop March 5 on how to prevent and identify risk factors of vulnerable youth.

Roe-Sepowitz and fellow researcher Judy Krysik, both professors in ASU’s School of Social Work, within the College of Public Service and Community Solutions, are part of a collaborative, five-year, $1.24 million research effort that aims to identify children who are victims of sex trafficking in Arizona, and provide training to child welfare professionals to improve outcomes.

“This year, we will host over 350 educators who are interested in improving their schools. The work of Dr. Roe-Sepowitz and her colleagues is highly significant to our mission,” said Karen Gifford, director of the conference. “Providing students with the support and security they need from their school communities is crucial to fostering high-quality learning environments across Arizona.”

The workshop to be led by Roe-Sepowitz will include information about domestic minor sex trafficking in the United States, with a particular focus on Arizona, as well as discussions on the scope of the problem, recruitment techniques, how to increase awareness and the treatment needs of victims.

The conference is slated for March 5-6 at the Desert Willow Conference Center, located at 4340 E. Cotton Center Blvd., in Phoenix. Sponsors and exhibitors include KOI Education, Odysseyware, the Arizona Department of Education and ASU Online.

For more information on the conference, or to register by Feb. 27, visit bet-c.org/