PHOTO: 2015 Charles Chadwell Special Education Institute hosted by Presbyterian College Education Department in Clinton, SC

On April 16, Presbyterian College will host its Second Annual Charles Chadwell Special Education Institute. The event is free and open to the public, however, space is limited to the first 50 participants to register.

The event will include a speaker presentation on literacy education in special education. After the presentation, Hands-on writing stations will be set up to help participants use a co-teaching model to support all young writers.

This year’s featured speaker will be Dr. Timothy Shanahan, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and founding director of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Literacy. Shanahan is author or editor of more than 200 publications and is past president of the International Reading Association. Shanahan received the William S. Gray Citation for Lifetime Achievement and the Albert J. Harris Award for outstanding research on reading disability from the International Reading Association. He was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007.

“We are extremely fortunate to have the benefit of the Chadwell Endowment at Presbyterian College as it allows us to bring national experts in the field of education to Clinton,” said Dr. Julia Wilkins, assistant professor of education. “Dr. Timothy Shanahan is an extremely well-known and influential researcher in the field of literacy and it is an honor to have him present at the Second Annual Charles Chadwell Special Education Institute.”

This event is made possible by the Charles Chadwell Endowment for Special Education. The endowment was established in 1984 by Francis E. Cothran and his wife Jean Syminton Cothran in recognition of Dr. Charles Chadwell’s service as superintendent of the Whitten Center in Clinton. Billy Cothran, the Cothran’s only son, was a resident of the Whitten Center. The endowment is designed to be used for scholarship awards for students who plan to continue their education in the field of special education, and is also in place to “provide seminars, lectures, or workshops led by recognized authorities in fields related to special education, which will promote a better understanding of the circumstances” faced by individuals with disabilities and their families.

“The institute will be attended by general and special education teachers as well as teacher candidates and education professors from local colleges,” Wilkins added. “We encourage anyone interested in the field of education to attend this event to enhance their learning and build meaningful connections with others invested in the education of students with disabilities.”