Presenters & Special Guests
Aiko Bethea
RARE Coaching & Consulting, Founder
Atlanta, GA
Aiko Bethea, founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting, is an innovative leader. Through her work, she coaches leaders and organizations to remove the internal and external barriers to inclusion, allowing them to understand each other as people, colleagues, and teams in more connective ways.
During her childhood and throughout her career, Aiko has been in places where people who looked like her were underrepresented. She believes that when you anchor into your values and discover your voice, you can begin to live the life you want to live and be exactly who you want to be.
Dr. Tricia Shelton
Seton Hill University; Director of Field Placement & Associate Professor of Education
Monroeville, PA
Tricia Shelton has been an early childhood educator for 17 years. During that time, she taught first and third grades and served as an elementary school principal. Considering herself a life-long learner, Dr. Shelton holds a Master’s Degree in Education and a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Her research interests include teacher attitudes and inclusion of students with ASD.
To assist local organizations in efforts to provide inclusive environments for youth with ASD, Dr. Shelton has volunteered as an autism consultant with several local community organizations. She was a 2014 finalist of the Pennsylvania Autism Connection Temple Grandin Award.
Dr. Shelton has published with the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA). Her article, Supporting Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Inclusive Literacy Classrooms, was featured in the 2012 Spring/Summer issue of the professional journal, Pennsylvania Reads. Her research was presented at the 2012 Pennsylvania National Association of Multicultural Education (PA-NAME) conference at Millersville University, the 2013 Eastern Education Research Association (EERA) conference in Sarasota, Florida, and the 2014 National Autism Conference at the Pennsylvania State University.
Ronnie Thomas
PITSCO Education, Southeast Education Advisor; Fun Weird Science, Owner
Atlanta, GA
If you are seeking to IGNITE, EXCITE, and ENGAGE students in hands-on STEM learning, then Ronnie is your guy!