Hybrid Conference – Creating Safe and Supportive Environments for LGBTQ Students – February 25, 2025

February 25, 2025 @ 8:15 am – 2:30 pm

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Registration: 8:15 – 8:45 am
Conference: 8:45 am – 2:30 pm

Attend In Person or Via Zoom

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
1050 Westminster St.
Fitchburg, MA 01420

To receive PDPs, participants must attend this conference and the conference, Recognize, Respond, Survive, then Thrive: Eradicating the Culture of Microaggressions in the School Community (and Beyond), on February 11, 2025. Members can participate in-person, virtually or by viewing the recording. Following the live conference, registrants will be emailed a link to view the recorded conference. The recording will be made available for 10 days after the conference.

Speakers

Description

School staff are key to fostering environments where LGBTQ students can feel safe, supported, and affirmed. Leading voices from the Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ students, student leaders, families, and education professionals will share best practices to create affirming spaces across schools, classrooms, and extracurricular programs. Participants will also learn about the current laws designed to protect LGBTQ students and hear how school staff can take the lead in implementing impactful, inclusive practices. Walk away with actionable tools and resources to make your school a place where LGBTQ students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

About the Speakers

Jason P. Wheeler (he/him) serves as the Director for the Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students, a joint project of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth. With a profound commitment to advancing social justice, Jason’s professional journey has been shaped by his deep involvement in diverse national and community-based initiatives. As the Director of the Safe Schools Program, Jason leverages his expertise and passion to create safer, more inclusive educational environments for LGBTQ students. Through collaboration, education, and advocacy, he works to dismantle barriers and ensure that all students can thrive in schools free from discrimination and prejudice.

Sheila Kelly, M.A., LMHC, (she/her) is a mental health professional with a strong background in supporting children and adolescents. After earning her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her master’s from the University of San Francisco, Sheila began her career as a therapist and Clinical Program Director, focusing on intensive therapeutic care for youth facing complex trauma. Since 2008, she has been a School Counselor at Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, Mass., where she addresses a wide range of mental health, social, and emotional concerns for students and families. Passionate about promoting mental health and well-being, Sheila advocates for LGBTQ+ youth and diverse populations, leading school-wide mental health and diversity initiatives. With 14 years of experience advising the Gender & Sexuality Alliance, she is deeply committed to fostering equitable and safe environments for all students, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in school culture and community. 

Tony Leone (he/him) is the program director at NAGLY, The North Shore Alliance of LGBTQIA+ Youth. He proudly serves the LGBTQIA+ community from kindergarten through age 23. Tony received his undergrad in psychology and graduate degree in mental health counseling. Tony has been in the field for 8+ years and specializes in group support.

Tony began his career in the human services field while in his undergrad studying juvenile psychology. He worked within the schools, in after school programs, and specialized with adolescent youth on the autism spectrum. Tony then received his graduate degree in mental health counseling and continued his direct care work as a counselor along with being the program director at NAGLY.

Catherine L. Lyons , Esq., (she/her) is a graduate of New England School of Law, magna cum laude, and she currently represents school districts exclusively in all aspects of education law before state and federal agencies, as well as in state and federal court, with a particular emphasis on special education matters. Cat has a Master’s Degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Texas Tech University, and was previously employed as a certified speech-language pathologist in both the private and public sectors prior to becoming an attorney. Cat also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education from Texas Tech University. Cat has completed the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s mediation training requirements pursuant to Rule 8 of the Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution. Cat is the Co-Chair of the annual Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education School Law Conference and is a member of the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys, as well as the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys. In addition to representing school districts in special education and related general education matters, Cat is a frequent speaker at professional conferences, workshops, and seminars.

Jai Madden, MSW, LCSW, (he/him) is a trauma-informed educator, speaker, advocate, and practicing clinical social worker seeking to transform mental health and health services towards a more profound expression of health, equity, and justice. Jai has experiences in various settings, including residential programs with adolescents on the autism spectrum, school-based counseling, child welfare, hospital emergency room social worker, outpatient therapy, and in-home/wrap services through the CBHI model.

Jai started as a youth advocate in Jamaica around reproductive health rights, where he planned and designed curriculums for middle and high schools and piloted a self-esteem program across the schools he worked in.  Having realized the injustice his clients faced with broken systems, he changed his path to pursue social work. 

Jai has the added value of helping clients navigate systems while supporting them therapeutically. His clinical areas of interest are crisis interventions, ADHD, addictions/recovery, career, domestic violence, grief and loss, LGBTQIA+, trauma, depression, anxiety, empowerment, relationships, men’s issues, personal growth, DEI, and social justice perspectives in clinical treatment.

Gabrielle Montevecchi, M.Ed., CAGS, (she/hers/they/them) is a Beverly native, career educator and trans youth advocate. As the principal of the Hannah Elementary School in Beverly, Gabrielle is living her dream and making a positive impact on the students and families she serves. She is a member of the Beverly Human Rights Committee. Gabrielle was awarded the 2021 Salem State Alumni Award for her consistent and demonstrated best practices to the field of education. Gabrielle lives in Danvers with her husband and two children, one of whom is transgender. 

Cinzia D. Solari, Ph.D., (she/her) is the mother of two children: a cisgender high school senior who is already purchasing items for her dorm room and a nonbinary middle schooler obsessed with “what they will be when they grow up.” They are deciding between attending medical school to provide gender-affirming care to trans kids or opening a clothing line in Milan’s Vittorio Emanuele shopping gallery. Cinzia is also an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She co-authored the award-winning book, The Gender Order of Neoliberalism (Polity 2023), and is currently conducting fieldwork with trans and nonbinary students to better understand their high school experiences.

Anna Solon, M.Ed., (she/her) is a dedicated Math Teacher and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance Advisor at Francis W. Parker Essential Charter School. This is her 4^th year at Parker Charter School and 3^rd year as the GSA Advisor. With a strong educational foundation, Anna holds a Master’s in Education and a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Anna is passionate about fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment both in her classroom and in the school as a whole. In addition to teaching mathematics, Anna plays a pivotal role in guiding and supporting students through the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. She promotes diversity and inclusion within the school community through events such as the Drag Ball and the Day of Silence as well as through education in morning announcements and before school table set ups.

Nadene Stein, Ph.D., (she/her) began her journey as an educational leader over 20 years ago as a principal at a residential program for middle and high school-age students with social, emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties. Dr. Stein joined Waltham Public Schools in 2001 and has been the Administrator of Pupil Personnel Services for the Waltham Public Schools since July, 2015. In July, 2021, Dr. Stein was appointed the Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services for the Waltham Public Schools. With each professional move, Dr. Stein has worked to build and develop opportunities where teachers and students flourish as leaders and learners.

Dr. Stein has earned a B. A. in English from Boston University (1984); an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Boston University (1986); an M.Ed. in Special Education with a Specialization in the Transition from School to Adult Life from the University of Massachusetts, Boston (1994); a C.A.G.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Massachusetts, Boston (1998) and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a Specialization in Educational Leadership from Lesley University (2012). 

Matt Wilder, Founder and Principal, Wilder Strategies, (he/him) is a communications and media strategist with a passion for telling great stories. With deep roots in the education, government, and non-profit sectors. Before creating his consultancy, Matt served as Chief of Staff and Communications Director to the Massachusetts Secretary of Education in Governor Deval Patrick’s administration. Before state service, Matt served in Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s administration as the Chief Spokesperson for the Boston Public Schools and as an advisor to Superintendent Carol Johnson. Prior to his public service, Matt was a television news producer at Boston’s acclaimed ABC affiliate, WCVB-TV, Channel 5. Matt currently serves on the Board of Directors for World Ocean School and GLAD Law (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders). He is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston.

Membership Information

Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.

PDPs and CEUs

MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz. The PDP quiz will be made available only to participants who have registered for and attended both conferences.

Event Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.

For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.