24th Annual WI Transition Conference
Date: February 12-13, 2026
Location: Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Schedule 
This schedule is subject to change. Registrants will receive a conference program at conference check in.
Click on the dates below to view a specific date.
Friday, February 13, 2026
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Light Breakfast, Exhibitors, NetworkingSuite 1, 2, 7, 8
8:30 am - 8:40 am
Welcome: Mr. Patrick Vavra, CESA 11, EdEvents DirectorSuite 1, 2, 7, 8
8:45 am - 10:00 am
Shut Up Sisters Patricia Terrasi and Gina Gallagher - KeynoteSuite 1, 2, 7, 8
10:00 am - 10:20 am
Break: Exhibitors, NetworkingSuite 1, 2, 7, 8
10:25 am - 11:40 am
Shut Up Sisters Patricia Terrasi and Gina Gallagher - WorkshopSuite 1, 2, 7, 8
11:45 am - 12:40 pm
LunchSuite 1, 2, 7, 8
12:50 pm - 1:40 pm
20. Stoughton Area School District Transition ProgramAralia
Presenters: Jennifer Collins (Transition Coordinator); Jennifer Collins (Transition Coordinator)This is my fifth year as the transition coordinator for the Stoughton Area School District. Over the five years we have built our program from the ground up, working with different local community businesses. We have a busy schedule full of volunteer placements, community engagement, paid competitive employment and leisure. Stoughton is a small rural community, I will share different ways that I have worked with the local chamber to engage the community in our programming.
Level: Intermediate21. Vocational Opportunities Through School & Community PartnershipsBanyan
Presenters: Bobbi Jo Debruin (Special ed teacher); Jill Lotzer (Work Based Learning and Transition Coordinator); Jill Lotzer (special ed teacher)High school vocational training continuum for students with intellectual disabilities. Presenters will share training programs & content used within school settings for students with emerging vocational skills. Students who demonstrate a vocational readiness within the school setting will begin volunteer community placements that lead to paid employment.
22. Transition Planning Meetings: Empowering Transition TeamsCypress
Presenters: Jill Thomas (Transition Coordinator); Leah Cuda (Special Education Teacher - Transition Coordinator); Rachel Pankowski (Beyond 18 Teacher); Shelley Burke Otto (TIG Transition Specialist )Transition planning and Beyond 18 programming can often involve complex scheduling and coordination. Join us for a discussion with districts from across the state as they share strategies for using transition meetings beyond the traditional IEP framework. This session will highlight the importance of creating a dedicated space and time for students, families, and agencies to collaborate, share insights, and develop meaningful, effective transition plans.
23. Updated Strategies to Support Youth Employment Experiences Tamboti/Aloeswood
Presenters: Alicia Reinhard (Statewide Transition and Graduation Consultant); Bob Meyer (Competitive Integrated Employment Coordinator ); Rachael Kramer (Community Innovations Specialist); Sarah Kuehn (Program and Policy Analyst Advanced); Stacey Teegardin (IPS State Trainer )Collaboration and the braiding of supports and services are critical in supporting employment experiences for youth with disabilities. Current data continues to show the benefit of collaboration on long term employment outcomes. Given the current limitations on access to vocational supports, this session will explore alternatives for braiding funding and cooperation between transition partners. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of state agency representatives.
Level: Intermediate24. Becoming my Own Advocate: How Peer Mentoring Builds Transition REadinessMangrove
Presenters: Anna Morehouse (Program Development Director); Lindsey Kugler (Peer Mentor Program Supervisor); Shawn Ihrcke (Behavior/Service Navigator Manager)Transition-aged youth with disabilities often enter post-secondary education, employment, and independent living environments without the confidence or skills to navigate these systems on their own. Peer mentoring offers a powerful, relationship-based approach to building readiness and independence. This session explores how peer support helps young adults become effective self-advocates—developing the communication, problem-solving, and self-determination skills essential for adulthood.
Level: Beginner25. A Nonprofit’s Practical, Person-Centered Transition ToolkitMarula
Presenter: Marney Orchard (Education Director)My Full Life is a nonprofit, mission-driven digital curriculum and ready-to-teach toolkit designed to fill the gap in practical, age-appropriate life-skills instruction for students with IDD. It offers comprehensive courses with built-in assessments that support educators. Whether you’re a classroom educator, transition coordinator, agency leader, or caregiver, you’ll walk away from the session with practical tools to strengthen life-skills instruction and support youth and young adults.
Level: Intermediate1:45 pm - 2:35 pm
26. Person Centered Planning for SuccessAralia
Presenters: Brianna Huebner (Inclusion Support Specialist); Keli Melcher (Director of Student Services); Megan Blankenheim-Villarreal (Special Education Coordinator)Person-centered planning is a strengths-based approach that supports students with disabilities in transitioning into adult life. The student is at the center, and the team focuses on their abilities and goals. Families, educators, and service providers collaborate to create an action plan that supports employment, education, independent living, relationships, and community involvement, all based on the student’s interests, strengths, and future vision.
Level: Beginner27. Lessons Through Laundry: A Transition Tool for Providers & SchoolsBanyan
Presenter: Michelle Castile (Community Health Worker )Transitions for students with disabilities are often treated as isolated events. Families experience them as an ongoing cycle. Using the universal metaphor of laundry, this session introduces a practical transition framework—Sort, Wash, Dry, Fold—that helps teams clarify priorities, clean up confusion, allow time for processing, and shape supports into real-world skills. Designed for schools and providers, this tool centers family voice while supporting clear, collaborative transition planning.
Level: Intermediate28. Time Blindness: Symptoms and Strategies Cypress
Presenter: Brandi Berry (School Psychologist-Senior)People who experience time blindness struggle to accurately estimate the time needed to accomplish a task and to perceive the passage of time. These difficulties with managing time can negatively impact school and career success as well as interpersonal relationships. As time blindness is commonly associated with ADHD and other disorders, students with disabilities are disproportionately affected. In this session, we will discuss ways of recognizing time blindness in your students and strategies
Level: Beginner29. Well-Being & Work–Life Harmony: Building a System of H.O.P.E.Tamboti/Aloeswood
Presenter: Brandi Kelly (Owner/CEO)Social workers carry stories, challenges, and victories that shape the heart of our communities. But supporting others begins with supporting ourselves. In this session, we will explore how a System of H.O.P.E. can guide professionals toward sustainable well-being and meaningful work–life harmony—without guilt, burnout, or self-sacrifice. Participants will learn how hope can function as a practical framework to navigate stress, prevent burnout, and foster resilience.
Level: Intermediate30. When Does Transition Really Start?Mangrove
Presenters: Kathryn Erickson (Transition Coordinator); Tim Markle (Transition Coordinator)Transition begins at 14. Right? Not so fast. Explore with us the evolution of thought around transition, specifically equipping students to be successful after exiting the K-12 system. Is that enough time to prepare the student and the family? What if we looked at transition as a journey that includes the entirety of the educational experience? Come join the discussion around improving outcomes by introducing community, family, and educational supports throughout the educational experience.
Level: Beginner31. Transition into Adult Services: One Residential Provider's PerspectiveMarula
Presenter: Nicole Styles (Sr. Director of Admissions and Case Management)this presentation will discuss what I/DD residential providers look at from assessment to admission to the first few months of placement. The discussion will help individuals and their parents/caregivers understand some of the considerations in adult services as one is preparing for that next step whether it be from school or from living at home.
Level: Beginner
