Boca Raton, FL – October 16, 2015 – Unicorn Children’s Foundation will present Building Social Capital Conference on Friday, October 9, 2015 from 8:00am-4:30pm at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL. 
 
The following experts will discuss how to help individuals with special needs build social networks and take advantage of natural supports to create a more inclusive and engaging community for residents of varying abilities:
 
Dr. Al Condeluci has been an advocate, a catalyst for building community capacities, and leader in understanding social culture since 1970.   He holds an MSW and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, where he is on faculty in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Social Work.  Currently, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Community Living and Support Services (CLASS), a community based support system for folks with all types of disabilities in Pittsburgh, PA. Al has authored 7 books, including the acclaimed- Social Capital: The Key to Macro Change (2014).  On June 3, 2014, Dr. Condeluci presented his philosophy to the world in a TEDx talk.  It can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaBUV2J0ax4.
 
Jeff Fromknecht co-authored Social Capital with Dr. Condeluci.  Jeff is a lawyer, author, and speaker who has a passion for helping others. He is the the co-founder and Managing Attorney of Side Project Inc. Jeff is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and Florida and splits his time between Pittsburgh, PA, and Boynton Beach, FL. His legal work focuses on the transactional and compliance legal issues impacting tax-exempt organizations and their work. He holds graduate degrees in both social work and law and has over 12 years of experience working at nonprofit organizations in a variety of direct-service and administrative roles.
 
Jamie Curran has been enhancing the lives of individuals who have an intellectual disability through his work at Community Living Mississauga. From his beginnings as a support worker to his current role as Manager of the Outcomes Support Team, Jamie has always recognized the importance of social capital in the lives of the individuals he supports as well as the role it plays on an organizational level.  A certified in-house interviewer with the Council on Quality and Leadership Canada since 2003, Jamie was published in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation’s special issue on social capital and he currently sits on the international research group for the Interdependence Network based out of Pittsburgh.
 
Dr. Condeluci will share the philosophical framework from 9am – 12pm.  The afternoon will culminate with examples of inclusion in action and learning group circles.  To learn more, or to register for this event, please visit www.unicornchildrensfoundation.org/conference.
 
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Unicorn Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization providing education, awareness and funding opportunities to organizations for special needs children in an effort to help kids excel in the community.  For millions of special needs children with developmental, communication and learning challenges, finding a cure is like chasing a rainbow in that a cure remains elusive. The Unicorn Children’s Foundation is expanding the collective special needs community to help acknowledge, celebrate and integrate the special qualities possessed by neurodiverse children with Autism, ADHD, Bipolar, Asperger’s, Dyslexia and other learning disorders.