ST. BONAVENTURE - St. Bonaventure University School of Education Dean Nancy Casey, Ed.D., today announced the creation of the Education Forum, an annual event focusing on contemporary issues in pre-K to 12th-grade education.

Funded by an anonymous gift to the school, the inaugural forum will feature Dr. Irene Carney, executive director of Sabot at Stony Point in Richmond, Va.

Carney will lead a workshop titled "Uncommon Classrooms/Common Core: Creative Options for Fostering Knowledge" on Monday, April 11, in the Robert R. Jones Board of Trustees Room in Doyle Hall on the St. Bonaventure campus. The program begins with a poster session displaying research findings by students in the Differentiated Instruction graduate program at 4 p.m. with the keynote and workshop to follow at 5 p.m.

Sabot at Stony Point is the only Reggio Emilia school in Richmond that goes from preschool to eighth grade. Reggio Emilia (named after the town in Italy from where it came) embraces a self-guided education model. According to the school's website, "... We believe that when children feel ownership of and accountability for their learning, they are likely to extend it beyond their formal schooling to become true lifelong learners."

Carney, whose education career spans more than three decades, has engaged in extensive study of child development and learning theory and critical relationships between parents and educators. Prior to the merger of Sabot and Stony Point schools, Carney served as Sabot School's director for 14 years, and as consulting head of school at Stony Point School for the 2006-2007 academic year.

"I am thrilled that we are able to bring Dr. Carney's perspectives and experiences to the campus and Western New York communities," said Casey. "She is at the forefront of innovation in pre-K-8 education, and I believe it is this type of teaching and learning that will form the solutions to myriad challenges in our education systems."

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited so reservations are required. Visit www.sbu.edu/EdForum to register or call (716) 375-2313.