2022 Preconference
Self-Expression, Social Connection & Transformation through Art

Jalen Law, Thursday November 17, 2022 9 AM-3:30 PM
In-person only at the Doubletree Hotel, Binghamton, NY

Jalen Law is a passionate and inspiring Artist, Arts Educator, Arts Advocate, and Entrepeneur from Western NY. His research and work with students centers around emotional intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning. Jalen engages with his community and brings people of all ages and backgrounds together through his artmaking, teaching practices, and entrepreneurial mindset.

In this pre-conference Jalen will share his many roles, endeavors, and adventures and lead participants through practical, hands-on, minds-in, and heart-engaged activities that will help them grow personally, socially, emotionally, civically, and artistically. Jalen will lead participants through two workshops centered around emotional intelligence, social equity, and fostering community connections. In the morning, Jalen will lead participants through an emotional intelligence workshop titled D.A.P.A. (Director, Author, Producer, Actor) in which they will examine who they are as educators and the impact they want to make inside and outside of the classroom. In the afternoon, Jalen will present past and current community projects including his recent work with hospice/palliative care patients. During this session, attendees will examine ways to build social equity and community connections through art.

The purpose of these sessions is for educators to individually and collectively generate steps for fostering emotional intelligence, social equity, and community connections through art. Discussion and hands-on artmaking will focus on creative strategies to help students with self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Participants will leave with a new artist to share with students, new ideas for art lessons, new strategies for reaching and teaching students, and new ways to use art as self-expression, social connection, and transformation.

As a participant, you will

• examine your story and role as an educator
• reflect upon and articulate the impact you want to make inside and outside the classroom
• explore how to build social equity and community connections through art
• leave with concrete ideas and actionable steps to foster emotional intelligence and social equity in the classroom and community settings 

My purpose is to use art as a tool of healing and self-development.

The objective of the Emotional Intelligence Program is to equip students with social and emotional tools that will assist them inside and outside of the classroom using a blend of music, creative writing and the visual arts.

—Jalen Law

Agenda
9:00–9:45 Session I: DAPA (Director, Author, Producer, Actor) Emotional Intelligence
12:00–1:00 LUNCH (box lunch included in fee)
1:00–3:30 Session II: Building Social Equity and Community Connections Through Art and Community Focused Art Installations

Supplies
Materials provided include paper, pencils, and coloring utensils (markers, colored pencils, crayons) 

Attendees are welcome to bring their own sketchbook/journal and drawing/mark-making materials as well. 

Registration Rates
(Includes lunch + CTLE certificate for 5.5 hours)
$75 Member/District Member
$65 Member Student, Retired, Unemployed 
$125 Non-Member

 Register NOW!
This event is limited to 40 participants.
Deadline to Register is November 11, 2022

CLICK HERE to Register for the Preconference

Jalen Law has been an artist since the age of four. He’s always been interested in different forms of creation, including painting, drawing, and sculpting. In his sophomore year of college, he decided to create his own business around his artistic talent. Since, his path has expanded into many different directions, in particular with creating murals. His first mural was a City of Buffalo initiative to honor essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic — the piece was a 5’X10’ aluminum panel honoring doctors and nurses. Then, the Niagara Falls Heritage Center approached him about creating a portrait for their Niagara Falls Murals initiative, leading him to create his Calvin “Pop” Porter mural. 

Common themes in Jalen’s work include utilizing technology and digital arts, including audio and video stimulation, to allow all types of people to engage with his pieces.

Currently, he is working on a research-based art program called the Emotional Intelligence Program to equip students with social and emotional tools that will assist them inside and outside of the classroom.