Don Hellison is a professor in the Departments of Educational Psychology and Kinesiology at UIC. This role involves program development, delivery, and evaluation for underserved youth as well as the professional preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers and youth workers who work in these programs. These programs use taking responsibility as a framework for teaching physical activities in in-school and after-school programs. Since the broad goals of this approach - e.g., respect for the rights and feelings of others, self-motivation, cooperation, self-direction, and helping others (e.g., leadership) - are relevant for working with kids in many settings, workshops also have been requested by teachers and youth workers who do not work with physical activities. Processes and outcomes of this work are disseminated in publications, presentations, and workshops across the country and in several other countries. The TPSR Alliance, co-directed with Gloria Balague, is the center for these activities (www.tprs-alliance.org). Don spent 16 years doing this work on the west coast and has been at UIC for the past 20 years. He has been recognized for this work most recently (2008) by receiving the Gulick Medal, the most prestigious award given by the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. He has also been the recipient of the International Olympic Committee President’s Prize and five other national awards.

The conference theme will permeate all sessions, and sessions have been planned to reflect the widest of delegate interests, to include: all levels of Physical Education delivery -  primary, secondary & tertiary; while addressing the areas of : diversity in PE; the role of PE in human physical flourishing; the value of the Physical Educator in schools; schools as communities of learning; adapting PE for those with special needs; while incorporating this message through orienteering, aquatics, dance, futsal, tennis & the fitness studio (see attached programme outline for more specifics).

The conference venue - Fels point hotel offers 4 star accommodation at exceptional value, within close proximity to the facilities being used for practical workshops, the Regional Sports Centre pool, tennis courts, Tralee town park and sports halls. Delegates will also have a chance to wind down & catch up with friends during the recreational time allocated to either golf in beautiful Castlegregory Golf Club or while scaling the heights of Kerry’s second highest mountain, Mt. Brandon, on Sunday morning. A big welcome to class of ‘76 Thomond College reunion group, who are travelling from far and wide to meet up with their class mates for a great get together, particularly nostalgic for them, given the fact that they spent a whole term in Tralee, during their degree, while encamped in the Brandon Hotel, that will surely lead to some memorable stories, worth hearing.