About Us

The Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC)

The Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC) is committed to providing high quality professional development relevant to the cultural, rural, and remote characteristics of our great state. ASSEC has provided ongoing professional development to Alaskan special educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, and families for more than 30 years. By inviting nationally recognized speakers, as well as knowledgeable local experts in the areas of disabilities and education, ASSEC has become a highly anticipated event within the field of special education in Alaska. By supporting Alaskan special education professionals and paraprofessionals, ASSEC also provides an indirect but great benefit to Alaskan students with special needs and their families.

Event Details

General Information

The format of the conference includes three main days of conference workshops (February 3 - 5, 2025) with two days of pre-conference credit courses before the main conference begins...

Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor

The Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC) is an annual event. By inviting nationally recognized speakers, as well as knowledgeable local experts in the areas of disabilities and education...

Conference Hotel

The Hilton Anchorage Hotel is the host hotel for the conference...

Keynote Speaker

Monday  |  February 3, 2025

Molly Kennedy, Speaker, Author, Ironman Triathlete, Mountain Climber

Molly Kennedy has dedicated the past 26 years to empowering people to have more resilience, confidence and learning to leverage their adversity into results. 

Challenges and trauma followed Molly throughout her life. She grew up in a dysfunctional family with  addiction, divorce, neglect and abandonment. She suffered from an eating disorder, was suicidal and  ran away at 15 years old. Then the abuse began.  She lost her full-time teaching career, twice, due to  budget cuts. Without a job or insurance, she decided to step away from the classroom to pursue her  next career as a speaker and author. She didn’t know how, but she did have a vision and  unstoppable  mindset to take action and make it happen. 

Molly is a mindset, grit and perseverance specialist. She has achieved many life goals, including  earning  her Master’s Degree in Sports Medicine, becoming an author, completing multiple  marathons, winning  championships in bodybuilding and Olympic weightlifting and earning the  distinction of Ironman  Triathlete (140.6 miles). Molly has also jumped out of an airplane twice, walked across fire twice, climbed the equivalent of Mt. Everest in less than 32 hours and had summited all 46 of New York’s highest mountains. She competed in Grant Cardone’s ‘The Great American Speak-Off’ and was a top 30 finalist.

Her heart’s work is to inspire people to flip their mindset and recognize that the challenge is the gift. Molly’s message empowers anyone to get UNstuck from any challenge or transition life throws at them. People learn practical, user-friendly strategies and action steps applicable to every aspect of life. This is NOT a one and done message. It will stick to your ribs!

Keynote Speaker

Tuesday  |  February 4, 2025

Jordan Christian LeVan, IEP Advocate

Jordan Christian LeVan is a disability and mental health advocate residing in Greensboro, NC. Jordan graduated from Guilford College with a bachelor's degree in psychology, emphasizing mental health studies. Living with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and multiple disabilities, Jordan dedicates his life to raising awareness about disabilities while sharing his personal experiences. As the author of the "Jordan's World" book series, he offers a glimpse into his journey growing up with CAS. Through his social media handle, "Fighting For My Voice," he inspires others to embrace their authenticity and navigate their way out of dark places, contributing to a more inclusive world.

Keynote Speaker

Wednesday  |  February 5, 2025

Dani Bowman, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, DaniMation Entertainment LLC

Dani Bowman founded her company, DaniMation Entertainment, at age 11. She has worked professionally in the animation industry since 14. Bowman has premiered 11 award-wining animated short films at San Diego Comic-Con each year for the past 10 years.  Her shorts feature the voices of Joe Mantegna, Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob), June Foray, Debi Derryberry and Stella Ritter in addition to other voice actors on the autism spectrum.  Knowing the special talents of people with autism, Dani employs others on the spectrum at DaniMation Entertainment as musicians, artists, and voice actors. Dani utilizes her six passions of Autism Advocacy, Public Speaking, Animation, Illustration, Fine and Visual Arts, and Teaching Animation to show young adults on the spectrum and with other disabilities that anything is possible and inspire them to leverage their unique ability.  Dani’s team of students won the Easter Seals Disability Film Challenge for Best Director in 2021.

Since age 15, Dani has led summer animation camps around the country, initially with Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films, and then expanding out on her own to teach to over 2,000 teens and young adults followed by the launch of Danimation UK  in 2019.

Dani not only teaches animation, but also works with her students as a role model and mentor, encouraging them to follow their dreams. Her contributions to the autism community have been widely acknowledged from receiving the Temple Grandin Award from Future Horizons to being the first American with Autism honored at Anna Kennedy’s “Wear It for Autism” event in London.

Additionally, Dani enjoys speaking about autism, the need for self-sufficiency and employment for those with disabilities.  Among other speaking engagements, she was the keynote speaker at the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALICON), the Oklahoma State Autism Conference (OSACON), and the Alaska Autism Roadshow, ABC of North Carolina, and the California Transition Alliance.

Dani graduated Woodbury University with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts (BFA) in Animation, followed by  Master’s Degree of Business Administration (MBA) in Management and Leadership, also from Woodbury University.

Dani is currently on the cast of Netflix “Love on the Spectrum US”.

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