The engagement of all individuals in an educational environment is essential for fostering an educated and thriving community and workforce. Financial support for this conference offsets the costs associated with attendance for North Alabama’s educators and increases accessibility of this exciting new conference regardless of ability to pay. Together, we can create an educational climate that is attractive to current and future residents of the area and drives healthy workforce development. Teach 2 INCLUDE, an annual conference for faculty in K-12 and higher education institutions across North Alabama, explores the challenges surrounding diversity in the classroom and shares effective methods for making a difference in the field of education. Through this conference, we will make a positive impact on our community by equipping educators to create more supportive educational environments for our region’s students. Please email teach2include@uah.edu for more information. Organizer Dr. Hamsa Mahafza Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Education Chair/Director Dr. Hamsa Mahafza is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the UAH College of Education and is a 2022 Honors College faculty fellow. She received her Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her teaching specialization includes multiculturalism and world language teaching methods. In her research, Dr. Mahafza focuses on service-learning in teacher education, as well as heritage language learning and school choice. In 2022, she joined the Board of Directors of the Alabama World Languages Association (AWLA) and also received the AWLA “Friend of Languages” Award. Currently, she serves as AWLA Advocacy Director. She is the author of "The Arabian Cinderella and the Secret of the Woven Threads." She is the recipient of the UAH 2024 "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." Award. Dr. Mahafza's goal is to bridge the gap between cultures through culturally and linguistically responsive teaching.
