January 27th, 2009

FARMINGTON, ME (January 26, 2009)--University of Maine at Farmington is
featuring Stephen Wessler, executive director of Portland's Center for the
Prevention of Hate Violence, as the keynote speaker at its upcoming
conference on "Teaching in a Diverse World." Wessler's presentation,
"Creating Safe and Respectful Schools," will be held from 11:45 a.m. to
1:15 p.m., Thursday, February 5, in North Dining Hall at UMF's Olsen
Student Center.

Wessler's talk will provide participants with an understanding of the
problem of hate in schools and with skills and strategies for intervening
to prevent harassment. "We are so excited to have the opportunity to bring
Mr. Wessler's expertise to the educational community," said Katherine
Yardley, dean of the UMF College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation.
"Creating a climate in which every student feels physically and emotionally
safe and ready to learn is the foundation of providing a positive
educational experience." The author of "The Respectful School: How
Educators and Students Can Conquer Hate and Harassment," Wessler heads the
Portland Center and its focus on the creation of programs in schools,
colleges and communities to prevent bias, prejudice, harassment and violence.

As an attorney in the Maine Attorney General's office from 1992 to 1999,
Wessler developed and directed the civil rights enforcement effort,
creating the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence in 1999. A member
of the faculty at University of Southern Maine, Wessler advocates for the
prevention of bias motivated violence and has conducted presentations in
the United States, Canada, Northern Ireland and the Middle East.

He has been widely recognized for his work on hate crimes and their
prevention, and has received numerous awards including: the 2008
Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce, Education/Business Partnership Award; the
2003 Dirigo Alliance, Leader for Change Award; and the 2002 Maine Bar
Foundation, Howard Dana Award for services provided to Maine's vulnerable
populations. Wessler is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston University
School of Law.

Sponsored by the UMF College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation, the
half-day conference is free and open to the public and will be held from
11:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., with sessions in both the UMF Olsen Student Center
and Education Center. The goal of the conference is to explore the many
forms of diversity present in educational settings. Among the topics to be
discussed are: "Teaching Children with Autism," "Growing Up Poor," "Undo
the Stereotyping in Native American Literature" and "Clashing Cultures and
More: How do Prejudices Begin?"

For a list of the conference session descriptions, presenters, times and
locations, please visit the conference website at
http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~princej/conference/Conference.html.

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For more information, please contact Johanna Prince, UMF instructor, at
207-778-7170, or johanna.prince@maine.edu.

EDITOR'S NOTE: You will find photo at
http://www.umf.maine.edu/campus/docs/RP089-026.JPG

Photo Credit: Susan Geismar